Comforting, and nourishing with a bit of a kick, vegan African Peanut Stew with chickpeas (or black eyed peas) comes together fast and is freezer friendly! This hearty sweet potato and peanut butter soup, is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free.
A super hearty, cozy and satisfying stew when the temperature drops. This flavorful vegan African peanut stew (aka sweet potato and peanut butter soup) is a delicious balance of sweet and spicy. It comes together in one pot, and with a whirl in the blender, to make clean up a snap! Weeknight easy and weekend cozy is my kind of winter food.
Ingredients for African Peanut Stew
Simple ingredients come together to create this mouthwatering vegetarian and vegan stew. Here’s what you’ll need to whip it up (see recipe card below for full details):
- Peanuts (optional)
- Onion
- Fresh Ginger and Garlic
- Ground Coriander or Cumin
- Sweet Potato
- Vegetable Broth
- Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce
- Natural Peanut Butter – crunchy or creamy
- Canned Tomatoes
- Cooked Chickpeas or Black Eyed Peas
- Greens such as Collards, Kale or Spinach
- Lime
I include chickpeas or black eyed peas in this recipe to add a bit more substance and protein. Use whichever one you have on hand. Be sure to check the label on the black eyed peas as many brands include some sort of meat. Of course, you can always cook your own from scratch!
What Greens to Include?
This sweet potato chipotle soup can be made with just about any hearty green. Greens like collards, kale, chard and spinach are all work well in this stew. Keep in mind spinach will cook quicker than collards, kale and chard. So if using spinach, add it just before ladling into soup bowls. If you’ve not given collards a try, I encourage you to give them a go. They’re a powerhouse of nutrients and taste amazing!
How to Make African Peanut Stew
You’ll need a sturdy knife, a 4 Qt soup pot or Dutch oven, and a blender to whip this stew up. In summary, here’s how to do it (see recipe card below for details):
- First, saute the onions in a bit of oil. Add the garlic, ginger and sweet potatoes. Stir in the broth.
- Second, simmer the stew until the potatoes are fork tender, then transfer a few cups to a blender. To the blender add the peanut butter and chipotle pepper. Blend.
- Third, transfer the blended peanut butter mixture to the soup pot – it will be thick. Add the tomatoes and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Next, stir in the chickpeas (or black eyed peas) and collards if using, warm through for five minutes.
- Last, if not using collards, stir in the kale or spinach just until wilted. Give the peanut butter soup a good squeeze of lime juice and ladle into soup bowls.
A Few Recipe Notes
- How Spicy? For the smoky-spicy chipotle in this sweet potato and peanut soup, take it up or down. I’ve included one chipotle pepper in the recipe and found this to be just right. But if you’re sensitive to spicy, use only half a pepper just to get a taste without overwhelm. If you like red-hot spicy and want to kick it up, use a pepper and a half to even two peppers! The spicy is up to you.
- Serve With: I share this sweet potato and peanut butter soup with brown basmati rice, but it is just as delicious serving it without a grain or give quinoa a try. Be sure to pile the toppings and garnishes on high. They add so much texture and flavor to the soup.
- Freezer Friendly? Yes Please! This peanut butter stew freezes with ease. Simply store in a lidded container, single serve for easy grab n go lunches, and freeze for up to two weeks. Thaw in the fridge overnight and gently rewarm stovetop.
- Use cooked chickpeas or black eyed peas to bulk up this hearty sweet potato and peanut soup. I love both, and use whichever one I have on hand. Look for canned black eyed peas without the addition of meat. Or even better, whip up a batch of Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas!
More Hearty Stews to Love
- Moroccan Lentil Chickpea Stew
- Smoky White Bean Wheat Berry Stew
- Harissa Stewed Black Eyed Peas with Collard Greens
- Moroccan Butternut Squash Lentil Stew
- Hoppin John Stew
African Peanut Stew Recipe
Servings:4 -5 Servings
Calories:499kcal
Comforting, and nourishing with a bit of a kick, vegan West African Peanut Stew with chickpeas (or black eyed peas) comes together fast and is freezer friendly! This hearty stew is vegetarian, vegan and gluten free. Amp up the spicy with a bit more chipotle pepper if desired!
