Smith's Chef Jeff Jackson shares his recipe for West African-inspired Chicken & Peanut Soup that's tender chicken and sweet potatoes in a rich, savory peanut broth brightened with ginger, lime and fresh herbs.
SERVES
6
INGREDIENTS
Chicken
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp neutral oil
Aromatic & Spice Base
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Soup
1 large sweet potato (about 1 lb), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 cups low-sodium chicken stock
3/4 cup Jif Creamy Peanut Butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce
To Finish
Juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS
1. Brown the chicken. Season the chicken thighs with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches until nicely colored on the outside; it does not need to be cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
2. Build the aromatic base. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and red bell pepper to the same pot and cook 4–5 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until softened. Add the ginger and garlic and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Caramelize the tomato paste and bloom the spices. Add the tomato paste and cook it directly against the bottom of the pot for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until it darkens to a deep brick-red. Stir in the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and cayenne and cook about 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Build the soup. Add the sweet potato, 4 cups of the chicken stock, and soy sauce. Return the browned chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Add the peanut butter. In a medium bowl, whisk the Jif peanut butter with the remaining 1 cup hot chicken stock until completely smooth. Stir the peanut mixture into the soup until evenly incorporated.
6. Simmer. Partially cover and simmer gently for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender and the sweet potatoes are cooked through. Add a splash of additional stock or water if the soup becomes thicker than desired.
7. Brighten and finish. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice, most of the cilantro, and most of the green onions. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper, additional lime, or a little more cayenne as desired.
8. Serve. Ladle into bowls and finish with chopped roasted peanuts, the remaining cilantro and green onions, and lime wedges.
CHEF JEFF TIPS
Use chicken thighs. Boneless, skinless thighs stay juicy and tender through the simmer and add more flavor to the broth than chicken breast.
Fry the tomato paste. Letting it darken before adding liquid builds deeper savory flavor and removes its raw tomato edge.
Whisk the peanut butter first. Blending the peanut butter with hot stock before adding it to the pot creates a smooth broth without stubborn peanut-butter clumps.
Balance at the end. Sweet potato and Jif bring natural sweetness, so fresh lime and soy sauce keep the soup savory, bright, and balanced.
Keep it a soup. The peanut butter naturally thickens the broth. Add a little extra stock or water if needed so the finished dish remains rich and creamy but spoonable.
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