African Chicken & Vegetable Stew

Sometimes you combine a lot of ingredients that you would never imagine blending together. Then, to your ultimate surprise, when it's all said and done, you have a keeper of a recipe. This was one of those times!

After reviewing several websites, recurring ingredients in African cooking are peanut butter, okra and sweet potatoes. See what I mean? You wouldn't think those would come together and be delicious, but they are.   

2 T. olive oil

2 onions, diced

8 cups vegetable stock, divided

3/4 cup peanut butter

4 cups canned diced tomatoes, with juices

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste

2 cups finely chopped cabbage

2 cups chopped sweet potato

2 cups peeled and chopped carrot

2 cups peeled and chopped turnip

3 T. tomato paste

1 t. ground cumin

1/2 T. ground coriander

1 t. turmeric

2 cups sliced okra

2 cups chopped cooked chicken, or to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Whisk 1 cup of vegetable stock and the peanut butter into the onions until the mixture is smooth. Slowly add the remaining vegetable stock, diced tomatoes with their liquid, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the cabbage, sweet potato, carrot, turnip, tomato paste and seasonings. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 more minutes.

Stir in the okra and chicken and simmer until the okra is tender, about 30 additional minutes.

Unfortunately, I've lost the source of this recipe.