This African Peanut Soup recipe is made with everyday pantry items that transform into a lively soup with full-bodied flavors. Richly spiced with chickpeas, ginger, garlic, and chilies in a creamy peanut tomato base, this protein-rich soup is one you will crave. Vegan and Gluten-free! Includes a Video.
The same stream of life that runs through the world runs through my veins.
Rabindranath Tagore
Dairy-free and full of protein, this African Peanut Soup is sooooo delicious! It can be served as a hearty soup, or served over millet or rice for a satisfying one-bowl meal. It all comes together fairly quickly though it tastes anything but simple. The flavors and creamy texture are reminiscent of curry, developing even more over time, making leftovers something to be very excited about!
Why is it called African Peanut Soup?
African Peanut Soup, also known as Groundnut Stew, is a cultural staple in West Africa. This peanut soup has many variations, with the recipe ingredients varying by region. Peanut butter (aka groundnuts), tomatoes, and chilies are generally the base components. Most traditions include starchy vegetables like yams and sweet potatoes. Some also include eggplant, okra, or corn, as well as chicken thighs or other meats, and beans. Hot chili peppers are also traditional. It is most often served over millet or rice.
Groundnut Stew is a popular dish during Kwanzaa, a celebration of the first fruits of the harvest, African cultural heritage, and traditional values. Did you know that peanuts are known as groundnuts in many parts of the world? They actually originated from South America then somehow found their way to Africa. From there, the peanut was brought over to the United States on slave ships.
Our vegan version of West African Peanut Stew may not be completely traditional but it is nonetheless mouthwateringly delicious!
African Peanut Soup | Video
Why You Will Love African Peanut Soup
1. Bold and Unique Flavors: African Peanut Soup is a burst of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. The combination of spices like ginger, garlic, and chilies, along with the creamy peanut tomato base, creates a rich and aromatic soup that is truly unforgettable.
2. Nutritious and Filling: This soup is delicious and packed with nutrients. With ingredients like yams or sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and fresh spinach, it provides a good dose of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. It’s a hearty and satisfying meal that will keep you full and energized.
3. Versatile and Customizable: African Peanut Soup is incredibly versatile and can be customized to suit your preferences. You can add your choice of vegetables, adjust the level of spiciness, and top it with garnishes like crushed peanuts and cilantro. Make it your own and experiment with different variations!
4. Cultural Significance: African Peanut Soup is deeply rooted in West African culinary traditions. By enjoying this soup, you not only savor its incredible taste but also get a glimpse into the vibrant culture and heritage of the region. It’s a dish that carries a beautiful story and adds a touch of cultural appreciation to your dining experience.
Ingredients In African Peanut Soup
Ingredient Notes
- Coconut oil: You can substitute with other neutral oils like avocado oil if desired.
- Onion: Use yellow or white onion for a mild flavor. You can also use red onion for added sweetness.
- Garlic cloves: Fresh garlic is recommended for the best flavor, but you can use garlic powder as a substitute (1/2 teaspoon equals approximately 2 cloves).
- Ginger: Fresh ginger is preferable, but if unavailable, you can use ground ginger (1/2 teaspoon equals approximately 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger).
- Serrano chili: Adjust the amount according to your spice preference. If you can’t find serrano chili, you can substitute with jalapeño or any other spicy chili pepper.
- Smoked paprika: If you don’t have smoked paprika, regular paprika can be used as a substitute.
- Black pepper: Freshly ground black pepper is recommended, but pre-ground black pepper works as well.
- Ground coriander: Adds a lovely earthy, sweet and floral notes.
- Ground cumin: Adds a warm nutty element.
- Yams or sweet potatoes: Both yams and sweet potatoes work well in this recipe. Choose whichever you prefer or have on hand. Or try butternut squash, potatoes, or parsnips.
- Chickpeas: For protein, texture and nutty flavor.
- Tomato paste: Gives a rich tangy depth.
- Diced tomatoes: You can use canned diced tomatoes or fresh tomatoes, depending on your preference.
- Vegetable broth or chicken stock: Choose whichever you prefer or have available.
- Creamy natural peanut butter: Look for peanut butter with no added sugar or sweeteners. Crunchy peanut butter can be used if you prefer a bit of texture in the soup.
- Red pepper flakes: Add more or less depending on how spicy you like your soup. Can also use Cayenne pepper.
- Apple cider vinegar: Gives a tang that really balances the soup.
- Fresh spinach: You can use other leafy greens like kale or collard greens. Or a mix.
