Howdy everybody! I hope your week has been filled with culinary fabulousness. As a foodie, I am constantly discovering and refining my understanding of food combinations, and this recipe for West African Peanut Soup with Chicken, a West African staple, is the perfect lesson in harmonizing flavors.

While visiting my parents in Bend, Ore., this week, I decided to make a double batch of this soup. I wanted to share some with my uncle and the couple who run a ranch where I went horseback riding.

Making the soup was amazing. I minced the garlic and ginger. I put the garlic in the bowl first and took a whiff – very potent and pungent. I then added the minced ginger and had my mother smell the bowl. It was mild. Combining two aromatic and pungent flavors can produce a smooth, strong flavor.

If you like chicken satay with peanut sauce, you must make this recipe. And don’t be shy with the heat. And add at least one half tablespoon of chili pepper flakes to the mix.

The soup is a beautiful light orange, thanks to bright red roma tomatoes, bright green kale and boldly orange sweet potatoes.

The day after it’s made, the soup still tastes great, maybe even better. I suggest you prepare all the ingredients first and use half water and half broth.

This is really one of those recipes that not only makes me proud to be a foodie but teaches me the wide range of flavors available in the culinary world. This recipe was in the New York Times weekend section. “No recipe gets to that prominent position untried,” I told my father. I now know that this soup is worth every minute spent making it. Enjoy!

Serves: 4

Time: About 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 to 3/4 cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth

Instructions:

1. Chop peanuts, or crush them with the side of a knife, or pulse them in a food processor to chop roughly.

2. Put oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat; a minute later, add onion, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken and continue cooking for another 3 or 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup peanuts and the chili and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Stir in the stock and the sweet potatoes, bring to a boil and turn heat down to medium-low, so soup bubbles gently. Partly cover pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir in tomatoes, collards and 1/2 cup peanut butter. Cover and cook until collards are tender, five to eight minutes. Taste, adjust seasoning (you may want to add more peanut butter at this point), and serve, garnishing with the remaining peanuts.