This vegan One Pot West African Peanut stew recipe is loaded with vegetables and flavor to provide a comfort food meal that’s perfect for meal prep no matter the season!
The colder months are perfect for stews, soups and other comfort foods, but if you’re like us, then you want these foods year round! We know that you are going to love this One Pot West African Peanut stew.
I want to start by saying this is not a traditional version of West African peanut stew. This is a version I created after researching peanut stew and then basing off of ingredients that are easy to find and replicate in the continental US.
I think it’s important to note that West Africa is an entire region consisting of 17 countries. Each country and even culture inside that country may have it’s own variation of peanut stew. However, for search results, West African peanut stew is what is searched the most.
History: Most people agree that peanut stew originated in Mali. It is also known as groundnut stew or maafe. With colonialism, groundnut became popular outside of African countries and with the expansion of food bloggers, peanut stew has grown even more popular around the world.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Flavorful – This recipe packs so much flavor in with ingredients that you most likely have a lot of already!
- Nutritionally Dense – There are a lot of vitamins, minerals, and goodness packed into this dish which is perfect for the colder weather season
- Easy – This stew is made in one pot and most of the ingredients just get tossed in which means easy for you
🥘Recipe Ingredients
Gather your ingredients!
- Onions, Bell Pepper, Garlic, and Ginger – these are our aromatics and start the dish developing flavor right from the start.
- Peanuts and Peanut Butter – Peanuts are the main component of the dish. We are using unsalted peanuts for the crunch and protein and peanut butter to add creaminess and thickness to the stew.
- Sweet Potatoes – are the carb of choice added to this dish. It adds texture and sweetness but can also be mashed to thicken if desired.
- Chickpeas – the protein that we are using for this dish. Since we are vegan we want to add protein, but not meat. Chickpeas add a neutral flavor that doesn’t take away from the rest of the dish, yet holds up well to a simmering pot of stew
- Collard Greens – these add so much nutritional value to the stew, along with another layer of texture
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Peanuts and Peanut Butter – If you cannot have peanuts/peanut butter, we’d first recommend cashews and cashew butter. If you cannot have nuts at all, we’d recommend omitting the nuts for texture purposes, but still adding in something like sunbutter or tahini.
- Sweet Potatoes – You could swap with yellow or yukon potatoes. Alternatively, something like cauliflower could also work
- Chickpeas – other white beans like cannellini, great northern, or butter beans will work well also
- Collard Greens – swap with other greens like spinach or kale
- Protein – If you’d like to add some more protein into your dish, things like tofu or vegan chicken or soy curls would be good options
Recipe FAQs:
The only top allergen in here is the peanuts and peanut butter. You can replace with something like cashews and cashew butter if you are able, if not, omit the peanuts and use sunbutter. This will alter the taste, but still give you a delicious stew.
Yes. You can let it cool completely and then store it in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Yes, this recipe can be made 4-5 days in advance.
Other Vegan Comfort Food Recipes to Consider:
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Did you make and love this recipe?
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One Pot West African Peanut Stew (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 large Yellow onion, diced
- 1 Red bell pepper, diced
- 6 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Ginger root, grated
- 1 tablespoon Ground cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoon Ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne, more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, more or less to taste
- 2 medium Sweet potatoes, cubed
- 14 oz can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 14 oz can Can fire roasted tomatoes
- ¾ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
- 1 Serrano pepper, diced, seeded, destemed
- 3 ½ – 4 cups low sodium vegetable stock
- ¾ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon Tomato paste
- 4-5 cups Collard greens, chopped*
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- sriracha, optional
- cilantro
Instructions
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, add oil over medium heat. Add in your onions, bell peppers, garlic and ginger. Saute until onions and peppers softened about 3-5 minutes.
- Add seasonings (cumin to pepper) and stir together. Let cook for one minute, careful not to burn. Add potatoes, chickpeas, fire roasted tomatoes and half of the peanuts. Stir together, scraping any of the fond off the bottom of the pot. Let cook for 5-7 minutes until the potatoes have started to soften.
- Add serrano pepper, vegetable stock, peanut butter and tomato paste. Stir together until the tomato paste is combined into the other ingredients. Cover and turn heat down to low and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove cover, add collard greens, lemon juice, and sriracha if adding. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Allow to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Top with cilantro and remaining peanuts at the end. Serve with rice, bread, or by itself.
