West African Peanut Soup Recipe

Although this soup is labeled ‘West African’, there are influences from Indian and Asian cultures too, making it an incredibly worldly dish that is flavorful, hearty, and vegan.  

Warning: This recipe calls for multiple chilies which can be very spicy. If you don’t like as much heat, start with ½ to 1 whole chili and taste test. You will also want to be careful not to get any residual oil from the chili on your face so wash your hands diligently after handling or use gloves while chopping.

Modification: For anyone who has a sensitivity or allergy to peanuts, you can still enjoy this soup by using sunflower seed butter which has a very similar consistency and nutty flavor.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup peanut oil

• 1 Tbs. coriander seeds

• 1 Tbs. ground cumin

• 1 Tbs. ground turmeric

• 1 tsp. fenugreek seeds (use mustard seeds if you cannot find fenugreek)

• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh ginger or 1 tablespoon dried

• 2 serrano chilies, seeds removed, finely chopped (about 2 Tbs.)

• 6 cups organic vegetable stock

• 1 15-oz. can cherry tomatoes

• 3 Tbs. tomato paste

• 6 cloves, tied in cheesecloth

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter

• 1-1/2 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into medium dice

• 8 oz. lacinato kale, ribs removed, sliced into 1/4-inch ribbons

• 1 fresh red chili, such as Thai bird, very thinly sliced (about 1 tsp.)

• Salted roasted peanuts, chopped, for serving (cashews can also be used)

• Lime wedges and cilantro leaves for garnish

Directions

• In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric, and fenugreek, and cook, stirring often, until aromatic, about 1 minute.

• Add the onion, ginger, and serranos, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 4 minutes.

• Add the stock, stirring to scrape up the brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, cloves, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes.

• Stir in the peanut butter, and then add the potatoes. Return to a boil; cook for 5 minutes. Add the kale and red chile, and continue to cook for about 1 minute, until the kale is just tender.

• Remove the cloves in the cheese cloth.

• Garnished with chopped nuts, lime wedges, and cilantro leaves. Serve while hot and enjoy.
  

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Julia Blanchard is a content contributor for JUGs by night, by day she works at Amazon on some of Alexa’s feature expansion programs. You can follow her @jcblanchard6 on Instagram.