Soup for One

If you’re anything like me, every so often you’ll run into a recipe that sounds intriguing, and you note it for possible use later. Some years ago, I was in an international grocery store (IIRC I was buying tahini) and I happened to notice this recipe on another container., so I took a picture with my cell phone to save it.  Now, West African cooking may sound exotic to many of y’all, but Louisiana creole cuisine is largely a fusion of French, West African, and Caribbean elements, so I thought it might be something I’d like.  Alas, in her final years Grace did not have an adventurous palate; she was not at all interested in trying new dishes, but instead wanted her favorites.  So this photo sat in a folder of my phone until recently, when I decided I wanted to make some new kind of soup and remembered this recipe.  As I looked at it some instructions struck me as odd, which I assume may be due to differences in how ranges are calibrated or that sort of thing.  So I not only cut the recipe in half, but adjusted it in other ways as I thought best, and I found the finished product quite tasty.  So here’s my modified version; it made enough for me to have a large bowl that night (which I ate with crackers) with a large mug left over (which I had with a sandwich a few nights later).  If you double it, the amount would be sufficient for three dinner-size bowls.

1 boneless chicken breast, about 12-16 oz
¹/₂ bell pepper
¹/₂ medium onion
1 can tomato paste (6 oz)
2 tbsp peanut butter (creamy)
2 ¹/₄ cups water
¹/₂ tsp salt
¹/₄ tsp red pepper

1) Cut chicken into bite-sized cubes; cook in any oil (I used bacon grease) over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan until no longer pink.  Sprinkle in salt, reduce heat, and set timer for 10 minutes.

2) Cut bell pepper and onion into several pieces each; put them together in a food processor and pulse 6 or 7 times until pureed.  Pour puree over meat, stir well and allow to continue simmering.

3) Dump tomato paste over meat mixture; stir until mixed well and continue simmering.

4) In a bowl, mix peanut butter and red pepper with ¹/₄ cup water until fairly smooth.  Add to pot and mix well.

5) When timer runs out, add remaining 2 cups of water, increase heat to medium, and mix well; bring to boiling, then reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.

I found the soup pleasantly spicy (not hot; I’d imagine it would be mild enough for people who order 1 or 2 stars of spiciness at restaurants), with a good flavor that really didn’t taste peanutty to me.  The original recipe says beef can be used, but that doesn’t really sound as good to me (plus more expensive these days); I think pork might work well too, though I personally wouldn’t use fish.  Since it was pretty simple, relatively quick (roughly 30 minutes once the chicken was defrosted), and tasty, I’ll definitely make it again.  Bon appétit!