Purple Cabbage & Sweet Potato Soup

Antioxidants. So good for you. Gotta love 'em. An easy approach to getting more antioxidants into your daily menu [without studying nutritional science] is simply, think color.

Choose a variety of eye popping colors as you shop for vegetables and fruits. The brighter the better. Each vivid hue gives you a unique nutritional boost. Pick orange sweet potatoes over white potatoes, and purple cabbage over pale green. Throw in some ruby red grape tomatoes and blueberries, and well, you get the idea.

And, Sweet Reader, did you hear the news? Love your PB & J? You're in for a treat. Ever since I read the news that peanut butter and peanuts contain antioxidants, this gluten-free goddess has come out of her peanut-butter-loving closet. It's no longer a guilty pleasure. This winter I've been making lots of soups and sauces with peanut butter - a fabulous source of vegetarian protein - and now, as we know, antioxidants. Life is good.

Note: For those with allergies to peanuts, sunflower butter or cashew butter can replace the peanut butter in this recipe.

Purple Cabbage & Sweet Potato Soup

This soup can be as mild or as spicy as you like. We threw in a lot of red pepper flakes for heat, and holy mama - it cured all ills!

1 tablespoon light olive oil or peanut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons hot or mild curry paste, or cumin, to taste
1 medium red onion, peeled, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large sweet potato or yam, peeled, diced
1/2 head purple cabbage, shredded
1 large yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
1 large Anaheim or Cubanelle pepper, seeded, diced
1 14-oz. can white or pinto beans, rinsed, drained
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or sunflower butter) melted in a half cup of boiled water or broth
1 14-oz. can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce (or molasses)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, for heat, to taste
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice from 1 fresh lime
1 tablespoon agave nectar, or organic light brown sugar, if it needs it
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

For garnish:
Chopped fresh cilantro or chopped peanuts

Heat the olive oil in large soup pot. Add the curry powder or cumin and stir for a minute to infuse the oil with spice. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, cabbage, yellow pepper and Anaheim pepper. Stir and cook the veggies for 5 -7 minutes, until softened.

Add the beans, broth, peanut butter, coconut milk, Worchestshire sauce, red pepper flakes and cilantro.

Bring the soup to a high simmer, cover, and lower the heat; keep the soup on simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and taste test for seasoning adjustments. Add a little brown sugar, if needed. Season with sea salt and ground pepper, to taste. Warm through.

Serve with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro or peanuts.

Serves 4 as a hearty meal. It's terrific with gluten-free cornbread.

Cook's Note:

• This soup works well in a Crock Pot or slow cooker. Combine the ingredients in your cooker and follow the manufacturer's guidance for cooking vegetable soup.

gluten free soup vegetarian vegan peanut butter