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!
How was everyone’s Halloween? Did the kiddos get to go trick or treating in your neck of the woods? If so, I hope y’all had some fun!
Since I thought there might be a chance you guys might still be on a sugar high, I decided to post a healthier recipe today. I’m always lookin’ out for you. Someone’s gotta keep us all on the up and up, so today I’m taking charge.
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.
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. 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 Recipe
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.
Looks delicious and just what I’m craving these days :) Loving the peanut with the sweet potato!
It’s really super delicious Jennifer. I’m so glad my friend Annie shared it with me! The perfect cold weather warm up.
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!
Snow already?? Stay warm Annie!
This is one of our all-time favorite soups, Mary Ann! I’m so excited to give your version a try!
Enjoy it Marissa!
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!
You’ll really enjoy it Katherine!
Will enjoy it for sure ! Thank you Mary Ann !
You’re welcome my friend!
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!
You’re so welcome Laura! Hope you give the recipe a try!
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!
I love the peanut butter and ginger flavors Traci! This is one of my new favorites!
Thank you for great recipe!
You’re very welcome!
We loved it! This delicious soup had so many layers of flavor. It was decadent.
So happy you enjoyed it Phoebe! It really does have fabulous flavor!