Comforting, and hearty with a touch spice, my African Peanut Stew takes just 30 minutes hands on time, and is ready to enjoy in an hour. Cooked on the stovetop, it’s chock full of warming spices, ginger, garlic, sweet potatoes, peanut butter and chickpeas. Stir in collard greens or spinach for a colorful finish! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free. [ watch full recipe VIDEO on recipe card ]
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recipe Review: “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.” ~ Beth
Rich and Comforting Peanut Stew
Hearty and satisfying, when it’s cold outside, this flavorful sweet potato peanut stew is a delicious creamy balance of sweet and spicy. Weeknight easy and weekend cozy is my kind of comfort food.
Chickpeas are the ultimate versatile ingredient in the vegetarian pantry. They’re plump and creamy, and a delicious addition to this peanut stew. They take on the flavors of seasonings they’re cooked in, just like in this reader favorite Moroccan Lentil Chickpea Stew and my 30 minute Marry Me Chickpeas Recipe.
This Recipe Is
- Lightly Spiced, but adjustable to taste
- Perfect for Meal Prep
- Vegetarain and Vegan
If you love chickpeas and sweet potatoes and making homemade soups and stews, you’ll enjoy this hearty classic.
About the Key Ingredients
- Sweet Potato: add richness, creamy texture and a sweet-savory flavor. Look for the variety that has deep orange flesh.
- Vegetable Broth: use a high-quality vegetable broth for the best flavor. I use low-sodium Better Than Bullion vegetable concentrate for most of my cooking. I love it because it’s organic, economical, produces less waste, and the glass jar is easily recyclable. Plus it tastes great!
- Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce: find this fiery ingredient in the Mexican food isle. It comes in a large or small can. You’ll only need a little bit, but leftovers freeze easily.
- Natural Peanut Butter: crunchy or creamy, stirred down. Look for peanut butter that includes only one or two ingredients (peanuts and salt).
- Cooked Chickpeas or Black Eyed Peas: canned beans are so convenient! But you can enjoy this recipe with Home Cooked Chickpeas (find my easy how-to guide cooked three ways – stovetop, oven and slow cooker) or this reader favorite Slow Cooked Black Eyed Peas recipe (stovetop or slow cooker methods). Chickpeas and black eyed peas are mild in flavor and add bulk and texture to this recipe.
- Greens such as Collards or Spinach: your preferred green works deliciously in this recipe. Spinach will wilt fast, while collards with need a bit more cooking. My favorite for this stew is collard greens.
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How to Make African Peanut Stew
step by step
I tested this recipe with one chipotle pepper, and two chipotle peppers. If you like mild spice, add just one pepper. For medium spice one and a half. For a spicer peanut stew, get bold spicy flavor with two peppers!
I love how versatile this recipe is. You can enjoy it with chickpeas or black eyed peas, and if you prefer spinach instead of collard greens, that works beautifully too.
Traci’s Tips
- Meal Prep: This soup is perfect for meal prep, and like most soup and stews, its flavor improves with a bit of time in the refrigerator. It reheats beautifully!
- Serve With: I share this stew with long grain rice, but it is just as delicious without a grain.
- Toppings: Pile the toppings and garnishes on high. The peanuts add delicious crunchy texture while the cilantro gives it a pop of freshness.
African Peanut Stew with Chickpeas
Servings:4 -5 Servings
Calories:552kcal
[ watch full recipe VIDEO below ] Comforting, and hearty with a touch spice, my African Peanut Stew takes just 30 minutes hands on time, and is ready to enjoy in an hour. Cooked on the stovetop, it's chock full of warming spices, ginger, garlic, sweet potatoes, peanut butter and chickpeas. Stir in collard greens or spinach for a colorful finish! This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free.
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) Raw Unsalted Peanuts (optional for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil I like coconut or olive
- 1 cup (130 grams) Yellow Onion diced small, about 1 medium onion
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger grated
- 1 heaped tablespoon Fresh Garlic grated
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Coriander or 3/4 tsp Ground Cumin
- 4 cups (500 grams) Sweet Potato peeled and cut into large 1/4 inch – 1/2 inch (6mm-12mm) cubes. About one large sweet potato
- 4 1/2 cups (1.05 kilograms) Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
- 1 Small Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce *see note | add 1 1/2 for more spice
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (80 grams) Natural Peanut Butter creamy or crunchy
- 1, 14.5 ounce (411 grams) Can Diced Tomatoes with their juices
- 1, 15 ounce (425 grams) Can Cooked Chickpeas or home cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed, about 2 cups, black eyed peas may be subbed
- 2 cups (85 grams) Collard Greens packed, cut into thin 1/2 inch bite size pieces. **see note
- 1/2 Lime + more for serving
Serve With (optional):
- Rice, Toasted Peanuts, Cilantro, Tabasco for more heat.
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 quart Dutch oven or stock-pot add the 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 broth 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 transfer it into a blender (I use VitaMix). 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 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 rice, but it's also quite tasty with quinoa, toasted peanuts, cilantro, and a sprinkle of fresh reserved greens. Refrigerate in a lidded container for three days or freeze for up to two weeks.
Video
Notes
*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.
**Spinach works here too with spinach going in at the very last minute because it wilts faster than collards.
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.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 552kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 606mg | Potassium: 1213mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 18954IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 199mg | 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!
This was DELICIOUS!
Love hearing this, Julie! Thank you for your note and giving the stew a go!
I cannot begin to tell you how much we loved this recipe. I think it’s my new vanilla and bean favorite dish .
Best news ever, Barbara! Thank you for your note and sending a smile!
This is just what I needed: the perfect balance of a large variety of ingredients and rich flavours!
I’m loving it, thanks!
Best news of the day! Thank you for your note and five star review Sandrine. So pleased you’re enjoying this rich and satisfying soup!
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!
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