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Herby Sweet Potato Soup With Peanuts
Updated Oct. 11, 2023
![Herby Sweet Potato Soup With Peanuts](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/10/10/multimedia/15EAT-sweet-potato-soup-vpkj/15EAT-sweet-potato-soup-vpkj-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 55 minutes
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 6tablespoons olive oil
- 2teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3garlic cloves, finely grated
- Fine sea salt and black pepper
- 2medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1¼-inch pieces
- 1teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1cup bulgur
- 2cups vegetable or chicken stock
- ¼cup finely chopped parsley
- ⅓cup finely chopped cilantro
- ⅓cup finely chopped dill
- 1teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes or ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1teaspoon granulated sugar
- ⅓cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
- ½teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1lemon, halved
Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium saucepan, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and the cumin over medium-high for 2 minutes, until the cumin is toasted and fragrant. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chopped onions, about two-thirds of the garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and a good crack of pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and slightly softened.
- Step 2
Add the sweet potatoes and cook for 4 minutes, stirring from time to time, until lightly caramelized but not yet cooked through. Add the five-spice and cook for 1 minute, just until it starts to stick to the pan, then add the bulgur, stock and 4¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, then cook for 15 minutes, undisturbed, until the sweet potatoes have softened and the bulgur is cooked through.
- Step 3
Stir in the parsley, cilantro and dill, and cook for 1 minute more, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Step 4
Make the peanut topping: Set the pepper flakes, sugar and the remaining garlic in a small heatproof bowl. Place the peanuts and the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a small pan over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just until the peanuts start to turn golden brown, then pour the peanuts and oil over the chile-garlic mixture. Stir to combine, then, once the mixture is slightly cooled, add the sesame oil.
- Step 5
When ready to serve, season the soup with 4 teaspoons lemon juice from 1 lemon half, then ladle the soup into individual bowls. Spoon over the peanut topping, grate lemon zest from the remaining lemon over the top of each bowl and serve.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I read these comments as I sit eating a bowl of ghee fried apples, basking in the sweetness of everyone’s experiences and the goodwill it takes to leave a positive comment. These comments are a daily stress reducer.
Aside from substituting butternut squash for the sweet potato, I followed the recipe to the letter. OMG!! My hubs said it was the “best thing I ever made” and it’s all he ever wants to eat— high praise indeed! I used a pastry cutter to chop up the squash a little, next time (and there WILL be a next time!) I’ll cut cut the squash into smaller pieces. Really amazing—I’m considering making it the first course for our T-Day dinner.
Incomprehensible to me that a veteran chef calls for bulghar to be ready in texture at the same time as ANYTHING, let alone sweet potato, that may lose flavor fall and fall apart. Veteran soup maker here advises: If texture of bulghar (or orzo or….) matters, cook it separately and add it, warm, at the end.
Made a few substitutions just because of what I had on hand (cashews instead of peanuts, omitted 5 spice as I didn’t have it, herbs were reduced to just parsley as it was all that was in the garden) and also substituted quinoa for bulgur to make it gluten free. Very yummy. Will try it without substituting anything except the bulgur next time.
What would you consider a medium sweet potato? The ones in the grocery are enormous. How much do we think a medium sweet potato weighs?
I left the skins on, personal choice. Reduced the liquid by a half cup to get more of a stew result. Absolutely LOVED this dish and so thankful for it being shared. My kitchen smells warm and vibrant at the same time with the blend of all the flavors in this soup. This will be a go to comfort food all winter.
Do NOT buy pine nuts from Asia, particularly China -- pine nut gatherers / poachers are stripping the forests (as well as trampling them), leaving them barren. The result: wildlife that depend on pine nuts to survive winter are starving and, in some cases, becoming endangered. Buy US or Italian pine nuts. Yes, more expensive, but you'll be doing a good thing for wildlife and maintaining planet health / biodiversity. And pine nuts from Asia have a gross lingering metallic taste.
After skiimming the recipe in the morning, this soup recipe dogged me through a busy afternoon. I arrived home six hours later, cold, wet, and extremely hungry, so I set to work. Completely forgot about the bulgar. Used a dollop of frozen pesto instead of fresh herbs. No lemon or red pepper flakes bc of acid reflex flare up. Ate two bowls alone, listening to the rain pelt the sidewalk. Will make it again this week with the bulgar bc I'm still thinking of it. Delicious.
This was wonderful! I made it with farro, half the salt and no dill; otherwise stuck to the recipe and was very happy with the result. It has a lovely, complex blend of flavors and the comfort of a good fall stew. I highly recommend!
