I love my mom, but she knows how to make at most five dishes, so growing up, me and my siblings ate rice with peanut butter soup at least twice a week. It’s pretty easy to make, and the cooking part is really just putting things in the pot and making sure it doesn’t burn.

Peanut butter soup is an African classic. It might sound weird at first, but you’d be surprised how tasty it is over a bowl of rice.

Your choice of peanut butter is completely up to preference, but this is the one use of peanut butter where I’d recommend crunchy over smooth so you can get some peanuts in with the vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1 green pepper
• ½ an onion
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons of garlic
• 4-5 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 3 cups of water 
• Optional: Meat of choice (chicken, beef or fish usually)

1. Add vegetable oil to a pot and throw in diced green pepper and onions (and meat if you want). Stir that for a bit, then add the tomato paste and garlic and stir it all together for a few minutes.
2. Add 3 cups of water and 4-5 tablespoons of peanut butter. This was how much I used, but everyone in my family said they do different amounts every time.  As long as the soup isn’t thin or watery, in which case add more peanut butter.
3. Stir it for a few more minutes and then let it cool down.
4. Serve over rice or eat it alone.