African Peanut Stew

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 easily gluten free. Amp up the spicy with a bit more chipotle pepper if desired!

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine African, American, Vegan, Vegetarian

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword African Peanut Stew with Chickpeas, Peanut Stew, Vegetarian Peanut Stew

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings -5 Servings

Calories 499kcal

Author Traci York

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 Broth 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