African peanut soup is creamy and delicious with rich full-bodied flavor made with chicken, sweet potato, simple spices, tomato, bell pepper, jalapeño, broth and a decent amount of creamy peanut butter. Garnish this West African dish with fresh cilantro and roasted peanuts for the ultimate experience!
If a peanut butter soup recipe doesn’t sound appetizing to you, let me explain. Forget the jelly, forget the sweet pairings. In this recipe, natural peanut butter goes savory. Think Thai peanut sauce but with an African coriander cumin flavor profile. I tried it years ago at a salad bar and immediately started researching where the soup comes from and how to make it.
This is one of the older recipes on this website and one I still make a few times each winter because its THAT good. It has been tested time and time again and has excellent reviews too.
It got the “this is the best soup you’ve ever made” label from the husband (who doesn’t throw that around often and does not like peanut butter). My whole family loves it and people ask for the recipe anytime someone new tries it. Branch outside your comfort zone and give it a go!
For more soup recipes, check out our soups and stews page. If you love chicken soups, this Thai chicken noodle soup and this chicken paprika soup are favorites of ours too!
As you may have guessed by the name, this recipe hails from West Africa. There it’s sometimes referred to as groundnut soup or maafe. My version is Americanized for similicity and to add some extra veggies in.
In this recipe, I used ready made smooth peanut butter, swapped the traditional palm oil for coconut or avocado oil and added some extra vegetables like bell pepper, sweet potato and spinach. I also seasoned with coriander, cumin and cilantro since that’s the version I first tried and fell in love with.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
If you’re even a mild peanut lover, you will not just love, but ADORE this recipe. It has all the peanut flavors but delivered in a complex and interesting way. It’s creamy and perfect for a rainy day. Here’s why we love it:
- It’s so creamy and delicious
- Kid friendly for any picky eater that loves peanut butter (leave out whatever they won’t eat like veggies, cilantro, etc.)
- It’s loaded with protein
- Chock full of veggies
- Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free, and easy to convert to plant based
- The recipe has been tested, re-tested and received rave reviews (one is featured below!)
FEATURED COMMENT
“The flavours in this soup are fabulous!!! Thank you! It was such a warming, comforting dinner on a cold rainy day! I used some smoked tofu and chickpeas instead of chicken and it turned out great!”
– Jen
Ingredients and Substitutions
This African peanut stew recipe has quite a few ingredients but it all comes together pretty quickly, all things considered. Also, although the name conjures exotic mental images, you’ll probably find all of the spices you need are already in your spice cabinet.
The main ingredients are chicken, ginger, onion, garlic, bell pepper, sweet potato, tomato, chicken broth, creamy peanut butter, fresh baby spinach (or collard greens, kale or another form of mild greens, and jalapeño. It’s seasoned with coriander and cumin with fresh cilantro and peanuts added as a garnish.
How to Make African Peanut Soup
Don’t let the number of ingredients scare you. This soup isn’t as fast to make as my 30 minute dinner recipes but it has simple ingredients and it isn’t hard and the end result is totally worth it. Get a large stock pot ready and let’s go!
- Once all ingredients are prepped, warm avocado oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken and cook until starting to brown on all side but not cooked through since it will continue to cook in the soup. Remove and set aside.
- Add onion and red pepper and sauté for a few minutes until soft. Add jalapeño, garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin and continue cooking until the spices become aromatic but not overly browned.
- Dump the sweet potato, tomato, and chicken broth into the pot and and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and let the soup cook for 15 – 20 minutes until the sweet potato pieces are fork tender.
- Add the peanut butter and chicken and simmer for 5-10 more minutes to melt the peanut butter in and combine all of the flavors.
- Add the remaining ingredients – peanuts, spinach, cilantro, salt and pepper – and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with peanuts and cilantro and serve right away!
Recipe Notes
Recipe Notes:
- To make it spicier, use a hotter pepper like a serrano or habanero OR just add a pinch of cayenne pepper in with the spices. On the other end of the spectrum, if you want to keep it kid friendly, leave out the jalapeño. You can sprinkle red pepper flakes on individual bowls to spice them up.
- You can substitute the chicken breast for chicken thigh meat or you can use leftover meat from a rotisserie chicken too!
- To make it vegan, just use garbanzo beans and veggie broth instead of chicken.
- For a more traditional meal, serve over grains like rice, millet, or quinoa more like a curry.
Storage, Freezing and Reheating
Luckily African peanut soup is just as good leftover as it is fresh. Here are some guidelines for storing, reheating and freezing.
Storing in Refrigerator: Cool the soup to room temperature and then transfer to an airtight container with a tight fitting lid. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: The sweet potato consistency can get a little grainy and unappetizing after freezing so I don’t recommend it. If you do choose to, freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Reheating: To reheat dump the soup into a microwave safe dish and heat on high for about 2 minutes until warm, stirring half way through. To reheat on the stovetop, pour soup into a pot and reheat on medium low until warm, stirring every 2-3 minutes. The amount of time it will take to reheat will depend on how much soup is in the pot and the temperature. If frozen, I recommend defrosting in the refrigerator overnight if possible before reheating.
What to Serve with Peanut Soup
Traditionally this soup is served with white rice, brown rice, plantains or another starch, poured over the top similar to a curry. It definitely works this way and it makes it more of a hearty soup. I like serving as a soup though with crusty bread and a light salad. My whole wheat cornbread recipe or oat flour buttermilk biscuits would pair fantastically and be a great way to soak up some of the broth.
