Sweet Potato and Purple Cabbage Soup with Peanut Butter

Gluten free sweet potato soup with cabbage and peanut butter

Gorgeous soup that's souper good- and good for you.

Antioxidants. So good for you. Gotta love 'em. An easy approach to getting more antioxidants into your daily menu [without studying nutritional science] is simply, think color.

Choose a variety of eye popping colors as you shop for vegetables and fruits. The brighter the better. Each vivid hue gives you a unique nutritional boost. Pick orange sweet potatoes over white potatoes, and purple cabbage over pale green. Throw in some ruby red grape tomatoes and blueberries, and well, you get the idea.

And, Dear Reader, did you hear the news? Love your PB and J? You're in for a treat. Ever since I read the news that peanut butter and peanuts contain antioxidants, this gluten-free goddess has come out of her peanut-butter-loving closet. It's no longer a guilty pleasure. This winter I've been making lots of soups and sauces with peanut butter- a fabulous source of vegetarian protein - and now, as we know, antioxidants.

Life is good.

Purple Cabbage and Sweet Potato Soup with Peanut Butter

This soup can be as mild or as spicy as you like. We threw in a lot of red pepper flakes for heat, and holy mama - it cured all ills!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon light olive oil, organic canola or peanut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons hot or mild curry paste, or cumin, to taste
1 medium red onion, peeled, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled, diced
1/2 head purple cabbage, shredded
1 large yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
1 large Anaheim or Cubanelle pepper, seeded, diced
1 14-oz. can white or pinto beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1/3 cup natural peanut butter (or sunflower seed butter) melted in a half cup of boiled water or broth
1 14-oz. can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons golden balsamic vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, for heat, to taste
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon raw organic agave nectar, or organic light brown sugar, if it needs it
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

For garnish:

Chopped fresh cilantro or chopped peanuts
Fresh lime slices

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in large soup pot. Add the curry paste and stir for a minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, cabbage, yellow pepper and Anaheim pepper. Stir and cook the veggies for 5 -7 minutes, until softened.

Add the beans, broth, peanut butter, coconut milk, balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes and cilantro.

Bring the soup to a high simmer, cover, and lower the heat; keep the soup on simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and taste test for seasoning adjustments. Add a little brown sugar, if needed. Season with sea salt and ground pepper, to taste. Warm through.

Serve with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro or peanuts.

Serves 4 as a hearty meal.

It's terrific with gluten-free cornbread.

Karina's Notes:

For those avoiding peanuts, sunflower butter, soy butter, or cashew butter can replace the peanut butter in this recipe. Almond butter is very mild, and does not bring much flavor to a recipe like this. As always, check with your doctor regarding allergen safety.

This soup works well in a slow cooker. Combine the ingredients in your cooker and follow the manufacturer's guidance for cooking vegetable soup.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com