Stacey
This is so delicious as is! There are so many great textures that you don’t miss the meat at all. My husband had 3 helpings and then proceeded to be surprised that there was little left for lunch the next day. 🙄 I used the lesser amount of broth because I was having it with naan and so wanted more of a stew consistency. Definitely making this many more times. Thanks for your recipes 🙏, we are really enjoying them. I’m glad my 30 something year old son introduced me to you.
Larisha Bernard
We are so happen your son told you also! Thrilled that you are enjoying the recipes!
Lorraine Koiner
I purchased some collard greens on sale. I cleaned them and chopped them up and put them in the freezer. I would love to make this meal. Can I use frozen collard greens? If so, should I defrost them first?
By the way, I love your recipes.
Larisha Bernard
You definitely can. No need to defrost first, they will thaw quickly in the heat of the dish.
Sylwia
I’ve made it today and it’s delicious! Thanks a lot for a lovely (and simple) recipe 🙂
Larisha Bernard
You’re so welcome!
Josh Baesler
Does this recipe freeze well?
Larisha Bernard
Yes it will
Kristi Droppers
My dear friend, a vegan whom I have over often, has inspired me to learn to cook more vegan recipes. I found “Make it Dairy Free” on IG and have now made multiple of the recipes found on the website. I wish there were a cookbook of these fabulous recipes because I would buy it for everyone. I’ve loved every dish, and the West African Peanut Stew was amazing with the depth of the dish’s flavor, seasoning, and crunch of the peanuts. I will make it again and again for dinner guests who are not even vegan.
Larisha Bernard
So happy to hear that Kristi. I hope you continue to enjoy the recipes and we would love to have a cookbook in the future.
Diego
I made this recipe to eat with my wife and she loved the smell from the beginning to the end of preparation.
Thank you for share.
Larisha Bernard
So glad you both enjoyed!
Kirstin
Wow! This is a new favorite for me. And my husband (who rolls his eyes a little at meatless meals) came back for seconds.
Didn’t have serrano pepper on hand, so used jalapeño and enjoyed the little bit of extra heat.
Larisha Bernard
Love that!
LaTanya
Made this for dinner tonight along with some crusty bread. My family loved it!!! Another winner of a recipe! Thank you!!
Larisha Bernard
yay!
Robert Boudreau
Made this on Friday night, we loved it… it’s a keeper. Can wait to try another recipe. Keep it up.
Larisha Bernard
So glad to hear that!
Robin
I’ve made this recipe twice and it is delicious! It has just the right amount of heat and is really rich and creamy. Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Larisha Bernard
So glad that it’s a hit!
Ella Birt
This recipe is gorgeous! It made my good luck/New Years black-eyed peas taste great. I love that you incorporate all the colors into your recipes. Thanks so much.
Larisha Bernard
so glad to hear that!
Gabrielle
Can I swap out the peanuts for cashews and the collards for kale?
Larisha Bernard
Yes to both
adub
Will it be OK to add all items in a slow cooker during the day?
Larisha Bernard
I’ll be honest, we haven’t tested that. However, we don’t see why it wouldn’t. We’d do 4 hours on high or 6-8 on low. I’d save the greens, and lemon juice until the last 20-30 minutes or so.
Judit Paljanos
I made this meal today for lunch with my son. We are happy to try new recipes. It was so delicious. We don’t like sweet potatoes so as you mentioned, I swapped with cauliflower, white potato and carrot.
Thank you for this recipe. It is easy to make and perfect for a weekday dinner.
Larisha Bernard
So glad that you enjoyed it with our suggested swaps!
Luciana
Very Nice we have tried today and the taste is amazing
Larisha Bernard
so glad to hear
Leah K
I made this and it was excellent, thank you!
Larisha Bernard
So happy you enjoyed it
Karen
this is delicious! fantastic on a cold and snowy day. thank you for this very tasty recipe!
Larisha Bernard
You’re so welcome!
Charlotte
This sounds delicious, but would it work to sub the peanuts for another nut? Could cashews work?
Larisha Bernard
Yes, cashews or even macadamia nuts. or you could leave out the nuts altogether and just use sunbutter or tahini
Shane Allen
This was very good! 30 min meal. First time I’ve cooked with Collard greens. Love the taste and color they added. Every Sunday it’s a new meal here at our house thank you both. Seasons greetings!
Larisha Bernard
Love that! Glad you’re enjoying. Happy holidays!
Becky
Made this for visiting family and was loved by all. Thank you!
Larisha Bernard
So glad to hear that!