This rich and flavorful stew features lentils, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, peanuts, and a subtle curry flavor. It’s one of the easiest (and healthiest) ways to use up pantry items and those greens sitting in the fridge.
If you’ve never had vegan African peanut stew, you are in for a real treat. I know sweet potatoes + lentils + peanuts + curry powder may seem like an odd combination, but stay with me. I promise if you like curry and trying new things, you’re really going to like this.
Disclaimer: I’m not African, and I’ve never been to Africa (someday!). In no way am I an expert in African cuisine. BUT, I have huge respect for African people and their creativity and resilience. This dish was introduced to me by a well-traveled friend, and I fell in love with it immediately. I made several tweaks to the recipe, and while it isn’t truly authentic, I think you will thoroughly enjoy the flavor combination of this vegan version.
How to Make Vegan African Peanut Stew
- Finely chop your onion and sweet potato ( into 1/2 inch size chunks). Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven (on medium to medium-high heat on stove), and add onion, sweet potatoes, and lentils. Saute for just 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently. (See photo 1 below.)
- Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and spices. Turn down heat to a medium simmer, cover, and let it go for about 15 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of coconut milk (canned) to your stew, and stir. (See picture 3 below.)
- Roughly chop your greens into bite-sized pieces. For this stew, you can use almost any green available to you in your fridge (aside from lettuce). Spinach, kale, collards, or Swiss chard would work equally well in this dish. I am using spinach in picture 4 below.
5. Finely chop your cilantro and peanuts. (See picture 5 below.) Save a little cilantro and chopped peanuts on the side for garnishing your stew later.
6. Place chopped greens, cilantro, and peanuts in your pot of stew, and give it a stir.
7. Serve stew hot over brown rice or all alone. Garnish with extra chopped cilantro and peanuts, if you like.
More Recipe Tips!
- If you’re serving this stew alone as a soup (as opposed to with rice), feel free to add 1/2-1 cup of vegetable broth to adjust the texture to your preference.
- The secret to making this stew amazing is in the balance of lemon juice and salt. If the stew tastes bland, add a few teaspoons of lemon juice and an extra pinch of salt. Don’t be afraid to re-taste, adjust, and repeat as necessary.
Need More Healthy Vegan Meal Ideas?
If you love this recipe, I know you’ll want to check out these healthy vegan meal ideas.
- Vegan Rainbow Peanut Noodle Bowls
- Creamy Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Curried Lentil Soup
- Vegan Meatloaf
- Tangy Vegan Black Bean Soup
- Vegan Mushroom Chili
Vegan African Peanut Stew
Equipment
- Medium to large pot
- or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil (safflower, canola, vegetable, or coconut works well)
- 1 1/4 cup chopped white onion (about 1 medium onion)
- 2 1/2 cups peeled and diced sweet potato (about 1 large sweet potato)
- 1/2 cup lentils (green or red work equally well)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 1/2 cup fire-roasted tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas (or 1 can)
- 1/4 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 1/2 cup coconut milk (1 can)
- 4-5 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- 2 cups chopped greens (spinach, kale, collards, or Swiss chard work equally well)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste as needed)
Instructions
- Finely chop your onion and sweet potato ( into 1/2 inch size chunks).
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven (on medium to medium-high heat on stove), and add onion, sweet potatoes, and lentils. Saute for just 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, a can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, chickpeas, peanut butter, cumin, curry powder, cinnamon, and turmeric to your pot.
- Turn down heat to a medium simmer, cover, and let it go for about 15 minutes, stirring every 4-5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of coconut milk (canned) to your stew, and stir.
- Roughly chop your greens into bite-sized pieces. For this stew, you can use almost any green available to you in your fridge (aside from lettuce). Spinach, kale, collards, or Swiss chard would work equally well in this dish. I am using spinach in the photos above. Place chopped greens in your pot of stew, and give it a quick stir.
- Finely chop your cilantro and peanuts, saving some for garnish. Place the rest of your chopped cilantro and peanuts into your pot of stew, and stir.
- Taste your stew for proper salt and lemon juice amounts. If stew tastes bland, add a few teaspoons of lemon juice along with a sprinkle of salt. Taste again, and repeat as necessary. The amount of salt needed for this recipe varies significantly based on the type of vegetable broth you use, so don’t be afraid to taste and adjust.
- Serve stew hot over brown rice, or alone as a soup. Add a little extra water or broth if necessary if you prefer a soup texture.
Okay Lindsay I’ve read and reread your recipe but don’t see where we’re to put the peanut butter in, does it matter? Hoping to enjoy this for lunch with Kim and her kids.
thanks for the heads up! I fixed it!, but yes, it truly doesn’t matter where you add it, but I’d add it with the fire-roasted tomatoes.
Hmmmmm….
Can’t find when to add the garlic.
Recipe looks yummy!