A New Recipe to Try!

Let's ignore the fact that it has been over two months since my last post, shall we? Ok. Great. Moving on.

Over the past few weeks Mr. Maestro and I have been stocking up on sweet potatoes! Not intentionally...we've just been getting a lot of them in our weekly CSA bag. I love sweet potatoes, but sometimes I have a lack of inspiration when it comes to their cullinary preparation. There was one expecially huge sweet potato that was taunting me to do something with it - so I did! And I want to share it with you!

This recipe was developed by a fellow registered dietitian who is also a TV Chef - Ellie Krieger. This soup is low calorie and is packed with tons of vitamins and minerals. The peanut butter adds a protein punch. Try it - you'll love it!

Nutty Sweet Potato Soup
Recipe Credit: Ellie Krieger (love her!)

Directions

1 tablespoon canola oil

Ingredients

• 1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups) {I didn't have quite 2 cups, used about 1 cup}
• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup) - {I used a green pepper, didn't have red}
• 2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup) {I didn't have carrots - and my soup was great without them!}
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (2 cups) {Used my giant sweet potato - about 3 cups}
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth {I used about 7 cups homeade broth}
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt added diced tomatoes, with their juices
• 2/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 cup chopped scallion greens (about 3 scallions) {didn't have the scallions, so no garnish for me!}

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over a medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell pepper and carrots and cook, stirring until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the cayenne, black pepper, garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the sweet potato, broth, and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

*Puree the soup in the pot using an immersion blender or in a regular blender in 2 batches and return the soup to the pot {I used my food processor and it worked like a charm!}. Add the peanut butter and honey and stir, over low heat, until the peanut butter melts. Serve warm, garnished with the scallions.

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Per Serving:

Calories 290; Total Fat 18g (Sat Fat 3.5g, Mono Fat 9g, Poly Fat 5g); Protein 14g; Carb 23g; Fiber 5g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 260mg