Nice soup! We used pistachio, pecan, and almond mix instead of peanuts. This worked great. The greens, red pepper and lemon are absolutely essential
I feel like carrots might be a better substitute than white potatoes, because carrots have a similar sweetness to sweet potatoes. How do you feel about carrots?
Made this tonight for dinner (which I ate with my husband and adult daughter, so I would argue that it's great to eat with others, not just by oneself!). Only change I made was to substitute Ras el Hanout for the five spice powder, which I didn't have. Next time I think I will cut back the olive oil to a total of 4-5 tablespoons because I found it a bit too oily. Otherwise, it was delicious -- a perfect soup for a cold rainy evening!
T Joe's sells quick-cooking farro (10 mins). Regular farro would take longer than bulgur. My pkg of "whole grain bulgur wheat" has instructions to cook for 10 mins, then cover and rest 5. Prof. Google says bulgur has been pre-cooked (parboiled), so perhaps (responding now to DemostiX) the recipe's timing is Not off with respect to bulgur & sweet potatoes. Maybe you were thinking of cracked wheat, which has not been pre-cooked? Other notes would indicate the recipe works well as written.
If I need to prepare gluten free pasta separately, do I omit the 4 1/2 cups water and use only broth in making the soup?
Made substitutions due to what I had available (pesto oil for herbs, farro for bulgur, chili oil w peanuts for topping) and this was magical. Would definitely try again with or without substitutions.
Possibly the worst thing I have ever made. The onion, bulghar and sweet potatoes just dissolve into a gray mush. The herbs are lost in the sludge. The only flavor or texture comes from the peanuts, which are very good.
Made this for Poni and Mel. Omitted onions and garlic but it still turned out well! Used most/all of the 5-spice called for, maybe a 1/4-1/8 of the Aleppo. Made 1.5x and I would say it’s right for 4 people. I subbed 2/3 of the bulgar with quinoa and 1/3 with lentils (gf plus extra protein. Also threw in some chopped kale leaves.
Added some chopped kale which added nutrients and interest. We love this dish.
The peanut topping is unusual and in my opinion is the best part. I will double the quantity of the topping next time I make this. My boyfriend who does not like sweet potatoes loved this soup! I've made it twice - once with orzo and once with bulgar, and we both liked it much more with the orzo.
This soup really is more than meets the eye. Packed with the warmth of spices, comfort of grains and tubers, freshness of herbs and citrus, it's got all season versatility! Might even taste great at room temperature or as a puree (herbs, grains, topping added separately). I made replacing bulgar with quinoa and without cilantro for a weeknight all in one dinner. It was a hit!
I wanted a thicker stew, vs a soup, so I added four cups of broth and no water. Also added a bit more sugar and peanuts. I used Za’atar instead of five spice, as others did. Delicious!!! Use a pot large, not medium!
I followed the recipe nearly 100% substituted Garam Marsala for the 5 spice as I didn't have it...and because of my sensitivity to spice, i reduced the red pepper flakes by half. Absolutely a delicious dish! Definitely a make again!
I couldn’t eat this until I added sour cream - it just felt like things didn’t meld together.
Made this mostly as written maybe with different quantities. I had a tube of cilantro and just squeezed what I thought would be equivalent , a few bits of live parsley and a few shakes of dried dill so maybe not exactly as written. Dumped in 4 cups(32 oz )broth because that was what my container had and so only used 2 cups of water. Loved it. The bulgur expanded so was more of a stew. The peanuts absolutely make the recipe. May leave off the chili flakes for personal preference.
I have made this twice now. I really like it. It's simple and pretty quick. If you find yourself rich in sweet potatoes, it's a nice way to use them up. The bulgar/sweet potato base is mild in flavor and I had to add a bit more salt, and sometimes I riff on the spices (but don't skip the Chinese Five Spice!), but once you add all the herbs and lemon and the garlic chili peanut topping, it brings it home.
Orzo absorbed all the liquid in leftovers. Yummy though. Double recipe makes an insane amount.
This recipe finally and belatedly decides it for me: Ottolenghi is a genius. His recipes are delicious with surprising ingredients, and doable for us commoners. I am grateful for this chef and recipe writer.
This soup was lovely. The peanut topping was perfect. Great to have another great vegan recipe to make.
Turned out more like a rice dish than a soup, it's very filling but no complaints about that or the flavors!
Delicious. I made it with butternut squash. Will make again!
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