- Garnishes: Cilantro, crushed peanuts, and additional red pepper flakes are optional garnishes that add extra flavor and texture to the soup.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make West AFrican Peanut Soup
STEP ONE- Cube yams, chop, dice, and minced onion, ginger, garlic, and serrano chili. Measure out spices and remaining ingredients. This will help the process flow and make cooking a much more enjoyable experience!
Tip: If you are cautious of the spicy heat of the serrano, try this instead of mincing it: Add the entire pepper when you add in the broth, letting it simmer in the soup, and then remove the cooked pepper before serving. You will get the flavor and a little softer heat.
STEP TWO- In a large soup pot with coconut oil, start sautéing onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano chili. Add smoked paprika, black pepper, coriander, and cumin. Adding them in with the sautéing aromatics will release and enliven the flavors of the spices and will smell amazing! Stir this mixture until the onions start to soften, about 7 minutes.
STEP THREE- Add yams, chickpeas, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, broth or stock, peanut butter, salt, and red pepper flakes.
STEP FOUR- Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or until yams are fork-tender.
STEP FIVE- Add apple cider vinegar and salt to taste. If you like a creamier consistency, feel free to use an immersion blender! Turn off heat and stir in spinach leaves.
How to Serve African Peanut Soup
- Serve it in a bowl as a soup. (Use less peanut butter if you prefer it not so rich).
- Serve it over cooked whole grains- like millet, brown rice, or quinoa for a hearty one-bowl meal.
- Top with crushed toasted peanuts, fresh cilantro, and red pepper flakes (for the spice lovers).
- For more protein, add cooked chicken or crispy tofu.
African Peanut Soup FAQS
The creamy rich base is smooth and reminiscent of curry. Balanced savory flavor with a touch of sweetness and a bit of spice.
Yes! The beauty of homemade is that you can control the quality of the ingredients and adjust to your preferences. Make sure you use fresh ingredients and use natural peanut butter with nothing added-just peanuts and salt (or unsalted if that is your preference). Another way to boost nutrients is to make your own vegetable broth, with our easy and delicious recipe.
Onions, ginger, garlic, and serrano chili sauté together with fragrant spices create a heavenly aroma. Tender yams and chickpeas fortify the creamy peanut tomato soup base. Fresh spinach is added just before serving to lightly wilt, preserving fresh flavor and nutrients.
More Recipes You May Enjoy
The flavors develop even more after cooking, leftovers are delicious! Keeps in the fridge for 5 days. Hope you enjoy this African Peanut Soup. Let us know how you like it!
Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.
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African Peanut Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 cups 1x
- Category: Soup, Stew
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: West African
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Spicy African Peanut Soup is made with everyday pantry items that transform into a lively soup with full bodied flavors. Richly spiced with ginger, garlic, and chilies in a creamy peanut tomato base, this protein-rich soup is one you will crave. Vegan and Gluten-free!. Serve over millet, rice, or quinoa for a satisfying one bowl meal.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated or minced
- 1 Serrano chili, diced (for less spice add the whole chili (uncut)when adding the broth and then remove before serving)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups yams, cubed
- 1 can of garbanzos or 1 1/2 cups, drained
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)
- 4 cups vegetable broth or chicken stock
- 1/2–1 cup creamy natural peanut butter-no sugar added (crunchy is fine too if you like more texture) see notes
- 1– 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 lb spinach (or a mix of baby kale and spinach is nice)
- Garnish: Cilantro, crushed peanuts, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a soup pot over medium heat, start sautéing coconut oil, onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano chili. Add smoked paprika, black pepper, coriander, and cumin. Stir until the onions start to soften, about 7 minutes. Turn heat down if needed.
- Add yams, chickpeas, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, broth or stock, peanut butter, salt, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes or until yams are soft.
- Add apple cider vinegar and salt to taste. Turn off heat and stir in spinach leaves.
- Serve with crushed peanuts, fresh cilantro, and red pepper flakes. Good served over millet, rice, and quinoa.
Notes
Use less peanut butter if you prefer a less rich soup. The full amount of peanut butter is best for eating with rice or millet.
Chard, kale, or collard greens can be used instead of spinach. Add in to cook along with the yams.
Keeps in the fridge for 5 days.
Make in an instant pot. Follow step one as the recipe instructions state, using the saute’ function. On step two, Add liquids but don’t add the peanut butter! Pressure cook 10 minutes, then add peanut butter in, along with step 3.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 378
- Sugar: 9.3 g
- Sodium: 616 mg
- Fat: 20.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 40.1 g
- Fiber: 9.1 g
- Protein: 14.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This recipe is fantastic as is. Since I can’t take a lot of heat, I simply substituted a jalapeño for the Serrano chili. Served it with quinoa. Perfect! Will definitely be making this again. Cudos for yet another fabulous recipe!
