Go Back
–+ servings
vegan african peanut stew in white bowl, held with caucasian hands over white marble background
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Vegan African Peanut Stew

This tasty stew combines sweet potatoes, lentils, greens, and rich curry spices to make a filling and healthy meal everyone will love.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Entree, Entree/Soup
Cuisine: African
Servings: 8
Calories: 377kcal
Author: Lindsay Reynolds

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.

Notes

1. The secret to making this recipe taste amazing is in the final balance of lemon juice and salt. If the stew needs a little something, add a splash (1/2 tablespoon or so) of fresh or packaged lemon juice, and taste again. The amount of salt needed will vary considerably based on the type of vegetable broth you are using, so taste, salt, re-taste, and salt again, if needed.
2. I like to serve this stew over brown rice or quinoa, but it is equally delicious all by itself. (Obviously, if you're not eating this stew over rice, you likely won't need to add more salt than is called for in the recipe.)
**This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 1094mg | Potassium: 768mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 8178IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 121mg | Iron: 6mg