Creamy West African Peanut Soup Recipe with Chicken
Equipment
- Large pot
- 1 spatula
- 1 Ladle
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound chicken breast 1 large breast, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1 Tablespoon avocado oil or coconut oil
- 2 Tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 red pepper seeds removed and chopped
- 2 jalapeños seeds removed and minced
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon dried ground coriander
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 large sweet potato approximately 1.5 lbs., peeled and cut into half inch pieces
- 1 cup chopped tomato can substitute canned diced tomatoes
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach about 3 large handfuls, roughly chopped
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
- ½ cup roasted peanuts plus more for garnish
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt adjust to your preference
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper adjust to your preference
Instructions
- Warm avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken and cook for 5-6 minutes until starting to brown on all sides. Use a large spoon to remove chicken from the pot and set aside.
- Add onion and red pepper to the pot and sauté for 2 minutes until starting to soften. Add jalapeño, garlic, ginger, coriander and cumin and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes.
- Add sweet potato, tomato, and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes until sweet potatoes are cooked through.
- Stir in peanut butter and chicken and simmer another 10 minutes.
- Add peanuts, spinach, cilantro, salt and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste before serving with peanuts and cilantro as a garnish. You can also serve over rice, millet, quinoa or another grain if you prefer.
Video
Notes
- To make spicier: use a hotter pepper like a serrano or habanero OR just add a pinch of cayenne pepper in with the spices.
- To make it milder: leave out the jalapeño. You can sprinkle red pepper flakes on individual bowls to taste.
- Chicken breast substitution: chicken thigh meat or you can use leftover meat from a rotisserie chicken.
- To make it vegan: just use garbanzo beans and veggie broth instead of chicken.
- Storing in Refrigerator: Cool the soup to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freezing: sweet potato consistency is not the best after freezing but the rest of the soup freezes well. To freeze, place cooled stew in a tightly sealing freezer safe container with a small amount of room left a the top Place on a flat place in the freezer and use within 6 months.
- Reheating from refrigerator: Pour soup into a microwave safe dish and heat on high for about 2 minutes until warm, stirring half way through. OR reheat on the stovetop by pouring soup into a pot and bringing to a simmer on medium-low heat until warm, stirring every 2-3 minutes.
- To reheat from frozen: Let soup defrost in refrigerator over night and warm before eating. OR use the quick defrost function on your microwave. OR defrost in a pan on the stovetop. If using either of the quicker methods, make sure to stir often.
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
I did not use the tomatoes, but this turned out really well. It was a bit thicker than I expected, but honestly tasted better than I hoped it would.
Great to hear! We like it too! 🙂
The flavours in this soup are fabulous!!! Thank you! It was such a warming, comforting dinner on a cold rainy day! I used some smoked tofu and chickpeas instead of chicken and it turned out great!
I love the chickpea tofu swap idea! We’re working towards eating even less meat and that’s such a great substitution idea!
This is such a fabulous recipe! I use 2 chicken breasts, and add 1 teaspoon curry powder. My son said, “Make more of this, and don’t lose the recipe!” Thank you
That’s awesome! Your son has good taste! 😉
I wonder if you could swap out the sweet potato for radish or turnips? On a low carb diet here. I just had the soup, it was wonderful .
I’ve never tried it! I’m sure it would add a more peppery flavor and crunch to the texture but its probably possible. Let me know if you try!
Could you substitute a different kind of oil for coconut oil? It’s SO expensive here.
Of course! Any kind of oil you would normally use for cooking should work.
One of my favorite lunch spots serves African Peanut soup, which I love. Their version is pureed except for the chunks of chicken. This recipe is the closest one I have found to it. I made it for the first time this weekend, and it turned out very good. Next time, I am going to cut back a little on the sweet potatoes. I ended up with two sweet potatoes to get to 1.5 lbs, but one would have been enough, I think. I will also add a little more heat (maybe not de-seed one of the jalapeno peppers). I ended up adding hot sauce at the table.
Great to hear! I tend to keep things pretty mild so that people can adjust to the heat level they prefer since everyone has a different tolerance. I like a little more heat too though. 🙂
Followed this recipe verbatim! It was so good. A new favorite! Thanks for sharing!
We love this one! So happy to hear its a new favorite of yours too!
This was delicious! It had become a staple at our house.
I love this one too! This comment reminded me that I haven’t made it in a while though so thanks for the reminder. 😉
This recipe looks amazing and exotic, using my favorite spices. I can’t wait to try it! Would you translate into cups the serving size? For example Serving size: 1 cup; serves 6 people. I’ll be making your quinoa/ground turkey cabbage roll recipe for Superbowl Sunday company! Looking forward to that too! Your recipe is close to the way my Polish mom made her cabbage rolls!
Oops! Nevermind! Just discovered it’s 1.5 cups per serving. Dah!
Hi Patricia! We love this soup and I’ve heard from a few people that its one of their favorites too. I hope you like it! I tried to make the serving size be about how big an actual bowl is. So many times, people say a cup of soup is a serving. Who only eats a cup though for dinner? Not I.
Enjoy those turkey cabbage rolls too! I love the traditional style, but don’t think you miss any flavor by using turkey and quinoa. They’re delicious!
Christy,
Your mom made this for us during our visit to Seoul. It was fantastic. Only thing that would’ve made it better is if you were there to eat it with us! Carol
Thanks Carol!! Its been so long since I’ve seen you two! I hope you had fun in Seoul and all is well. If you’re ever in Portland, let me know. 🙂
This soup contained a delectable, rich flavor I have never encountered before! It has expanded and justified my longstanding passion for peanuts and peanut butter! The soup was thick, very satisfying and is now one of my favorites.