African Chicken Peanut Soup with Rice (Gluten-free)
This is a rich and flavorful soup drawing on traditional West African peanut stew flavors.
Servings: 11 (1-cup) servings
Ingredients
Aromatics & Vegetables
- Cooking Spray or 1 Tbsp Oil
- 1½ cups Sweet potato peeled and cubed
- ½ cup Onion chopped
- ½ cup Red bell pepper diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Japaleño pepper seeded and minced (adjust to heat preference)
Base & Protein
- 2½ cups chicken breast cooked or rotiserie (chopped or shredded)
- 8 cups chicken broth/stock gluten-free (low sodium recommended)
- ½ cup uncooked long grain rice
- 1 (15oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
Flavor & Thickening
- 1 cup bottled medium or mild salsa (gluten-free – such as Mateo's Gourmet Salsa, Pace Chunky Salsa, Fody Salsa, Tostitos Chunky Salsa, or Newman's Own Salsa)
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- ⅓ cup Creamy peanut butter (gluten-free)
Optional Ingredients
- Carrots diced
- Celery chopped
Instructions
- Sauté Aromatics: Place a large Dutch oven or soup pot coated with cooking spray (or a tablespoon of oil) over medium-high heat until hot. Add the sweet potato, onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño (plus optional carrots and celery, if using). Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables soften slightly.
- Add Base Ingredients: Stir in the chopped cooked chicken, salsa, cumin, salt, black pepper, chicken broth/stock, uncooked rice, and black beans.
- Simmer and Cook Rice: Bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the sweet potatoes are soft.
- Thicken: Remove the pot from the heat. Add the peanut butter, stirring vigorously with a whisk until it is completely dissolved and the soup is smooth and creamy.
- Finish: Return the pot to the stove and cook for 2 minutes more on low heat, stirring constantly (do not let it boil). Taste and adjust seasonings (salt/pepper) as needed. Serve hot.