Awesome Mary, happy to hear this!
My family loved this! (including hungry teenaged boy). So much flavour. I used pumpkin and gem squash because that’s what I had but look forward to trying other veges. I served with some quinoa and made flat bread for dipping. Thanks for another winner!
Sounds delicious Karen, so happy you all enjoyed!
Another winner. I’m a big fan of Moosewood’s groundnut stew but tried this because it looked so yummy. I was not disappointed. I used part almond butter because I ran out of peanut butter and a mix of greens because that’s what was in my fridge.
This was delicious!
Thanks Jo! So glad it turned out good!
Thx for the recipe Slyvia….this dish was wonderful!! It def will be made again!
We are so glad you enjoyed this!
This looks delicious! Is there a substitute to use in place of peanut butter for those with sensitivities to peanuts?
Hi Tracy, Someone commented a few days ago, that they used almond butter and it turned out great!
Hi! Think you could do this in an instant pot? or slow cooker? my stove top is currently out of commission but I’m dying to try it!
Hi Milly, Here’s what I would try for the instant pot. Make it like the recipe instructions state, using the saute’ function. Add liquids but don’t add the peanut butter! I’m afraid it might burn? Pressure cook 10 minutes, then add peanut butter in. Let us know how it goes!
Just made it, you are an instant pot whiz!
Sweet potatoes were cooked perfectly!
took me 45 minutes start to finish 🙂 thanks!
Awesome Milly! So helpful, I will make a note in the recipe.
This was incredible. My entire family gobbled it up including my 3 kiddos.
Perfect, love it when the whole family is nourished!
This is one of my absolute favourite recipes I’ve tried! I’ve eaten it 4 times so far, and I’m not yet tired of it. Used butternut squash instead of the sweet potato, and added a red pepper. Served with a generous squeeze of fresh lime and cilantro on top of some red quinoa. It was sooooooo good. All my friends want the recipe!
Yay, great to hear Kimberly! Yum, butternut and lime, love it.
I made this lovely soup for dinner this cold winter night. It was a wonderful change from what seems like my usual rut of either stews, broth-based soup, or creamy soups. I think the chopped peanuts and cilantro on top really make it shine. I really loved all the healthy ingredients (especially the yams and greens). It will be even better tomorrow I am sure – as all good soups seem to be!
Hi Cynthe! Yay, so happy you enjoyed!
This is delicious. I made it exactly as the recipe described. I put the chili in whole, and while we had our first bowl, I left the chili in to compare flavors. The second bowl I had, which had the chili and it longer, had a much more rich and complex flavor. I would definitely recommend making sure you let the chili soak fully in the soup for at least 30 minutes if you want the complexity to come out.
Nice Shawna, thanks for sharing!
Delicious! We used chopped fresh tomatoes (maybe closer to 1.5cups, but didn’t measure), ~1/2 cup of peanut butter and served over quinoa. So flavorful and perfect for cold winter night 🙂
Perfect. Thanks Hannah!
Very nice soup!! Love the addition of spinach at the end. Very warm and hearty, perfect for winter! Thank you!
So glad this worked for you Angeli!
Made this last night for dinner. My daughter who isn’t a fan of sweet potatoes is now a believer! We absolutely loved this soup. I added lacitano kale instead of spinach and probably doubled the amount of ginger. Also used crunchy peanut butter for texture. The flavors were amazing! Served with brown jasmine rice. Can’t wait to have it for lunch today!
So great to hear Candace! Love that you all enjoyed it.
Hi Sylvia and Tonia. This recipe is amazing. It was easy to make following all your steps. It tastes even better the day after. Thanks for sharing it.
Appreciate this Angela!
This was really great! A nice wintery meal, and with an uncommon grouping of flavors. I forgot to start the rice in time so I made some grits and had that on the side. Yummy!
Thanks Annie, so glad you enjoyed and that the grits pared well!
I made it with only two small tweaks: almond butter instead of peanut butter and about 3/4 of the ginger. I like ginger, but I’ve learned my family likes ginger less than myself and Sylvia. I’m not usually a big fan of diced tomatoes in my soup because their texture and flavor are often overpowering, but there’s so much flavor here that it wasn’t the case this time around. Even my not-so-soup-enthusiastic child enjoyed it with a slight thumbs up for a rating.
