African Peanut Soup

A delicious and hearty soup originating in West Africa, our African Peanut Soup is the perfect cozy and nourishing meal full of warming spices and colorful vegetables. This recipe is part of our guide to hosting a New Moon Dinner Party, shared here

African Peanut Soup with Chickpeas + Kale

African Peanut Soup with Chickpeas

Prep time

20

Cook time

25

Servings

4

Category

Soups + Stews

Origin

West Africa

Ingredients

  • Extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger

  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

  • 4-5 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 small can crushed tomatoes

  • 1 quart chicken stock (or water and bouillon*)

  • 1 to 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

  • 2 cups cooked chickpeas

  • 3/4 cup natural peanut butter

  • 1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped

  • Chopped salted peanuts, for garnish

  • Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Step 1

Heat a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Saute onion, ginger, and jalapeno, adding garlic toward the end. Add cumin and tomato paste and cook another minute or so. 

Step 2

Add tomatoes and stock; bring to boil. Turn heat down and add sweet potatoes; cook until tender (about 15 minutes, depending on size). Add chickpeas and kale; cook another 5 minutes. Stir in peanut butter. Add more water if you prefer a more soup-like consistency.

Step 3

Allow to soup to gently simmer over low heat until ready to serve. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro if desired.

Sarah's Notes:  I like to use Better Than Bouillon Organic Base in either Chicken or Vegetable. If you'd like to make this with chicken, you can replace the chickpeas with two chicken thighs or breasts. Simply add them to the soup in Step 2 and simmer until cooked through (10-15 minutes). This soup has a thick, stew-like consistency but you can add more water if you prefer. I like to double the recipe so that I can freeze some for later. 

See the New Moon Dinner Party here.