African Bean Soup

from my sweet, pregnant, darling sister Telcia.  thanks telch!

Makes 8 servings

Sweet potatoes and peanuts are familiar ingredients in many African cuisines. In this colorful soup they are combined with garbanzo beans and other vegetables and served over cooked rice.

¹/₂ cup water
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 onion, sliced
2 small sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 cups Vegetable Broth (see recipe) or water
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, undrained
¹/₂ cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 - 2 teaspoon curry powder
4 cups cooked brown rice 

Heat water and soy sauce in a large pot. Add onion and sweet potatoes or yams and cook over high heat, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add carrot, celery, and bell pepper. Cover and cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add tomatoes, broth or water, beans and their liquid, cilantro, peanut butter, and curry powder. Stir to mix, then cover and simmer until vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes.

To serve, place 1/2 cup of cooked rice in a bowl and top it with a generous ladle of soup.

Per serving (1 cup soup over 1/2 cup rice)

• Calories: 279
• Fat: 5.6 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Calories from Fat: 18%
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Protein: 10.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 48.9 g
• Sugar: 6.2 g
• Fiber: 9 g
• Sodium: 472 mg
• Calcium: 80 mg
• Iron: 3.3 mg
• Vitamin C: 35.7 mg
• Beta Carotene: 3251 mcg
• Vitamin E: 1.8 mg

Source: Healthy Eating for Life for Women by Kristine Kieswer; recipe by Jennifer Raymond, M.S., R.D.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31