Recipe: Senegalese-Style Curried Soup

Senegalese-Style Curried Soup
Source: Rice and Spice by Robin Robertson (Harvard Common Press, 2000).

This is a great use for leftover rice, and it's a snap to make.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
cup chopped celery
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon curry powder
teaspoon salt
teaspoon cayenne
About 4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 cups cooked long- or short-grain white rice
Chopped peanuts or raisins, for garnish

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Stir in the apple, curry powder, salt, cayenne, and 3 cups of the stock or water and bring to a boil. Add the rice and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the rice is very soft.

Transfer the soup to a food processor, in batches if necessary, and puree. Pour into a large bowl and whisk in as much of the remaining stock or water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until cold.

Serve the soup chilled, garnished with peanuts or raisins.

Serves 4.