This soup is rich, creamy, and delicious. Like most soups, the proportions are not fussy, and I have substituted both V-8 juice, crushed tomatoes, and Uly's tomato sauce for the tomato juice. Depending on how much stock or water you use, it can take on a very thick texture.
It is fantastic with bread, and for an interesting experience, try crumbling stale bread into the soup and leaving it in long enough to soften.
If possible, work in the soup pot from the start. That way, not only will you have fewer dishes to wash later, you will also have plenty of room to saute the carrots and onions.
First, saute the onions in the oil until just translucent.
Then add the jalapeno and ginger and fry for another minute or two.
Add the carrots and sweet potatoes.
Add the stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the veggies are tender, or about 15 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat. Add the tomato juice. This will cool it a little, which is good.
Blend the soup to a creamy texture using a blender or food processor. I use my blender because it has a glass bowl and I worry about scarring the plastic of my food processor. Be careful - even after the cold tomato juice, it's still hot! Sometimes I let it sit for a bit to cool before blending.
Finally, put the blended soup back on the stove and add the peanut butter. Heat gently at this stage to prevent scorching. Taste and adjust flavor - at this stage, the soup should have a slight natural sweetness from the carrots and sweet potatoes. If it doesn't, you can add a little sugar to bring out the flavor.
Garnish liberally with the chives or green onions.