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1/4 C (40g) Peanuts toasted (optional for garnish)
- 1 Tbs Vegetable Oil I like coconut or olive
- 1 C (130g) Yellow Onion diced, about 1 medium onion
- 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1 Tbs Fresh Ginger grated* see note
- 1 heaped Tbs Fresh Garlic grated* see note
- 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander or 3/4 tsp Ground Cumin
- 4 C (500g) Sweet Potato peeled and cut into large 1/4" - 1/2" (6mm-12mm) cubes. About one large sweet potato
- 4 1/2 C (1.05kg) Vegetable Stock use 1/2 water 1/2 veg stock or a mixture of the two to cut the salt if desired
- 1 Small Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce **see note | add 1/2 of another pepper for more kick, use gluten free if needed
- 5 Tbs (80g) Natural Peanut Butter creamy or crunchy
- 1 Can (411g) Diced Tomatoes with their juices
- 1, 15 oz (425g) Can Cooked Chickpeas or Black Eyed Peas drained and rinsed, about 2 cups
- 2 C (85g) Collard Greens or Spinach ***see note | cut into thin 1/2" ribbons. Reserve a small hand-full for garnish if desired
- 1/2 Lime + more for serving
Serve With:
- Brown Basmati Rice optional
- Toasted Peanuts
- Fist-full of Cilantro
- Raw Reserved Greens
- Tabasco to amp up the heat optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C) and toast the peanuts for about 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Set aside to cool.
- To a large 4 Qt. stock-pot or Dutch oven add the coconut or olive oil on medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and salt, saute for about 8 minutes or until soft and transparent. Some browning is okay.
- Add ginger, garlic and coriander (or cumin), stirring for no more than 1 minute, or until fragrant. The garlic and ginger will stick a bit. Add the sweet potato and stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to low, and simmer until the potatoes are just fork tender, about 8-10 minutes.
- Scoop 2 1/2 cups (583g) of the potato/broth mixture out and pour it into a blender. Add the chipotle pepper and peanut butter. Blend the mixture into a smooth puree. Pour the puree back into the stock-pot (it will be thick). Stir in the diced tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low. Add the collard greens if using and chickpeas (or cooked black eyed peas). Simmer for 5 minutes to warm through and wilt the collards. If using spinach or kale, toss in and stir just before serving. If a thinner stew is desired, add 1/2 C water or broth, stir to warm through. Squeeze 1/2 lime over stew and stir. Taste for salt adjustment.
- Serve with grain of choice. I like Brown Basmati Rice, but it's also quite tasty with Quinoa, toasted peanuts, cilantro, and a sprinkle of fresh reserved greens. Refrigerate for three days or freeze for up to two weeks in a lidded container.
Notes
*Use a microplane grater to grate the garlic and ginger. Be careful here and keep the root between you and the grater at all times. Watch your fingernails too!
**Find Chipotle Chilis in Adobo sauce in the Mexican food isle at your grocery. Look for gluten free if needed. Leftovers can stay fresh in a lidded container in the fridge for several weeks or months in the freezer.
***Use whatever dark leafy green that's in season or at your local farmers market. Kale and spinach will work here too with spinach going in at the very last minute because it will wilt much faster than collards or kale.
Recipe Adapted from Cafe Flora Cookbook
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Calories: 499kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Sodium: 1718mg | Potassium: 1774mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 45412IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 229mg | Iron: 6mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
The instructions are very detailed, easy to follow. We loved this stew, I added a red pepper and used farro, pickled onions, cilantro and lime as garnish. Two thumbs up!
Super happy to hear Kristine! Thank you for your note and review. The pickled onions sound amazing!
I made this soup this morning. So delicious! I had some red wine left over so added that to the vegetable stock. Looking forward to eating it later with some fresh homemade bread. Thank you!
Super happy to read your note and receive your star rating, Deborah! Thank you for giving the soup a go and sharing with us!
