Indonesian Sweet Potato and Cabbage Stew

This recipe is from the Moosewood Restaurant's cookbook, Simple Suppers (page 122). I made it last night, and then I ate it again for lunch today. It's really good!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon grated peeled ginger root
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups chopped cabbage (1/2 inch pieces)
• 2 1/2 cups diced sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
• 1 quart vegetable broth [I looked this up and learned that 1 qt is 4 cups!]
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• mung bean sprouts (optional) [I did not use this]
  
• chopped cilantro, scallions, mint, and/or thai basil (optional) [I used cilantro and scallions -aka green onions- because that's what we had]

Directions:

1. In a soup pot on medium heat, cook the ginger, garlic, and cayenne in the oil for a minute before adding the onions and salt. [Tip: do not heat the pan up first, as that is how I burned most of this stuff]. Cover and cook, stirring often, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the cabbage and sweet potatoes. Add about 3 1/2 cups of the broth. Cover and increase the the heat to bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and the remaining 1/2 cup of broth until smooth. Add the peanut butter mixture to the soup with the tomatoes and soy sauce. Simmer covered until all the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Serve each bowl topped with bean sprouts and cilantro, scallions, mint, and/or basil.

Moosewood Collective, Simple Suppers, p 122 (2005).