This recipe is from the Love Real Food cookbook by Kathryne Taylor of Cookie + Kate - highly recommend both the website and book! I've made some small adjustments to the ingredients and instructions.
1medium-large sweet potato (mine was about 3/4-lb.),peeled & cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1jalapeño,seeds & ribs removed; finely chopped
fine sea salt
2tbspfresh ginger, peeled & grated, or minced(from ~2-inch piece of ginger root)
4garlic cloves, pressed or minced(about 1 tbsp)
4cups (32 ounces)low-sodium vegetable broth
1-2cupswater
3/4cupunsweetened creamy peanut butter*
6oztomato paste (canned with a BPA-free lining)
1medium bunch of lacinato (dino) kale**, ribs removed & leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces(about 2 cups packed)
115-oz. canchickpeas, rinsed & drained
1/2-1tbspSriracha or other hot sauce
1/4tspcayenne pepper(optional)
Garnishes:
1/2cuproughly chopped peanuts
1handfulof chopped fresh cilantro or other herbs (I used leftover parsley)
Instructions
In a dutch oven or very large pot, warm 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, sweet potato, jalapeño and a sprinkle of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the sweet potatoes are beginning to soften - 10-15 mins. (If the onions are starting to brown, you can turn the heat down a bit).
Add the grated ginger, garlic and 1 tsp of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 min or until fragrant.
Pour in the broth and 1 cup of water for a thicker soup, or 2 cups for thinner (but either way, the liquid will reduce quite a bit; I used 1 cup). Increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer (beginning to bubble - this may take a while). Once simmering, cook for 15 mins, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer.
Meanwhile, in a medium glass or other heatproof bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste. Transfer 1-2 cups of hot broth to the bowl (avoid the potato pieces but it's okay if you pick up some smaller bits). Whisk the mixture until smooth, and then pour into the soup and mix well.
Continue cooking for about 10-15 minutes, or until the soup has thickened. At this point, I gave it a few quick pulses with my immersion blender because I wanted a creamier consistency (see photos above), but that's not necessary at all.
Add the chickpeas and chopped greens, and continue cooking for another 5-10 mins. Add Sriracha and cayenne to taste (I used 1 tbsp Sriracha and 1/4 tsp cayenne). You can also add a bit more salt to taste. Serve topped with chopped peanuts and herbs.
Leftovers keep really well in the fridge for about a week (perfect to bring to work), or I bet they'd freeze well, too.
Notes
*Look for peanut butter ideally with just peanuts and maybe a bit of sea salt in ingredients (no sugar or partially hydrogenated oils).**I really like how lacinato/dino kale holds up in this and other soups, but regular curly kale or collard greens work, too.