The Good Earth Peanut Company

Recipe #19 Contest Winner

Curried Peanut-Pumpkin Soup

2 Tablespoons red-skinned peanuts

1 Tablespoon butter

1 small white onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

16 ounces canned pumpkin purée

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

2 3/4 cups chicken stock or broth

2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup plain, nonfat yogurt (plus 1/4 cup for garnish later)

4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the peanuts in a single layer on an ungreased, flat baking dish and roast for 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Place the peanuts in a kitchen towel and rub together briskly to remove the skins. Chop coarsely, and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat until completely melted. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until softened and translucent about 5 minutes. With a whisk, stir in the pumpkin, peanut butter, chicken stock, curry powder, cayenne pepper and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.

Once your mixture has cooled slightly, purée the soup in a food processor or in a blender. (This may take several batches, depending on the size of your appliance.) Pour soup back into the saucepan and set over medium-low heat. Stir in 1/2 cup yogurt and the lemon juice. Heat thoroughly for about 5 minutes, until completely heated, but do not let the soup come to a boil.

Ladle into individual soup bowls and garnish each with the chopped, roasted peanuts and with a dollop of yogurt.

Leesa Marshall

The Judges

Daniel Rogov

Daniel has been writing about food and wine for more years than he will admit in public. For the last twenty years he has been the Wine and Restaurant Critic for the Israeli Daily, Ha'Aretz. Rogov also contributes regularly on dining and wine to several European newspapers and magazines; and is an advisor to Hugh Johnson's "Pocket Wine Encyclopaedia" and contributes to Tom Stevenson’s “Wine Report”. His own book “Rogov’s Guide to Israeli Wines has just been published by Toby press and can be ordered through Amazon or Barnes and Nobles. He also maintains Rogov's Ramblings, an internet site devoted to wine, gastronomy and travel.

Dave Sit

David has been the Vice President for MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, the producer of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer on PBS, for the past twelve years. In his previous life, he had been a wine and food writer, wine consultant to restaurants and in a moment of weakness almost became a chef, until he came to his senses and remembered that he much preferred eating to cooking. He still serves as a wine judge occasionally and is beginning to wonder if he has too much wine in his cellar.