Peanuts can be toasted in a dry frying pan. Much less energy.
Thanks for your tip, Linda!
Absolutely delicious and easy to make. Ever since the first time I tried the recipe, we’ve eaten it at least once a week. Leftovers are equally yummy.
So happy you’re enjoying the stew Beth! Thank you for your note and review. Hooray for leftovers!
One of my favorite soups Traci! So much flavor. I’d go with the two chipotle peppers in adobo for the added kick. The perfect winter warm up!
LOVE African peanut stew! It’s one of my favorite go-to meatless Monday meals. Yours looks absolutely wonderful!
Thank you Katherine! I love how hearty it is too!
Super good recipe!
For anyone that doesn’t feel like measuring out 5 tbsp of peanut butter (who would), just do 1/4 cup or 1/3 cup (depending on how peanut-buttery you want it).
Hi Sandra! Thank you for your note and giving the recipe a go! So happy to hear you enjoyed the stew – this is one of my favorites! I couldn’t fit my measuring scoop in the PB jar, so I measured by tablespoon fulls – thank you for sharing the cup measure! :D
Really good! I did steps 2 and 3 in the instapot for 6min. Then pretty much followed the recipe. I wanted a tad more creaminess so I added a bit of coconut milk at the end. It was great.
Hi Krista! Thank you for your note and tips on making the stew in an Instant Pot! Yes to the coconut milk! :D
Fabulous!!! I used a can of the rotel tomatoes and peppers instead of the special pepper but it was wonderful and even better the second day!
Woooo! Great tip, Barbara! Thank you for coming back and leaving a note. SO happy to hear the stew is a success!
This was so delicious!!! This recipe has moved to the top of the list of favorites!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was really good! I really liked the consistency created by blending some of the stew.
Hi Maddie! Thank you for your note and rating! SO happy to hear! That extra equipment to clean is so worth it in this recipe! Hooray!
really, really good! I woke up on the 11th to a very snowy day and this as well as the carrot ginger immune boosting sunshine smoothie was in my inbox. They both looked so yummy I immediately made both! The smoothie was yummy (tho I don’t have a vitamix- just a blender- so the carrots weren’t as pulsed as they should have been) but the taste was bright and I felt so healthy! The stew I made was for lunch and have been enjoying for days after! Thank you for delicious recipes. I do have a question … what happened to the jump to recipe feature? It was soooo handy! I read your blog and most emails on my pc but in the kitchen I use my phone so it’s cumbersome to scroll down to recipe. Here’s to hoping you bring it back but even if you don’t I look forward to receiving your recipes!
Hi Shelly! Thank you for your note, kind words and giving the recipes a go! So happy to hear you enjoyed them both! I didn’t remove the jump to recipe feature, and it’s still showing in my browser (both iOS and Google Chrome). I have noticed that when I click through Pinterest, it no longer shows, and for some reason, Pinterest isn’t allowing it. What browser are you using? If you let me know, I can ask my developer to investigate. Thank you again, Shelly!
Absolutely delicious! A new inclusion to my all time favourites list. Easy to make and store; although it probably won’t last long enough to freeze😎
Hiii Nancy! Thank you so much for your review and rating! So happy to hear it’s on your all time favourites list! Hooray! And yes to freezer food – love it!
I made this soup tonight… delIcious! Thanks for another great recipe.
Thank you for your note Susie! I love it so much too and am thrilled you enjoyed it! :D
What a delicious-looking, nutritious, and FUN soup! Thanks for sharing, dear sister. Adapted from Cafe Flora – how exciting! I can’t wait to try. And am so very happy for you in the blog nom. You’ve tirelessly and painstakingly dedicated yourself to this craft and are putting a lot of love into this world. I love it! and love you. That little girl who wanted to grow up to be a cake decorator has made her dreams come true… and then some. :-)
Awwhhh… big smile when I read your note, Jen! (For those reading this.. not only is she my sis, she is my proof reader extraordinaire! ). Thank you for your support and love. YOU will love this recipe, no doubt.