Spicy Butternut & Peanut Soup

It’s no secret I love butternut squash soup. Typically I make a sweeter version, by roasting a butternut squash along with an apple and an onion, the pureeing these and combining with broth and seasonings. While this soup has an awesomely delicious flavor, I was ready to switch it up for something a little more hearty and with a different flavor profile. I was thinking a spicy peanut version would be great – African-style, just like a peanut soup I used to enjoy at a local restaurant until they closed, and like this spicy west-African style peanut sauce I’ve made for sweet potato fries. I knew that just like the peanut and spices complimented sweet potatoes so well, they would work just as nicely with winter squash – which, of course, is less carbs and calories!

Not surprisingly, I found another recipe from Cooking Light on which to base my recipe. It seemed to have what I was looking for, but I wanted more spice and a different texture. The result was delicious and extremely hearty. And of course, easy too! If you haven’t yet ventured into trying peanut butter in your savory food, I hope you’ll consider this as a start. We both really loved this sweet, spicy, nutty concoction and we’re already looking forward to the second dinner from the freezer.

Spicy Butternut & Peanut Soup
Adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup chopped onions
1 1/2 lbs peeled, diced butternut squash
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
freshly ground salt & pepper
1 quart fat free, reduced sodium chicken broth
14oz can diced tomatoes
2/3 cup natural peanut butter (170gm)
chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and add onions. Cover and let them sweat for about 5 minutes, until softened, adjusting heat lower if they begin to brown. Add squash, garlic, chipotle pepper, and seasonings; stir and cook 2-3 minutes more. Add broth, tomatoes, and peanut butter, stirring well. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Coarsely mash with a potato masher, or if you prefer a smoother texture, puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor. Serve with chopped cilantro.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 257.2
Total Fat: 14.4 g
Cholesterol: 3.3 mg
Sodium: 774.9 mg
Total Carbs: 26.4 g
Dietary Fiber: 6.2 g
Protein: 10.1 g

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11 Responses to “Spicy Butternut & Peanut Soup”

  1. 1

    LoraBB — January 28, 2009 @ 2:45 am Reply

    This sounds so so tasty, and like something I’ve had recently that I really enjoyed. I’ll definitely be trying it soon!

  2. 2

    Maria — January 28, 2009 @ 3:14 pm Reply

    That soup sounds super delicious!

  3. 3

    Joelen — January 28, 2009 @ 4:28 pm Reply

    I’ve had a similar soup and the peanut and butternut combo really is delicious!

  4. 4

    That Girl — January 28, 2009 @ 6:24 pm Reply

    This almost reminds me of M&G's stew which is fantastic. I can only imagine this is likewise delicious.

  5. 5

    Kevin — January 30, 2009 @ 1:50 pm Reply

    I really like the sound of a peanut butter soup!

  6. 6

    Donna-FFW — January 31, 2009 @ 12:38 pm Reply

    This sounds lovely. Pretty too. Anything with peanut butter and butternut squash is a winner in my book!!

  7. 7

    JvW — March 2, 2009 @ 7:27 pm Reply

    I starred this in my google reader and finally made it last night – HOLY COW it was awesome! Thanks for posting it, I never would have thought to combine these flavors. We had it for dinner last night with turkey paninis to dip and it was fabulous.Now I want to try it with 1/2 the broth as a pasta sauce. Yummy!

  8. 8

    Joelen — April 5, 2011 @ 1:13 am Reply

    I've had a similar soup and the peanut and butternut combo really is delicious!

  9. 9

    Donna-FFW — April 5, 2011 @ 1:13 am Reply

    This sounds lovely. Pretty too. Anything with peanut butter and butternut squash is a winner in my book!!

  10. 10

    Tim — September 25, 2011 @ 1:01 pm Reply

    I love this recipe, it's one of my favorites and I've made it several times.  Sometimes I use chunky natural peanut butter for more texture and I use fresh ginger. 

  11. 11

    Cara — September 25, 2011 @ 1:37 pm Reply

    Thanks, Tim! I appreciate the kind words. It's one of my favorites too.

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