Thanks to the Temple of Zeus for the starting point for this recipe. As one of my favorite soups of all time, this was actually the first time I've attempted to make it. Happily, the results were of high quality, and this was a relief given the fact that Zeus's proportions are for restaurant kitchens. Hence, making soup for 2 meant scaling down the recipe, which is always a dangerous proposition. Although, perhaps scaling down is easier than scaling up?
At any rate, here is what went into our version of the soup, most of which was from our CSA:
2 T vegetable oil
1 chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
3 carrots, diced
1 celeriac, diced
1 sweet potato, diced (I used a Korean yam b/c that is what I had)
1 jalapeno, chopped
2 pinches of garam masala
1 pinch of chili powder
1 pinch cumin
1 cup cooked rice
salt 1 can of Glen Muir diced fire roasted tomatoes (can't remember the oz but it's sort of big, for Ithacans it's the one in the natural/organic aisle)
4 cups of chicken broth (can use veg broth to make this recipe vegan. also I used less but I now recommend using 4)
4 T chunky peanut butter
pinch sugar
Juice from 1/2 a lime
Cilantro for garnish
Directions: saute onion for a couple of minutes. Add garam masala, cumin and chili powder. Add carrots, celeriac, garlic, jalapeno and sweet potato, saute for a few minutes more until slightly softened. Add tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and then let simmer for ~20-30 minutes. Add cooked rice, lime juice, peanut butter, sugar, salt to taste. Stir to incorporate and then let simmer for ~5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.
(Depending on how finely you diced the ingredients and your preferred texture, you'll have to let it simmer as needed. Keep checking it for appropriate doneness. I like mine soft but not overcooked, you might prefer more bite)
