This hearty African Peanut Sweet Potato Stew is a stick to your bones soup that’s ultra comforting and flavorful! It’s healthy and vegetarian too!
Hey there friends and Happy Almost the Weekend!
Soup seasonally is officially in full swing here at the BHK. The temps are dipping, so cozy soups are in order. Can I count you guys in for a bowl or two??
This African Peanut Sweet Potato Stew is a new favorite for me. My good friend Annie shared it a few weekends back and I was hooked from the first spoonful. I was so happy she shared it and I knew I’d need to share it with you folks ASAP for soup season.
Annie went to a cooking class with friends and this stew recipe was on the menu. When she first saw the ingredients she wasn’t sure she was going to like it. She said she was thrown off by the peanut butter and the added ginger, but when the soup was done cooking and she had her first taste, she was pleasantly surprised. She loved it.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
This is a one pot meal, so just grab your large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot and get cooking.
This soup has so much flavor. It’s a little sweet and a little spicy.
It’s a tasty way to get your daily dose of veggies.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- red bell pepper
- garlic
- petite diced tomatoes
- sweet potatoes
- creamy peanut butter
- low-sodium vegetable broth
- light brown sugar
- ground ginger
- ground cumin
- coarse kosher salt and pepper
- cayenne powder
- chopped peanuts
- croutons
Step-By-Step Instructions
The first step is to cook your onions and peppers until softened, followed by your garlic.
The second step is to add the tomatoes, undrained, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, vegetable broth, brown sugar, ginger, cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne. You will cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 40-45 minutes.
The last step is to scoop out about 2-3 cups of the soup, with a small amount of broth and puree in a blender until smooth. Do not overfill your blender. Do it in batches, so you don’t get sprayed with hot soup. Return to the pot and stir until thickened.
You can ladle the soup into bowls and top with chopped peanuts and homemade croutons as a garnish.
Besides a little chopping work, this soup is really simple to whip together. It’s loaded with onion, red bell pepper, garlic and of course, sweet potatoes and it’s just bursting with flavor. The ginger, cumin and peanut butter come together perfectly with some brown sugar for sweetness and a smidge of cayenne for some added heat.
The soup is topped with some chopped peanuts for added crunch and I decided on some crusty croutons because you can never go wrong with a few croutons on the top of any homemade soup in my opinion.
So if you’re craving something that comforting and satisfying with robust flavor, this African peanut sweet potato stew is just the ticket.
Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!
A few other favorite comfort food meals here at the BHK are my Easy Skillet Stovetop Lasagna and my Tarragon and Stone Ground Mustard Chicken and Rice.
A Few Cook’s Notes for African Peanut Sweet Potato Stew
I like to top my soup with chopped peanuts and homemade croutons. To make the homemade croutons, I simply cube a french baguette and sauté the the cubes in a skillet with a bit of olive oil and some kosher salt and fresh gound black pepper until they’re browned. The croutons are optional, but so delicious.
You could also serve this stew in a bread bowl if you’d like.
I think the 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne gave this stew just the right amount of heat, but feel free to adjust to your liking.
African Peanut Sweet Potato Stew
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 2 cups yellow onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups red bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 28-oz. can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
- 5 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts, for garnish
- homemade croutons, for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and continue to cook for one minute.
- Add the tomatoes, undrained, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, vegetable broth, brown sugar, ginger, cumin, salt, black pepper and cayenne. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
- Scoop out about 2-3 cups of the soup, with a small amount of broth and puree in a blender until smooth. Do not overfill your blender. Do it in batches, so you don't get sprayed with hot soup. Return to the pot and stir until thickened. Serve with chopped peanuts and homemade croutons on top.
Jennifer @ Seasons and Suppers
Looks delicious and just what I’m craving these days :) Loving the peanut with the sweet potato!
Mary Ann
It’s really super delicious Jennifer. I’m so glad my friend Annie shared it with me! The perfect cold weather warm up.
annie@ciaochowbambina
Well if this isn’t everything I want tonight! We had our first snowfall, and this soup will complement the chill out the window just perfectly!
Mary Ann
Snow already?? Stay warm Annie!
Marissa
This is one of our all-time favorite soups, Mary Ann! I’m so excited to give your version a try!
Mary Ann
Enjoy it Marissa!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
I love African peanut stew!! It’s a favorite of mine during the winter for a hearty meatless meal. It’s so full of flavor! I’ll be trying this version asap!
Mary Ann
You’ll really enjoy it Katherine!
2pots2cook
Will enjoy it for sure ! Thank you Mary Ann !
Mary Ann
You’re welcome my friend!
Laura
Mary Ann, African flavors are one of my all-time favorites! I had forgotten about this soup, and I can’t wait to make it again, as I had lost the recipe I once used. Thanks for the recipe and the reminder of how warm and flavorful this soup is!
Mary Ann
You’re so welcome Laura! Hope you give the recipe a try!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean
This is such a comforting stew, packed with interest and flavor, Mare. Isn’t the peanut butter and ginger so nice together? I love the chunky croutons on top!
Mary Ann
I love the peanut butter and ginger flavors Traci! This is one of my new favorites!
YtheWait
Thank you for great recipe!
Mary Ann
You’re very welcome!
Phoebe Oelheim
We loved it! This delicious soup had so many layers of flavor. It was decadent.
Mary Ann
So happy you enjoyed it Phoebe! It really does have fabulous flavor!
Elaine & James
This stew looks so delicious, just added to our favourites to try!
Mary Ann
I just know you’d really enjoy it!