Peanut Butter Vegetable Chicken Soup

We’ve been enjoying this delicious soup since discovering the recipe in Jane Brody’s Good Food Book several eating trends (years) ago. She found it in a newsletter produced by Environmental Nutrition. Don’t be afraid to add the whole cup of peanut butter. We’ve experimented with using different vegetables and adding some cayenne pepper to give it a little Thai kick.

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups diced, cooked chicken meat
• 1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup canned tomatoes (fresh or canned), chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup peanut butter, preferably natural smooth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• salt, if desired, to taste

Directions

1. In a large stock pot, combine the broth, chicken, potatoes, and carrots. Bring the soup to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium. Cook until the vegetables are nearly tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, celery, onion, green pepper, and garlic. Simmer for about 8 minutes.
3. Add the peanut butter, parsley, pepper, and salt, stirring until peanut butter is fully blended. Simmer for 3 minutes longer.