Soul-Soothing African Peanut Stew

Soul-Soothing African Peanut Stew

This creamy and lightly spicy stew is a great comfort food for the cold days ahead but it’s light and fresh enough that you could eat it all year.  It has a bit of a kick but you can control the spice with the amount cayenne and jalapeño peppers that you put it.  I also added cauliflower to mine becuase I love cauliflower.  It was a great addition and I will add it from now on! 

  • 1 tsp (5ml) extra-vigin olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded, if desired, and diced (optional)
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch (1cm) pieces
  • 1 (28oz/793g) can diced tomatoes, with their juices
  • Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup (75ml) natural peanut butter
  • 4 cups (1L) vegetable broth, plus more as needed
  • 1 1/2 tsp (7ml) chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp (1ml) cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 (15oz/425g) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 handfuls baby spinach or destemmed, torn kale leaves
  • Fresh cilantro or parsley leaves, for serving
  • Roasted peanuts, for serving
  1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent.
  2. Add the bell pepper, jalapeño (if using), sweet potato, and tomatoes with their juices.  Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer for 5 minutes more.  Season the vegetables with salt and black pepper.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the peanut butter and 1 cup (250ml) of the vegetable broth until no clumps remain.  Stir the mixture into the vegetables along with the remaining 3 cups (750ml) broth, child powder, and the cayenne (if using).
  4. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Simmer for 10 to 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is fork tender.
  5. Stir in the chickpeas and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted.  Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
  6. Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with cilantro and roasted peanuts.  

Tips:

  • Have some leftover cooked rice?  This soup is fabulous with some stirred in.
  • Add cauliflower for some extra veggies.
  • You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh. 

Source: The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon.

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