African Peanut Soup

I am repeating the title here for posterity, not because I believe for a minute that it is a good title for soup just because it has peanuts in it. I'll call it instead

LCT's favourite soup

2 medium onions, chopped
2 large bell peppers, chopped
1-3 large or 4 medium cloves of garlic, mashed
1-2 tbs canola oil
28 oz. can of tomatoes with juice, chopped
8 cups vegetable broth
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup uncooked short-grain rice
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter (sans salt & sugar)
chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

In a large soup pot, saute onions, bell peppers + garlic until inions begin to brown @ edges, ~ 7 minutes. Add tomatoes + juice, broth, pepper + red pepper glakes. Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for ~ 15 minutes [he crossed out "until rice is tender"]. Add rice, cover + simmer until rice is tender, ~ 30 minutes. Add peanut butter + whisk until smooth. Heat to a simmer + serve immediately, garnished with chopped roasted peanuts, if desired.

Serves 8.

Per serving: 236 cal/7 g protein / 10g fat / 29g carbohydrates / 0 cholesteral / 114 mg sodium / 4 g fiber vegan (whatever that is!!)

--Don't you just love my handwriting? It's especially fine today because I have been out riding my new bike all day.

--This is the sort of thing that one should have about the place most of the time.

[LCT's daughter has been good about calling me and I haven't called her back yet. Maybe I should tell her I finally made this soup, though LCT had given me the recipe seven years ago after I ate almost half a pot of it at his house. This was when I was 160 pounds and he was worried about how skinny I was. I'm sure he didn't need to see me at 120 but if it meant more soup I would be game.

LCT likes leaving instructions. I have still a sticky note from the Blood Sweat & Tears cassette he gave me when he finally bought the CD. Instructions for adjusting the bike seat (to be posted at a later date on Any Indian Will Do). Ten years of letters, from the dawn of e-mail in our lives until a month before he died, all filled with ways he was willing to help me. ]