Curried Peanut Soup
With optional Banana ToppingContributed by RedMill
“This recipe comes from The Enchanted Broccoli Forest by Mollie Katzen.
This is a lovely little vegetarian cookbook, full of hearty, meatless delights. I don't really know why this is called "curried peanut soup", since there isn't any actual curry in it. Hmmm...” - RedMill
Preparation time: 45 minutes
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
I. THE SOUP:
Ingredients
- 1 cup good plain peanut butter
- 2 tbs. honey
- 4 cups boiling water
- 1 to 2 tbs. peanut oil
- 2 cups minced onion
- 10 large garlic gloves, minced
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 to 3 tbs. minced fresh ginger
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tbs. ground cumin
- up to 1/2 tsp. cayenne
- 2 cups buttermilk (room temperature)
Preparation
- Place the peanut butter and honey in a medium-sized bowl. Add about 2 cups of the boiling water, and mash with a spoon until it becomes a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining hot water and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a soup pot or a Dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic, salt, and ginger. Saute for about 10 minutes over medium heat, then add the spices. Continue to cook and stir for about 5 minutes more.
- Stir in the peanut butter mixture and cover. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat way down, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, prepare the topping (recipe follows).
- Just before serving, whisk in the room temperature buttermilk. Serve hot, with a small spoonful of Banana Topping in each bowl.
II. THE BANANA TOPPING:
- 3 fairly green medium-sized bananas (green as in those you bought yesterday to eat two days from now)
- 3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp. canola or peanut oil
- a pinch or two of cinnamon
- optional: a dash of salt
Preparation
- Peel the bananas and slice them at 1/4-inch intervals diagonally. Place the slices in a glass pie pan and drizzle with lemon juice. Allow to stand for about 10 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a medium-sized heavy skillet. Add the bananas plus all their lemon juice, and saute on each side for a scant minute. Dust lightly with cinnamon, sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt, stir gently, and remove from heat. (Don't worry if the bananas lose their shape, because they are not that visible in the soup anyway.)
- If you haven't inadvertently eaten all of these delicious bananas straight from the skillet, add a small spoonful to each bowl of soup. If you couldn't restrain yourself and you have none left, return to Step 1 and start over!