021 / 75 · Soups, beans and broths
Tomato, Peanut and Sweet Potato Soup
2 soup bowls, each containing half the sweet potato, tomato and peanut soup · Active 16 min · Cook 22 min · Total 40 min
Print recipe · PDFSweet potato and peanut butter make a rich soup, but tomato keeps this version lively. Give the root vegetable time to soften before the tomatoes enter. The peanut butter is loosened in a small bowl with hot broth, so it joins the soup without oily lumps. Ginger and smoked paprika supply the seasoning; this is an original weeknight combination rather than a claim to reproduce a named traditional dish.
The root gets the first turn
Tomato is held back while small sweet-potato cubes cook in plain stock. Press the largest cube against the bowl with the spoon before moving on. If it is still firm, another short cook now is more useful than a long finish after the peanut butter has thickened the liquid.
Make a small peanut slurry
Hot liquid loosens peanut butter much more readily than stirring a cold lump through a full bowl. Take the measured spoonful of broth from the soup itself, then scrape it all back. A masher leaves some sweet-potato texture; no blender or stovetop pan is needed. Keep the last cook gentle enough to stir the bottom without splashing.
Ingredients
- 250 g (9 oz) peeled sweet potato, cut into 1 cm/⅜ in cubes
- 50 g (1¾ oz) peeled onion, finely chopped
- 6 g peeled fresh ginger (about 1 tbsp finely grated)
- 10 ml (2 tsp) neutral oil
- 350 ml (about 1½ US cups) ready-to-use lower-sodium vegetable stock
- 200 g (7 oz) canned chopped tomatoes, including juice
- 30 g smooth peanut butter (about 2 tbsp), stirred before weighing
- 1 g smoked paprika (about ½ tsp)
- 0.5 g fine salt, a small pinch, or omit if the stock is salty
- 10 ml lime juice (2 tsp), seeds removed
Set out
1000 W microwave with turntable, Kitchen scale and measuring jug, Knife and board, Spoon, Oven mitts, Two serving bowls, Microwave-safe bowl, at least 2.5 L/about 2⅔ US qt measured capacity, about 21 cm/8¼ in inside diameter and 10 cm/4 in deep, Microwave-safe vented cover, Small heatproof bowl, Potato masher, Can opener, Fine grater for ginger, Food thermometer for leftover reheating checks
Allergens
Peanuts. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Put the onion, ginger, oil and 30 ml/2 tbsp of the measured stock in the 2.5 L bowl. Cover with the vent open and microwave at 1000 W full power for 3 minutes, stirring halfway. The onion should soften without a browned surface.
- Add the sweet potato and remaining 320 ml stock. Cover with a vent and cook at full power for 8–12 minutes, stopping every 3 minutes to stir and turn the cubes. The largest pieces must crush easily against the side with a spoon. Extend in 1-minute bursts if they remain firm.
- Put the peanut butter in the small heatproof bowl. Spoon 45 ml/3 tbsp hot liquid from the sweet-potato bowl into it and stir until smooth. Mash about half the sweet potato in its cooking broth. Add the peanut mixture, all the tomatoes and juice, paprika and salt; scrape the small bowl clean into the soup.
- Cover with a vent and microwave at 70% power for 5–7 minutes, stirring after 2 and 4 minutes, until gently bubbling and hot throughout. Stand covered for 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice, then divide the full batch equally between two bowls.
A bowl, not a sealed jar
The soup is cooked and stored in separate appropriate containers. A screw-top jar is not a substitute for the vented cooking bowl.
Measured richness
All 30 g peanut butter belongs in the batch. There is no extra peanut drizzle or handful of nuts in the serving.
Ingredient labels
Stock may contain celery, wheat, milk or soy. Check the seed-butter variation and the actual peanut-butter label for additional allergens.
A useful detail
The 40-minute plan allows 10 minutes of preparation, up to 22 minutes of sequential heating, the 2-minute stand and 6 minutes for mashing, peanut mixing and serving. A 1000 W microwave is the baseline. The sweet-potato endpoint controls the first long stage; do not rely only on the timer.
Another way
- Use 30 g/about 2 tbsp smooth sunflower-seed butter in place of peanut butter. Check the label for other allergens and expect a different seed flavor; this is a version without peanut butter, not a cross-contact guarantee.
- Replace smoked paprika with 1 g/about ½ tsp ground cumin for a warmer, less smoky seasoning. Keep the same tomato, ginger and lime quantities.
Keep it well
Cool in shallow portions and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below. Use within 3 days or an earlier opened-stock or tomato deadline. Stir before reheating; peanut butter can settle. Reheat a portion under a vented cover in short bursts, stirring the bottom each time; stand 2 minutes and verify 165°F/74°C throughout.