Spicy Peanut Soup

This week at the grocery store I challenged myself to buy a vegetable I'd never cooked with before and incorporate it into dinner this week. Being the frugal student that I am, I picked the least expensive veggie I could find - a parsnip. Parsnips are pale root vegetables related to the carrot, but are sweeter when cooked. They are also a good source of vitamin C, fiber, folate, and manganese.

This recipe was inspired by an awesome recipe for Spicy African Peanut Soup given to me by one of my undergrad professors (Thank you Brandi!). I have a very low (but increasing) tolerance for spicy foods, so my version of the recipe may not be spicy enough for many folks.

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbs olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 turnip, cubed (1" cubes)
• 2 sweet potatoes (1" cubes)
• 2 cans garbanzo beans
• 3 Tbs peanutbutter
• 1/2c roasted peanuts, unsalted
• 2-3c spinach
• 1 tsp ginger
• salt and pepper to taste - I found that I didn't need much salt
• 1 tsp italian seasoning 
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4c low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2c water(leave out the water if you prefer a "stewier" texture)
• 1 can diced tomatoes, no salt added

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium heat, saute garlic and onions for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add cubed turnip, sweet potato, and ginger, salt, pepper, italian seasoning, mustard, and cayenne pepper.
3. Stir, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, peanut butter, peanuts and vegetable broth and water. Stir, reduce heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender (20-30 minutes).
5. Add garbanzo beans and spinach.
6. Taste, and add more cayenne if you would like spicier soup. 
7.  Nom nom nom nom!