West African Peanut Soup

From drumnwrite @ allrecipes.com I had a version of this at my local restaurant and loved it so looked for an equivalent version online. This seems to fit the bill. The peanuts are used as an optional garnish, and since I've not yet made the recipe, I guessed at the amount that might be needed.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 10

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  medium onions, very finely diced
• 2  large  any color bell peppers, diced
• 6  large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 ounce) can chopped tomatoes, undrained
• 8  cups vegetable broth
• 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
• 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1⁄2 cup  uncooked rice
• 1 (18 ounce) jar creamy peanut butter
• 1⁄2 cup peanuts, chopped roasted (optional)

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
2. Add rice to soup and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
3. When rice is cooked, whisk in peanut butter and return to a simmer, and serve. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts, if desired.