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Add ½ cup dry sherry or dry white wine with the broth.

African Peanut Soup

This fiery stew can be cooled down considerably by a dollop of yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraîche Makes 6 servings

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1½ cups chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pound small red-skinned potatoes, quartered

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (3½ cups)

3 cups vegetable broth

Plain yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraîche for garnish

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Swirl in the canola oil, then add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic; cook for 20 seconds.

Stir in the peanuts, salt, and cayenne; cook, stirring constantly, until aromatic, about 1 minute.

Stir in the sweet potatoes, red-skinned potatoes, tomatoes, and broth; bring to a simmer.

Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. To serve, top individual bowls with yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraîche.

Variations: Substitute turnips, peeled and cubed, for the red-skinned potatoes.

Increase the broth to 3½ cups and add 2 cups chopped, stemmed chard or chopped, stemmed kale with the potatoes.

Stir ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes, into the stew just as the potatoes become tender; simmer until the chicken is firm and cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Stir ½ pound medium shrimp (about 35 per pound), peeled and deveined, into the stew at the end; cook until pink and firm, about 5 minutes.

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For another bean soup, check out the Black-Eyed Pea and Ham Hock Stew.

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White Bean Soup with Leeks, Tarragon, and Thyme

Here, some white beans are pureed to thicken the light, lemony broth. Egg yolks are stirred in just at the very end for a rich, silky finish. Makes 6 servings

1½ cups dried white beans, preferably cannellini beans

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved, washed carefully for sand and grit in the inner chambers, and thinly sliced

2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 cups (2 quarts) chicken broth

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

2 tarragon sprigs

2 thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Grated nutmeg for garnish

Place the beans in a large bowl, cover them to a depth of 2 inches with cool water, and set aside to soak for 12 hours or overnight, changing the water once. Alternatively, place the beans in a large pot, fill with water to a depth of 2 inches, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook for 2 minutes, drain, place in a large bowl, cover with cool water to a depth of 2 inches, and set aside to soak for 2 hours.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan or soup pot set over low heat. Add the leeks, celery, and garlic; cook very slowly, stirring often, until soft, golden, and sweet, but not brown, about 10 minutes.

Pour in the broth; stir in the lemon zest, tarragon, thyme, and bay leaf. While the soup comes to a simmer, drain the beans in a colander set in the sink and rinse under cool water. When the soup comes to a simmer, add the beans to the pot.

Cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook slowly, stirring once in a while, until the beans are tender, about 1½ hours.

Discard the bay leaf, tarragon, and thyme sprigs. Remove 2 cups beans from the pot and place them in a large bowl.

Working in batches, pour the rest of the soup into a large food processor fitted with the chopping blade or into a large blender; process or blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl or canister as necessary to make sure everything is pureed. Return the puree to the pan or pot. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree