I know that peanut butter, tomatoes and collard greens may seem like an unlikely combination, but I hope you’ll trust me on this one. This homely soup is good—so good that I’m almost tempted to:
- Put on my big puffy coat.
- Shovel my car out from under 10 inches of snow.
- Drive to the store for collard greens so I can make more soup.
Almost.
This recipe is courtesy of my most handsome fellow. He’s a good cook (jackpot!), one who is more apt to follow his instincts than consult a cookbook. This recipe is from one of his two cookbooks, a random, photo-less vegan cookbook called Local Bounty. With the author’s headnote, “Of all the soups we serve in my restaurant, this one is by far the most popular,” and his endorsement, I trusted that this soup was a safe bet.
If you love this recipe, be sure to check out the revamped peanut soup with sweet potatoes and chickpeas in my cookbook!
We taste tested the soup with a few different hot sauces (none of them African) and decided that we liked sriracha was the best. It provides just the right punch of heat.
The end result is a creamy, nourishing soup made of basic pantry ingredients, herbs and greens. It doesn’t require much prep and the hot sauce cuts down on the total number of ingredients, so it’s perfect for cold days and lazy weeknights.
I originally titled this soup “West African Peanut Soup.” While it’s inspired by West African peanut soups, it’s not authentic by any stretch. I’m told that authentic recipes do not contain collard greens, and I believe they often contain meat, among other details.
As a vegetarian, this recipe may be the closest I’ll ever taste to the authentic dish, and I love it for all of the aforementioned qualities. Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, or follow any diet under the sun, I hope you love it, too!
Vegetarian Peanut Soup
- Author:
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: African
This West African-inspired peanut soup recipe is a creamy and comforting, spicy vegan soup. Made with a simple combination of peanut butter, tomato paste and collard greens, this soup comes together quickly and would be a great weeknight meal. If you love spicy flavors like me, don’t hesitate to use liberal amounts of ginger and garlic.
Ingredients
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 bunch collard greens (or kale), ribs removed and leaves chopped into 1-inch strips
- ¾ cup unsalted peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
- ½ cup tomato paste*
- Hot sauce, like sriracha (AKA rooster sauce)
- ¼ cup roughly chopped peanuts, for garnish
- Cooked brown rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combine the broth and water in a medium Dutch oven or stock pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Cook on medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- In a medium-sized, heat-safe mixing bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste, then transfer 1 to 2 cups of the hot stock to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together until smooth, then pour the peanut mixture back into the soup and mix well. Stir in the collard greens and season the soup with hot sauce to taste.
- Simmer for about 15 more minutes on medium-low heat, stirring often. Season with additional salt or hot sauce if desired. Serve over cooked brown rice if you’d like, and top with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts.
Notes
- Adapted from Local Bounty: Vegan Seasonal Recipes by Devra Gartenstein.
- *The cookbook author suggested that 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes is a suitable substitution for the tomato paste, but commenters report that the crushed tomatoes produce a runny soup (unlike the thick soup shown here). I highly recommend using tomato paste if you can find it. I also recommend Muir Glen‘s organic tomato products—they come in BPA-free cans and seem to be readily available.
- Most African peanut soup recipes include sweet potatoes. I suppose you could toss in a chopped sweet potato when you bring the stock to a boil, but I liked the soup as is.
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Jesper
The recipe looks lovely, but just a question.. 0.5 cup of tomato paste, does that really equal 8 tablespoons? And 0.75 cup peanut butter equals 12 tablespoons? It does sound like a lot to me.
Kate
Hi Jesper! You will want to use measuring cups here. You can always find a conversion online if you don’t have cups available.
Maha
Delicious! 10/10
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Maha.
Allison
Wowwww this recipe is so good. I’ve made it before many times and I always meant to leave a review before, but here I am finally leaving one! I’ve previously made it ‘as written,’ but this last time I did put some small cubed sweet potato in along with the onions and garlic at the beginning. It turned out perfectly and added that little extra I wanted! This soup is perfect over rice or eaten just on its own.
★★★★★
Alyssa
Absolutely loved this! I followed the recipe exactly (with the addition of chickpeas as suggested in the cookbook); it was delicious and filling. I seriously can’t wait to make this again, and will double it next time!
★★★★★
Alyssa
This is still my favorite soup and I’ve made it at least a dozen times! Always with chickpeas, with kale instead of collards since that’s what I have in the garden, and occasionally with powdered ginger when I don’t have fresh ginger on hand. We haven’t tried it over rice, but my husband loves it over some plain, cooked ramen noodles. Thank you again for a fantastic recipe! I wish our winters in AZ were longer so I could enjoy this more often!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad this soup is a favorite, Alyssa!
Jade
This is one of my favorites!! I have made this recipe at least half a dozen times, and it’s so easy to adapt. I always do it a little different, and it always turns out well. I’ve used fresh and frozen collards as well as chard. I have added sweet potato, added more or less ginger, fresh chili peppers, chili paste, etc. Perfect vegan recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Jade! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Sara
Wow, this is delicious (and an incredibly versatile recipe)!
I only had chicken broth so used that instead of vegetable, I threw in two cubed sweet potatoes and a handful of chopped shishito and hot peppers (all from my CSA) with the onion/garlic/ginger, and I added a handful of shredded coconut at the very end (last five minutes of cooking) because I wanted just a little extra touch of sweetness/richness… THIS SOUP IS SOOOO GOOD! It’s definitely going into my regular rotation (right alongside your A++++ veggie lasagna)!
★★★★★
Em
I have made many of your recipes, but ooh boy. This is the best by far! Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Kate
Yay! Thank you, Em. :)
Anne
Hello. About to try this delicious sounding soup. I want to double it and freeze for the holidays. Do you think it will freeze well?
Thanks.
Kate
Hi! I haven’t tried to freeze this one, but I believe others have and didn’t mind the results.
Michelle
I love this recipe! It’s referred to as simply “the SOUP” by my friends who I make it for. It’s on regular rotation in my dinners. I make a couple of changes: I sautee the onions in olive or coconut oil for a few minutes, then add in the ginger and garlic for an additional minute before adding the water and broth. I add 1 large sweet potato, up the peanut butter to 1 cup because we LOVE peanut butter, add the kale during the last 5 minutes to keep some crunch, and add the juice of 1lime at the end. It’s such a good balance of flavor!
kelly
I love this soup. I make it regularly and never get tired of it! Big comfort food for me.
★★★★★
Tiffany Bucher
A squeeze of fresh lime on top takes this to a whole different level!
★★★★★
JoDaSoj
What is the reason to mix the peanut butter and tomato paste separately? It seems like an unnecessary step.
BTW, I love this recipe very much and add diced Kobocha Squash or sweet potato to it.
★★★★
Kate
Hi! It helps to incorporate it to make it creamy in the soup. I hope that helps!
Thekla
This soup is awesome. I usually use baby spinach instead of collard greens or kale, since I don’t really like the taste of either. The soup is great without any additional greens, too.
Even my daughter, who doesn’t like peanuts all that much, likes this soup. Thank you for this great (and fast, easy to make) recipe.
★★★★★
Michelle
Wow, this was delicious! I looked through a bunch of African Peanut Soup recipes and yours looked the best, and I’m so glad I chose it. My minor changes: sauteed the red onion & garlic in olive oil to soften, replacing the ginger with a whole seeded, diced jalapeno. Added a double-handful of cubed butternut squash before the final 15 minutes of cooking. Instead of the greens I added fresh baby spinach right before serving. So delicious over hot brown rice, with a drizzle of sriracha! Thanks for a great recipe.
★★★★★
Tj
Dying to make this. Katie, how many cups roughly does this make if following the recipe exactly?
I’m hoping that each serving gives me at least 1.5 cups to smother over some chopped veges. Also, has anyone tried this with ground turkey?
Kate
Hi! A serving is roughly 1.5-2 cups.
TJ
Thank you! I made it and yup came up to about that much per serving. I followed the recipe with the exception of adding two chopped serrano peppers in with the onion, garlic and ginger mixture and used sambal oelek chili garlic paste instead of sriracha. Turned out yummy, thank you for the recipe! Next time I’ll up the PB to 1 cup because I love that stuff.
★★★★
Amanda
I know I’m late to the thread, but it yielded a total of 6 cups for me (fit exactly in a 6 cups/1.5 L Tupperware).
★★★★★
Lois
We all loved it! Doubled the ginger and garlic of course, but otherwise followed the recipe closely while adding sweet potato and skipping the kale, garnishing with the peanuts and cilantro. Yummm!
★★★★★
Kate
Sounds delicious, Lois! Thank you for sharing.
lc
It was so delicious! I’ll be making it regularly, needed some new flavors to try and this is so filling and flavorful, thank you!
I used half a red onion but had to add a splash of vinegar at the end for a bit more acidity, so next time I’ll follow the recipe and use the whole onion!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing, Lc.
Tina
This was so good! Thank you for sharing
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Tina!
Ellen
Tonight I made the version in your cookbook that has the addition of sweet potato and chickpeas, as well as sautéing the onions an sweet potatoes in olive oil.
As soon as I finished eating I came right here. It is delicious, and very filling. I did serve with a side of brown rice instead of mixing the rice in so that I could taste the stew on its own. Yum!
I need to pick which one of the cookbook recipes I’ll make next.
Thanks for a delicious recipe with clear instructions.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Ellen! I’m excited you have my cookbook and are enjoying it.
Ivy
I love this recipe. One question: does this freeze well?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Ivy! I’m glad you love it. I believe others have enjoyed it frozen.
Gina
I’ve been making West African Peanut Stew for years and was excited to try this recipe. I was not disappointed. It’s delicious! I always serve it over rice with bowls of toppings. Guests can add toppings of their choice, which include raisins, banana slices, coconut, chopped bell pepper, apples, toasted sunflower seeds, pineapple, or whatever I have on hand. The toppings make it really something special. I can’t wait to make this recipe for friends, when I start having friends over again.
★★★★★
Kerry
Another winner-delicious! Thank you for your recipes – I have been adding more veggie dishes to my diet over the last couple of years and your blog/recipes have helped me do so!
★★★★★
Alyssa
Can you use regular peanut butter or does it need to be natural?
Kate
I find natural works best. You should be able to use what you have one hand, Alyssa.
DK
This was very easy to make and tastes great! Maybe it’s not authentic but it’s still a great dish.
I wasn’t sure exactly how much tomato paste came out to by weight but a 6oz can seemed to work pretty well. I had it together with the peanut butter in a measuring cup and it seemed to be a smidge over 1/2 cup but not extremely so and the soup came out fine.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, DK.
Ashley
This is the perfect snow storm soup! Hearty, warming and spicy (I even had to put a dollop of plain yogurt on top of mine), the perfect soup before or after shoveling snow (we had both). If it weren’t for my PB loving husband, I would’ve never made this soup but I am glad I did. I made your cookbook recipe with 1 full cup PB, minus the sweet potato and served with brown rice. It’s my husband’s new favorite soup and another one of your go-to’s for cold winter days. We enjoyed it over 2 days during a Nor’easter.
★★★★★
Linda MP
My husband and I are having a cooking challenge this winter to have some fun. I made this recipe and it was great! He said it was a “bold choice” and we both loved it. This is definitely outside his normal comfort zone. We will make it again.
★★★★★
Amy
Is it crucial to have unsalted peanut butter?
Kate
I like it best, but if you don’t then I would adjust the added salt as it may be too salty.
Leslie K
Gosh, this soup is SO good! The sriracha is such a nice compliment, too. Already looking forward to having leftovers tomorrow. Thank you!
★★★★★
Jen
This is better than expected!! Like a few other commenters, I also sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, and some scotch bonnets (all I could find) first, then added tomato paste followed by broth. I threw in a large sized, cubed sweet potato and then blended the cooked veggies a bit before adding back into the brothy part. It was about 30 minutes start to finish, mostly hands off time/ My partner will add grilled chicken to his but I don’t think it need a thing.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing how you made it, Jen.
Jillian Langston Turner
Curious how long this soup will last in the refrigerator?
Kate
Hi Jillian, it should last 3-4 days.
Catherine
Omg omg omg – I love this soup. I made it last night and now I have to go buy more kale so I can make it again tomorrow. The splash of lime in it at the end really added a nice sweetness to it.
Any suggestions of a good side dish to go with it (I was thinking of a couscous dish but need gluten free)
Kate
Hi! I think a simple side salad would be delicious.
Amanda
This was one of the first recipes I ever cooked on my own, and it is THE recipe that made me really love cooking! It was unique, healthy, simple, delicious. I was hooked – on cooking and on this blog!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Amanda! I’m delighted you are enjoying it.
T Car
Excellent tasting recipe. To get more veggies into my son, I made this into a stew by decreasing the water by 1/2 cup and adding carrots and sweet potatoes with the greens. I served with rice.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made this one, T. I appreciate your review!
Lieke
Really delicious and easy to make. Keeper!
★★★★★
Laurel
Love this!!! This is a go-to soup for us. We do add the sweet potato, and it takes a lot longer to cook that way. I sometimes microwave the potato and then put it in. We like to serve this over wild rice. Thank you for posting!
★★★★★
Mary
Thank you for a great tasting recipe. It was easy to make & I had all ingredients except the collards & sriracha, subbed with spinach & sambal oelek.
Also used brown rice like your picture! Will make again!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Mary!
Janna
I’m in Texas and made a big pot of this just before the storm hit this week. It was wonderful! Luckily I had power so I could just reheat in the microwave whenever I wanted a bowl. It was flavorful and delicious. Will definitely be making again but think that I’ll double up on the collards next time. Thank you for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Jana! Thank you for your review.
Janna
Update. I gave this recipe to my sister who wanted to make something vegan for her son who was visiting with her and was eating vegan for Lent. This recipe was the first thing that popped into my mind. She made it and now you have 4 new fans including her son who asked for the recipe so that he could make it when he got home. Flash forward to this past week when my sister had a friend visiting. She made the soup again and the friend is now raving about how delicious it was. This recipe is definitely a winner.
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Janna.
Margaret Schmidt
This was just delightful and a combination of flavors I’ve never experienced at home before. SO GOOD, hearty and healthy. I added cubed sweet potatoes (roasted them some in the oven first to give them a head start) and a squeeze of lime toward the end. I did not hold back on the Frank’s red hot. Served it over wild rice but it was not essential and I would probably go without next time. YUM!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Margaret! I appreciate your review.
Gary
Can I add tofu? What will happen if I cook silken tofu in this?
Kate
Hi! You could top it with tofu per serving if you like.
Maureen
Scrumptious! I will be making this soup many more times. Delicious and nutritious! Thank you for this fantastic recipe.
★★★★★
Jillian
I made this tonight, but followed the recipe in Love Real Food that includes sweet potato and chickpeas. It was so creamy and delicious and truly filling. I will definitely be making it again!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Jillian! Thank you for your review.
Peri
This has become one of my staple recipes! It’s delicious, healthy, and very easy to make.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Peri!
Kelly
This recipe is awesome! We are trying more vegetarian options, and my husband is a dedicated carnivore. He didn’t even miss animal protein! We added peppers and celery to the broth and cannellini beans with the collards. It was delicious over brown rice! Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kelly! I’m happy you love it.
Brian Kennedy
This soup is SOOOO good! I love the flavor and the Sriracha adds just the right amount of heat. Excellent.
★★★★★
Amy Brown
I forgot the tomato ingredient but added chopped celery, mushrooms, yellow&red peppers and, of course SWEET POTATOES.
★★★
Kate
I’m sorry you forgot an ingredient. I can guarantee you will enjoy it better with the tomato! Please be sure to let me know what you think next time.
David
Kate, I am a recent big fan of yours. In our house we are making almost everything in your book, Love Real Food. We made the West African Peanut Soup tonight. I loved the taste but did not love cooking with jalapeños (left my hands burning, and the air in the apartment was hard to breathe). I have some leftover chipotles in adobo from another of your recipes that I made. Have you ever tried the recipe with those peppers?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi David! I love that you have been cooking your way through my book. I haven’t tried those peppers in this recipe. I would suggest wearing gloves if you are sensitive to the oils on the jalapeño. It does seem to help!
onyx
How many calories does one bowl of this peanut butter soup have?
Kate
Hi! The nutrition information is below the notes section of the recipe. You will find it there. Enjoy!
Kim
Hi Katie, I’ve been a fan of your site for so long! I should have commented long ago. I wanted to write today to tell you that I’m making this soup as a freezer meal to prepare for the birth of our third baby. I’ve also made it and kept it stocked in the freezer for babes 1 and 2! So it’s tradition at this point. :) It’s such a comfort to have a soul-happy soup in the freezer (even in the dead of summer; I live in KC as well!). Thanks for your amazing recipes, hard work, and making my ore-baby freezer stash complete!
★★★★★
Kate
Congratulations! I’m delighted you enjoyed this soup. Thanks for sharing.
Jes
Im not sure what i did wrong, mines just super watery mess n 6 cups of water/broth and only 3/4 peanut butter? … i cant eat it (drink it) ..
★★★
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that! Did you measure the vegetables correctly?
BBM
I have been cooking a lot of stews/soups and needed to mix it up a little so decided to make this. I made a few modifications – I used a can of crushed tomatoes (didn’t have tomato paste), added some celery, used frozen spinach (didn’t have kale/collards), and added a jalapeno. Also following some of the reviews below, I sautéed the onion, ginger, celery and added the garlic about a minute before pouring the broth and water in. It def was not as thick but still very delicious! This blog continues to be my go to for recipes!
Izzy Marks
Awesome, and flavorful recipe! I will definitely be making this again!
