Sweet Potato-Peanut Bisque

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes (10-12 ounces each)
1 tbsp canola oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 cups reduced-sodium tomato-vegetable juice blend or tomato juice
1 4-oz can diced green chiles, preferably hot, drained
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground allspice
1 15-oz can vegetable broth
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
* Freshly ground pepper to taste
* Chopped fresh cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Prick sweet potatoes in several places with a fork. Microwave on High until just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until it just begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more. Stir in juice, green chiles, ginger and allspice. Adjust the heat so the mixture boils gently; cook for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and chop into bite-size pieces. Add half to the pot. Place the other half in a food processor or blender along with broth and peanut butter. Puree until completely smooth. Add the puree to the pot and stir well to combine. Thin the bisque with water, if desired. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.

Notes: I found this recipe while perusing a recipe site related to a new wellness program at work and requested it for the menu. Then I ended up making it. It was no surprise to me that I really really liked this recipe. I'm pretty sure I ate all the leftovers by myself. My kids don't like sweet potatoes (crazy!) so we didn't tell them what was in this until they had tried it. They still found it a bit too spicy. 

Source: Zipongo