African Quinoa Soup with Vegetables

I made this the other day for Rachel's "day after her birthday" get-together, which she scarfed down before I ever made it home. She and everyone else said it was good so I figured I'd post it here.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium chopped onion
2 minced garlic clove
1 small minced fresh jalapeno pepper
1 diced red bell pepper
2 diced celery stalks with leaves
2 medium diced zucchini
1 medium diced sweet potato
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup peanut butter
black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot (I used a dutch oven) melt butter over medium high heat. When butter is hot and bubbly, add onion, garlic, jalapeno, bell pepper, celery, zucchini, sweet potato, cumin and oregano. Saute' 10-15 minutes or until cooked to your preference.

Add stock, quinoa, black pepper and cayenne. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer until quinoa is cooked and vegetables are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add peanut butter, using a wooden spoon to blend in completely, and simmer another 10 minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings and enjoy.

I used chunky organic peanut butter like the recipe said, but I think it'd be better with creamy. The red quinoa I used gave the soup a chunky texture, so crunchy peanut butter was really unnecessary. All in all, pretty tasty, and relatively quick to make!