PAM'S SWEET POTATO AND PEANUT BISQUE

Steps:

• 1. Prick sweet potatoes in several places with a fork. Microwave on High until just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Alternative is to bake in oven, but Microwave is faster.
• 2. Heat butter or oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until it just begins to brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Add garlic stirring, for 1 minute more. Careful not to burn the garlic. Stir in V8, green chiles, ginger and allspice. (If you use pepper flakes, I would add them here.) Adjust the heat so the mixture simmers, cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
• 3. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and chop into bite-size pieces. Add half to the pot along with broth, peanut butter, sugar and hot sauce (if desired). Puree until completely smooth with an immersion blender. (Alternatively, process in food processor or blender in batches and return puree to pot.)
• 4. Add the rest of the chopped potato pieces to the pot and stir well to combine. Adjust seasonings to taste. Thin the bisque with water or broth, if needed. Season with pepper. Heat until hot. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro or scallions, if desired.
• 5. Note: I also used a tiny squeeze of fresh lemon juice to my bowl and it really brightened the flavors.