Peanut Soup - Hearty Winter Fare

I was served peanut soup for the first time by my friend Judith, on the eve of a winter solstice past. She developed the recipe based on her memory of a peanut soup that she had eaten at a now-closed tearoom. The following is my version of this strangely delicious soup.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3/4 to 1 cup of peanut butter, depending on your taste
• 1 large tin of tomatoes ( 796 ml)
• 1 cup of water or vegetable broth
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. of ground cumin to taste
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Methods:
Sauté the onion in the oil in a pot on top of the stove until it is translucent. Add the other ingredients to the pot stirring over a medium heat until the peanut butter has melted. Use a hand-held blender to whiz the ingredients until smooth. Alternatively, pour the soup into a blender to puree. Re-heat the soup and adjust the seasoning before serving.

I think that chopped green onions would be an appropriate garnish. Serve it with a hearty brown bread and lots of butter.