Thai Peanut Soup with Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwich Croutons

If you ask me, homemade soup most always has a leg up over anything you’ll be served at the counter of Panera, and it certainly beats anything you’ll find in a can.   But this soup has the star power to be the highlight of a three course meal.  If I didn’t already have you at “peanut butter sandwich croutons,” let me give you the up close and personal…

The sweet potato makes the soup thick and creamy, and the fresh ginger and Thai curry paste give it a nice little kick.  Let the toasted peanut butter sandwich croutons soak up the soup for the perfect flavor-texture combo!  Or really, stop reading my praise and just go whip up a batch.

Thai Peanut Soup with Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwich Croutons

From Half Baked Harvest 

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons oil, divided (I used coconut)
• 1/4 of an onion, diced
• 1 jalapeno, chopped, remove the seeds for less heat
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Thumb sized piece fresh ginger, minced or grated
• 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
• 3 cups canned coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cans)
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped for garnish
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwich Croutons

• 8 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
• 1/2 cup peanut butter, or more if desired
• butter or oil, for the pan

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Prick the sweet potatoes all over with fork. Bake directly on the rack until tender, 50-60 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes.
2. Once cool use your hands to peel away the sweet potatoes skin. It should just easily slip off. Place the potatoes in a medium size bowl. Mash with a fork and set aside.
3. Heat one tablespoon of the peanut oil in a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until just softened. Add the jalapeno and garlic, saute 1 minute. Stir in the curry paste and add the coconut milk and broth, stir to combine. Then add the mashed sweet potato, again, stir to combine. Then either remove the pot from heat and pour mixture into a food processor or blender or puree mixture in pot with an immersion blender. If using food processor or blender, pour back into pot. Stir in peanut butter, ginger, cayenne (if using) and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the remain peanut oil and adjust salt to taste. Serve hot with the peanut butter croutons, chopped peanuts and cilantro.
4. To make the Peanut Butter Croutons toast each piece of bread and then slather with peanut butter. Heat a skillet over medium heat with a tablespoon or so of butter or oil. Grill each sandwich for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Cut into squares and serve with the soup.
5. *I love the peanut butter in this recipe, but if you have a peanut allergy cashew butter or almond butter would be great substitutes!

Johanna