Spiced Sweet Potato-Red Lentil Stew #SoupSwappers

Here we are at the second event of 2021 for our Soup Saturday Swappers group. Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm started this event and, every month, I get a new array of soup recipes to put in my to-try pile. This month, our group's founder is hosting and invited us to celebrate National Potato Month; she wrote: February is national potato month and national sweet potato month. Let's celebrate by sharing a soup or stew that features potatoes!

Here's the line-up of recipes from the #SoupSwappers...

• Chicken Chili with Sweet Potatoes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Chunky Sweet Potato and Ham Soup by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking 
• Crockpot Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Curry Soup by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• German Potato Soup by Making Miracles
• Peas & Potatoes Stew by Sneha's Recipe
• Peruvian Potato Soup (Locro de Papas) by Karen's Kitchen Stories 
• Potato Cauliflower and Peas Soup by Magical Ingredients 
• Spiced Sweet Potato-Red Lentil Stew by Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Spicy Chorizo Vegetable Soup by Palatable Pastime

Spiced Sweet Potato-Red Lentil Stew

This month the #EattheWorld bloggers looked at recipes from Sudan. You can read my post Basbousa and Karkadé to see all of the recipes we shared. And while this isn't a Sudanese recipe, I was inspired by the addition of peanuts and peanut pastes to their dishes. So, I incorporated that into this stew.

Ingredients serves 4

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped (approximately 1 cup)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
• pinch ground cayenne
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (approximately 4 cups)
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1⁄2 cup peanut butter (I used creamy, but use whatever you have)
• freshly ground salt, to taste
• freshly ground pepper, to taste

Procedure

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add onions, carrots, and bell peppers. Sauté until the onions are softened, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. 

Add in the tomatoes and cook until they begin to lose their shape, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in the sweet potatoes and lentils. Pour in the broth and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes and lentils are tender, approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Just before serving stir in the peanut butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

That's a wrap for the #SoupSwappers' celebration of the potato. We'll be back next month when I'll be leading the discussion of Spring-inspired minestrone soups. Stay tuned....