Soup's on! And what a soup this is! Hearty and loaded with flavor and texture! Creamy but no cream in sight! Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free too! If soup makes you happy, this'll keep you smiling for days!!

As promised, the base of this is the vegetable stock I posted yesterday but in no way will you feel like you're eating traditional old vegetable soup. A big part of that is due to the peanut butter. Yup, that's right. There is actually a fairly generous amount of peanut butter stirred into the broth which gives the base of the soup its creamy, almost luscious texture. If you're a bit hesitant to try it here, think how good peanut butter is in cold sesame noodles. That did the trick, right?

What also keeps this soup from being boring and makes it so healthy is all the good stuff it's loaded with:  chickpeas, kale and sweet potato. Protein and fiber go head to head here but all you'll be thinking about is how quickly you can bring the spoon to your mouth!! It's just so good!!

You could totally serve this for dinner with a piece of crusty bread (more on that tomorrow) or maybe a side salad. It really is a meal in a bowl. Also, it makes a nice amount, so chances are you'll have leftovers for lunch the next day! Yippee!! Who said healthy eating couldn't also be fun!!!

Chickpea, Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

Makes 7-8 servings

Prep Time:  About 1 hour and 10 minutes but most of this is hands-free

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  
• 1 red onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 large sweet potato (or 2 medium) peeled and cut into small cubes
• 1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, minced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus additional salt for seasoning
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 cups vegetable stock, the best store bought you can find or this homemade version
• 2 cups water  
• ¾ cup smooth peanut butter (natural is ok here) 
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 8 ounces kale, tough ribs cut away and discarded, leaves chopped up
• One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• Additional salt and pepper to taste

The Recipe

1.  Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until very hot and then add the onion, sweet potato, jalapeño  and a pinch of salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every now and then until onions and potato are softened. Add the garlic and the teaspoon of salt and stir for about 1 minute.

2.  Add in the broth and water and stir well. Turn the heat up so that the mixture comes to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes.

3.  While the soup is simmering, mix the tomato paste and peanut butter in medium heat-proof bowl and then whisk in a generous cup of the hot broth from the simmering pot until the mixture is smooth. Add this back into the pot and stir well. Add in the kale and chickpeas, stirring well. Let soup cook for another 20-25 minutes until it thickens up and the kale is softened. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately or let cool and store in the fridge in an airtight container for several days.

Enjoy! 

Note:  Recipe adapted from Love Real Food by Katharyne Taylor. I tinkered around quite a bit with this. Left out the 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, cut the hot sauce and salt and other little things too.