Nutty Sweet Potato Soup

I love watching Ellie Krieger on the Food Network. She makes such yummy dishes that are so nutritious. (I've tried several.) When I saw her make the Nutty Sweet Potato Soup, I knew I had to try it. Mark loves sweet potatoes, and I have been looking for new soup and stew recipes.

The soup takes a little time to prepare, but is relatively easy. After the ingredients cook, you puree the soup, then add peanut butter and honey before serving. When I made this for my family, I took one bite and almost spit it back out. The spices nearly set my mouth on fire. I took my bowl to the sink, THEN I NOTICED THE PEANUT BUTTER AND HONEY ON THE COUNTER. I forgot to add them, and they significantly cool the heat. I'm a ding-dong.

Mark and the older children liked this both with and without the peanut butter. They have requested that I make it again. I will definitely add it to our menus.

I am including both the link to the Food Network site where this recipe is listed, as well as the recipe itself. I copied it directly from the site. I am a little concerned about copyright laws here. If it is not legal for me to post the recipe, someone let me know. Thanks!

The link: http://www.foodnetwork.com:80/recipes/nutty-sweet-potato-soup-recipe/index.html

The recipe:
Nutty Sweet Potato Soup2007 Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved

Yield
6 servings, serving size 1 1/2 cups
Times:Prep10 min Inactive Prep-- Cook30 min Total:40 min Recipe Tools:

Directions
1 tablespoon canola oil

Ingredients
1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
2 medium carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
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)
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable 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)

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. 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.

Enjoy!

Bev