West African Peanut Soup

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This vegetarian, dairy-free soup is quite thick. Thin with a little water if desired.

"Our world is a quilt; its people, the fabric - all joined together by common threads, food, family, music and art."

Chef Art Smith, Founder, Common Threads

"Common Threads, a national nonprofit organization, teaches kids about everything from table manners to tabouleh, by helping them make and eat food from around the world.

Oprah Winfrey's chef Art Smith launched the Chicago-based Common Threads in 2003 with his motto, "One kid + one kitchen = one world discovered."

Common Threads operates 14 classes in Chicago, and the 12-week program has recently expanded to Los Angeles and Miami. During each class, students don chef hats and aprons and make an entire meal, usually an entree and two side dishes, in 90 minutes. Along the way they learn about nutrition and global awareness. Common Threads has served nearly 1,000 kids ages 8 to 12, and according to the organization's website (commonthreads.org), 82 percent of Common Threads students cut down on junk food and 96 percent become interested in cooking and eating healthier food. And then there's the stuff you can't measure - better behavior and greater self-esteem.

"I see such a difference, not only in the way they're cooking, but in how passionate and excited they are," says Chef Michelle Bernstein, who runs the program in Miami.

Anedriana Franck and Roudy Francois are among the most recent batch of students to participate in Miami's Common Threads program.

"I love to learn new things," says Anedriana. That includes new foods - among them, her new favorite, sushi. "At first, I thought it was weird. Now I think it's delicious."

Having mastered the recipes in class, Roudy's been making dishes from Japan, Thailand, Jamaica, India, Italy and the Middle East at home, but he's still not sure what his favorite food is. 'It's all really good, you know?' "

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  • 3

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons minced, peeled fresh ginger
  • Dash cayenne pepper
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
  • 2 1/2 cups water, divided
  • 1/2 cup tomato juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 5 green onions, chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Stir in yellow onions and carrots and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Add ginger and cayenne; cook 1 minute.

Add sweet potato, 2 cups water, tomato juice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Ladle soup into the bowl of a food processor. Add peanut butter. Cover and process until smooth. Pour into a clean pan.

Heat soup over low heat. Add remaining 1/2 cup water to thin if desired. Ladle into soup bowls and top each serving with green onions.

Nutrition Information:
Per serving
350 calories
23 g fat
0 mg cholesterol
550 mg sodium
28 g carbohydrates
7 g fiber
13 g protein

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