African Inspired Vegetarian Crockpot Soup with Peanut Butter, Chiles, Brown Rice, and Lentils

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped in small pieces
• 1/4 cup sliced green onion
• 2 red bell peppers, seeds removed and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 T minced garlic
• 2 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 8 cups vegetable stock
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 T Ancho chile powder
• 1 tsp. New Mexico chile powder
• 1 tsp. Aleppo pepper
• 1/2 cup uncooked brown lentils
• 1/4 cup uncooked brown rice
• 1 cup peanut butter

Directions

1. Prep the onions, green onion, bell peppers, and garlic, then add them to the crockpot.
2. Pour in the canned tomatoes along with their juices, then add the chicken and beef stock. Sprinkle in the ground cumin, Ancho chile powder, New Mexico chile powder, and Aleppo pepper, followed by the lentils and brown rice.
3. Set the crockpot to high and cook for about 4 hours, or use low and cook for about 8 hours. If you happen to be nearby, a quick stir a couple of times is fine, but don’t worry if you leave it alone.
4. When the soup has cooked for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low, turn the heat down to low and mix in the peanut butter. Continue cooking for about one more hour, or use 30 minutes on high if dinner needs to happen sooner. Serve hot.
5. This soup freezes well, and it’s nice to have tucked away for spring days that suddenly feel like winter.