Day 2: Quinoa Sweet Potato Soup

This. Soup. Rocks. It really does. I meant to make risotto but this old favourite of mine was calling my name. A colleague gave me a recipe much like this two years ago and I have added/subtracted to my liking. I believe its influences are South African. Before you say " Peanut butter in my SOUP??!" and recoil in horror, please give this comforting soup a try. You will be ever so glad you did. 😜

Recipe

I happened to be making some lovely homemade chicken stock so that is what I used. I usually use homemade (or good quality) vegetable stock so feel free to use what you like/have on hand. 

Ingredients

* 3 stalks chopped celery

* 3 peeled chopped carrots

*  1 chopped onion

*three small or one super big sweet potato, chopped 

* 3-5 cloves of chopped garlic

* 6 stocks of asparagus. chopped.

*6 cups of good quality stock

*1/3 cup rinsed quinoa

* 1/3 cup peanut butter

* chopped hot pepper or hot sauce to taste

*tbls cumin

* tsp salt, tsp oregano

* glob of extra virgin olive oil

* chopped fresh parsley and chives, optional

Instructions

*Sautee veggies (not potato) in olive oil for several minutes until softening

* Sprinkle cumin and stir... add stock and  sweet potato and bring to the boil. At this pont add asparagus, cover and simmer 20 minutes (add your hot pepper or sauce now... I like it to have a quite a kick but suit yourself! I like to use THIS:❤️

* Add the rinsed quinoa. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

* Finally, temper the peanut butter in a cup of the soup then stir back into pot. You can taste and adjust seasoning at this point. Also, grab a potato masher and mash up some of those veggies... really thickens the soup!!

Then sprinkle on your fresh garnish, if using! 

And that's it, kids. Dee-lish!! 

I usually use chopped pepper and zuchinni in this soup but I didn't have those and it still rocked. I just had a second bowl!! So enjoy. Hopefully the risotto will happen tomorrow! 

Oh, and here is the scrummy mixed green salad with feta, chives and sunflower seeds topped with my kickass Italian Salad Dressing that I had with it!! Jelly?? 😜