African Squash and Peanut Soup

Ingredients:

Africans have been combining peanuts with squash (especially pumpkin) since the 16th century. It's a good combination; the squash's natural sweetness is balanced by the richness of peanuts. A bit of chile heat and other spices round out this excellent soup.

3 winter squash - I used two butternut and one acorn
1 large sweet potato
1 Tablespoon peanut oil
4 medium/large onions
up to 2 quarts of broth/stock (Vegetable broth is great and would make this meal entirely vegetarian; I used chicken)
1-2 jalapenos or other moderately hot chiles
3-4 Tablespoons peanut butter
1 collection of spices

Step 1:

What's in that little bowl of spices?

1/8 teaspoon coriander
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika (Spanish is an inferior product)
1 pinch (or perhaps a smidge) ground cinnamon
1 pinch (or perhaps a smidge) ground cloves

That may not seem like much spice, but the idea here is to support the primary squash and peanut butter flavor, not overwhelm it.

Step 2:

Clean and seed the squash and sweet potato. Slice them into 1.5-inch chunks, coat lightly with peanut oil and bake at 350 for 1 hour or more, until soft and lightly browned.

Step 3:

Closeup of squash and sweet potato:

Step 4:

Slice the onions semi-finely.

Step 5:

Put them in a pan with 2 Tablespoons peanut oil and caramelize them.

Step 6:

This is a long process (it might even take longer than the squash, depending on the surface area of your pan) so don't rush it. Your patience will be rewarded.

Step 7:

Finely dice the jalapeno(s).

Step 8:

Remove the squash and sweet potato from their skins and put in a pot with the onions (save a few for garnish), jalapeno(s) and some peanut oil.

Step 9:

Saute at medium-high heat until the chiles start to sweat. Stir frequently to avoid sticking/scorching. Add broth/stock to cover, then add the peanut butter.

Step 10:

Stir to combine, then simmer for ~15 minutes. Before serving, hit the soup with a stick blender until wonderfully smooth.

Step 11:

Smooth:

Step 12:

Serve your African Squash and Peanut Soup.

Step 13:

Closeup: