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!
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I did a lot of research, tasting, and dozen of recipe trying to get to this version of my One Pot West African Peanut Stew and it has since become one of our family’s go-to favorites.
As a long-time vegan, I’ve made a lot of stews over the years—especially ones that rely on hearty, nourishing ingredients like sweet potatoes, leafy greens, and legumes. But once I learned about peanut stew and started researching it, I knew I had to create a version that was easy to replicate with ingredients most people in the U.S. can find.
I want to be clear that this is not a traditional version. West Africa is a region made up of 17 different countries, each with their own cultures and food traditions—so there are many ways peanut stew is made and served, depending on the region, household, or even the time of year.
This version is inspired by that rich history, but adapted for accessibility to find ingredients here. It’s cozy, full of plant-based protein, comes together in one pot, and is the kind of recipe that tastes even better the next day.
Important History Note: 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.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love African Peanut Stew
- 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
Peanut Stew 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.
How to make African Peanut Stew
Step 1: 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.
Step 2: 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.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: 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. Remove from heat. Top with cilantro and remaining peanuts at the end. Serve with rice, bread, or by itself.
African Stew Substitutions & 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
African Peanut Soup 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.
What to Serve with African Peanut Stew
Grains and vegetables are what you want to focus on serving with this West African Peanut Stew.
Grains:
- White or Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Couscous
- Potatoes – mashed or roasted
- Bread – naan, chapati, flatbread
Vegetables:
While this already has some vegetables in the stew itself, you could serve on the side :
- sautéed greens like kale, spinach or collards
- Roasted plantains
- Steamed green veg like broccoli, sugar snap peas, or green beans
Other Vegan Comfort Food Recipes to Consider:
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West African Peanut Stew (One Pot Vegan Recipe)
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.
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.
You definitely can. No need to defrost first, they will thaw quickly in the heat of the dish.
I’ve made it today and it’s delicious! Thanks a lot for a lovely (and simple) recipe 🙂
You’re so welcome!
Does this recipe freeze well?
Yes it will
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.
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.
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.
So glad you both enjoyed!
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.
Love that!
Made this for dinner tonight along with some crusty bread. My family loved it!!! Another winner of a recipe! Thank you!!
yay!