• 2 cups chopped onion 
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 
• 1/2 tsp cayenne or other ground chiles 
• 1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger 
• 1 cup chopped carrots 
• 2 cups chopped sweet potatoes 
• 4 cups vegetable stock or water [I use 1/2 water and 1/2 chicken stock] 
• 2 cups tomato juice [or canned sliced tomatoes] 
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter 
• 1 Tbsp sugar [optional, depends how sweet the peanut butter is] 
• chopped scallions 
• chopped roasted peanuts 
  

Sauté onion in oil until it is transluscent. Stir in cayenne and ginger.  Add carrots and sauté a couple minutes more. Mix in potatoes and stock, bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes (until the vegetables are tender).  

Puree the vegetables with tomato juice (and some of the cooking liquid if necessary) in a blender or food processor. [I usually skip this step, preferring to only mash the vegs a little with a potato masher and keep 
the soup chunky] Return the puree to the pot. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth. Check sweetness and add sugar if necessary. Reheat gently, using a heat diffuser if necessary to prevent scorching. Add more water, stock, or tomato juice to make a thinner soup if desired. Serve topped with plenty of chopped scallions and chopped roasted peanuts. [I often add some garlic] 

Serves 6-8