Super great to hear Raj!
I made this African stew today. My family loved it! The flavors were perfect! We loved the sweet potatoes and potatoes and all the spices—wouldn’t change a thing. Thank you Feasting at Home!!
Thanks Josie!
Would have been perfect with less peanut butter; but we ate it up!!!
Thanks Carol, appreciate the fed back!
Hi Sylvia / Tonia, So I thought an updated review would help with the star count rather than replying to your comment to my previous comment Sylvia. SO I made this yesterday and was devoured rapidly by all of the family. Firstly off to a good start was cooking with Coconut oil (I must do this more often) and the garlic, ginger, onion aromatics filled the house with great aromas. I only had potatoes but these worked a treat and as per Meg’s comment, I used fresh chickpeas and tomatoes as I prefer the ‘chewy’ texture of fresh chickpeas vs the ‘mushy’ texture of canned. Secondly the blog text refers to ‘… reminiscent of a curry’ (1st paragraph under the 1st photo above), so I cooked it like a curry on low heat for 2hrs (after the 20min simmer) – this was after written Step 2 or Step 4 of the photo instructions. The potatoes were firm, the crunchy peanut paste even creamier and allowed for greater absorption of the spices/aromatics. The addition of the vinegar and presentation with crushed nuts, spinach and cilantro was a wonderful touch of flavour, aroma and textures! Finally the only thing I added was ‘a quarter slice’ of fresh Lime juice over the Cilantro/Spinach/Nuts ‘topping’ (a half slice was too much and detracted from the creamy peanut flavours); plus some Pearl Couscous which was okay, but I’ll try something more ‘earthier’ in flavour like Black (Purple) Rice! Can’t wait to taste the leftovers tonight! Cheers Ladies for a magnificent ‘keeper’ recipe!
Thanks so much for the update Michael! Appreciate the detailed share. So glad you and your family enjoyed this!
Ladies you were correct! The ‘leftovers’ are superb with a deeper flavour of the spices. I ‘refreshed’ the dish with a diced Zucchini and another punnet of Cherry Tomatoes halved and added the ‘toppings’ plus a squeeze of lime juice. The Black (Purple) Rice was a real hit too, its smaller size and earthier flavour integrated with the dish better than the Pearl Couscous. Just a keeper and go-to recipe for a zesty Peanut hit. Brought back lots of childhood memories of living in Nigeria when I was 5yrs old. Cheers…
Love it Michael! The lime, fresh tomatoes and black rice…YUM! So pretty too I bet. 😊
Sylvia, I’m so happy to see that the BigOven recipe clipper worked perfectly. I was able to add this recipe with one click (as opposed to typing it in which I normally do with your recipes). I’m a die hard fan of both BigOven and you. Thank you for improving my cooking game.
Great to hear!
Would this work with almond butter? Allergy to aunts
Hi Denise, I have not tried it with almond butter, though I think it would good!
I’ve made this a few times and passed the post onto friends as well. Everyone raves about it. Sometimes I use less peanut butter since it is so rich.
Thanks MJ!
This looks very tasty. I live in France and do not have access to serano peppers. Bell peppers aren’t in season at this time either. What would you suggest to replace it? I have various dried and ground pepper seasonings…..
Thanks
Hi Amy, You can skip it and just use more dried crushed red pepper flakes.
I’ve made this recipe yesterday. It’s super hardy & aromatic.
Next time I will use the recipe option of fresh tomatoes for the extra acid. I used canned roasted tomatoes which I feel didn’t give enough flavour contrast.
Also next time I’ll use the recipe option of cooking my own garbanzos instead of canned. Much more flavour.
I’m also debating if I should slightly reduce the amount of peanut butter. I know that this quantity is traditional, but maybe I’m just not used to the richness.
Overall, very tasty and original. Thank you!
Thanks Meg. It is quite rich. Just curious if you ate it with something like rice or as a soup on its own? I think less peanut butter would still work great.
Ho Tonia
I ate it on its own on day 1 and with a small whole wheat tortilla on day 2.
Thanks Meg. Maybe less peanut butter is the way to go for soup on it own.
Sylvia / Tonia this recipe looks absolutely phenomenal! I love the arrangement and balance of the spices, sauces and array of vegetables! Having spent time in Africa I absolutely love their Peanut Soups & Stews etc; so I’m really looking forward to trying this one next, Yum! Cheers… (Will post more stars when I get to cook & taste, can’t wait).
Thanks -Let us know what you think Michael!