One of my favorite homemade soups is African Peanut Soup. It is nutritious, delicious, and filling. For a 1 cup serving it offers a generous amount of vitamin C, vitamin A, dietary fiber, and a fair amount of protein all for only 280 calories. It is quite nearly a full meal in and of itself. Add a serving of non-fat milk or low fat cheese or yogurt to boost the protein and calcium and you're good to go. If you can afford the calories add a small piece of whole wheat bread or a few whole-wheat crackers and tossed salad with light salad dressing.
The recipe makes quite a lot. If I remember correctly it yields about 6 cups. You could make up a batch ahead of time and have nutritious meals ready to eat in minutes. If you live alone you might make half the recipe or freeze the extra in small pre-measured containers of 1-3 servings. My husband and I usually eat it up the week we prepare it so seldom find a need to freeze. But I have tried it and I believe it freezes fairly well.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. peanut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
ΒΌ cup finely chopped onions
1 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes, undrained
1 6-ounce cans tomato paste
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 cup brown rice (original recipe calls for white rice but I prefer brown for more nutrients)
1/4 cup unsalted peanuts (original calls for salted but I prefer to reduce the sodium whenever I can)
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat the oil and garlic for 1 minute. Add the onions and cook to a golden color 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, peanut butter, broth, vinegar, cayenne, and salt and stir till well mixed. Bring to a boil. Add the rice, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with some peanuts.
Recipe adapted from the original published by Real Simple Magazine in September 2005.
Nutrition Facts:
1 serving = 1 cup
Calories = 280
Total Fat + 16.4 grams
Saturated Fat = 3.2 grams
Cholesterol = 1 mg
Sodium = 1029
Carbohydrates = 27 grams
Dietary Fiber = 4.7 grams
Sugars = 9.1 grams
Protein = 9.8 grams
Vitamin A = 16%
Vitamin C = 35%
Calcium = 5%
Iron = 16%
An added bonus for this meal is that it takes only about 10 minutes to get the ingredients into the pot and cooking if the rice has been prepared ahead of time. I will sometimes make up a large batch of brown rice with my rice cooker at the beginning of the week and then I have plenty of rice ready to go for a number of different meals. The total cooking time for this soup is about 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
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