African Bean and Peanut Soup

A long time ago, when our daughters were young, our church handed out pamphlets to guide parents in making Lent meaningful for children. One of the recipes in the pamphlet was African Bean and Peanut Soup. It turned out to be an enduring favorite which is now served regularly at our house on Good Friday.

The following recipe is intended for preparation on a stovetop. However, this can be easily adapted for a slow cooker. In that case, add only two quarts of water AND add all the ingredients at once. Then cook on high for four hours.

Enjoy.

African Bean and Peanut Soup

Serves 8

3 tablespoons butter
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
3 quarts boiling water (Remember, only TWO quarts if you're preparing this in a slow cooker.)
1 cup dry black-eyed peas
1 cup dry navy beans
1 cup diced green peppers
3 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup salted peanuts, chopped
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon basil leaves, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1. Melt butter in large stockpot. Add carrots; cook 5 minutes.
2. Add water, black-eyed peas, navy beans, green pepper, salt and crushed
red pepper. (Add more water if necessary, to cover ingredients.)
3. Cook, covered, until ingredients are tender (1 1/2 to 2 hours).
4. Add peanuts, onion powder, basil and coriander during last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking.
5. Taste to correct seasonings. Soup should be thick.