★★★★★
Megan
This has become one of my staples! It’s pretty easy and can be made with mostly pantry ingredients so I don’t have to be too prepared. It’s a great base for adding extra stuff too. I made it today with just a bit of frozen spinach (didn’t have collard greens on hand) and added sweet potato and chickpeas. Add a few shakes of cumin, coriander, curry powder and turmeric, finish with a squeeze of lime and there you go! Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Megan! Thank you for your review.
Nicholas Hall
This soup was delicious. I briefly sautéed the onions, ginger and garlic to soften them and bring out the sweetness before adding the water and stock. I also used chicken stock because that’s all I had. And I used sweetened, chunky peanut butter…which wouldn’t be my preference, but it was all I had…and ultimately, I thought the sweetness balanced the heat and the saltiness. I also added some sliced Papadeux peppers…just because I had them and thought they’d nice color and sweet-heat (and they did). And lastly…I’m not a vegetarian so I added a couple of sliced shrimp…which also worked really well. I think I added a lot more kale than “a bunch” because I had a bag of pre-washed, precut kale…and it didn’t wilt down as much as I thought it would…but it was still fantastic. This is a RICH, hardy soup…GREAT for a cold night. I found a relatively small bowl to be very filling. Thanks for an awesome recipe…I will make this again for sure.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made this soup, Nicholas. I’m glad you loved it!
Amanda
This was the first recipe I made when I decided to learn to cook “adult” food. It blew my mind (and turned out great despite my minimal cooking skills at that time). In the years since, I’ve cooked hundreds of recipes from this blog and others – I can say that this recipe sparked a real love of cooking healthy, flavorful, delicious food! And even though my skills have grown a whole lot since that first try at “real” cooking, I still make this often – it’s so comforting and tasty!
★★★★★
Kate
I love that this was one of your first recipes! Thank you for sharing, Amanda.
Gracie
Deliciously fabulous (as always!). Here’s what I did:
– Sauteed onion with a diced sweet potato ~5 minutes
– Added red pepper, a seeded diced jalapeno, and lots of garlic and ginger for ~2 minutes
– Threw in a pinch of nutmeg + cinnamon
– Simmered for recommended time with broth
– Added greens and PB + tomato mixture * do NOT skip mixing separately and adding hot broth. This makes for a smooth soup and is a tried tested and true method from vegetarian recipe books of yore.
– A squeeze of lime before serving
I will make this again and again. It’s a very versatile soup base.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing how you made this, Gracie!
Vickie
Our friend and neighbor brought this to our Winter Solstice gathering last night. It was wonderful! We all loved it and I am taking the recipe for our next family gathering. I haven’t cooked it yet, but it hit the spot for a cold, dark winter night.
Amanda
My mom and siblings tried this when I made it for myself. They don’t like “exotic” food, would never choose vegetarian food, and don’t even like peanuts. They were all surprised that they loved it!! The soup disappeared very quickly!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I appreciate your review, Amanda.
Anna
Hi there, this sounds delicious! Trying to start the year off on a good note and so am doing some calorie counting. Do the calories listed include the optional brown rice?
Kate
Hi Anna, everything listed in the ingredients is included in the nutritional information.
Jyothi
Tasted yummy – even when substituting kale with home-grown mustard greens
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Jyothi!
Katie Schaeffer
I made this a few months ago and it was amazing! Even my “no vegetables only meat” friend admitted he liked it.
I am going to make it again for a large group and was wondering if you can make it the day before and have it taste as good as made the same day?
(obviously don’t put in the chopped peanuts until ready to serve)
Kate
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Katie.
Laz
Would this work with miso broth instead of vegetable broth? (I have some miso broth I need to use up)
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Laz, I haven’t tried it. Sorry!
Jess
I love this recipe! Such an easy meal. I make mine in the instant pot. Add everything but the hot sauce and kale to the instant pot (including sweet potatoes). Cook on high for 8-10 minutes. Quick pressure release and then stir in the hot sauce and kale. Top with peanuts
★★★★★
Kate
That sounds delicious, Jess. Thank you for sharing.
Kat
This soup is the best! I’ve made it a few times. Made it a couple days ago and didn’t pay attention to using unsalted peanut butter or low sodium broth so it ended up too salty. Just a recommendation to other cooks out there to leave out the tsp of salt if you have salt in the other stuff.
Thanks Kate!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Kat!
Lauren
I love peanut butter but wasn’t sure about this combination with tomato paste. Well, it is amazing and so different from any soup I’ve ever made or even tried. I used kale instead of collards, added a sweet potato which made it even more satisfying, and a little less than 1/2 a serrano pepper instead of hot sauce. The leftovers will make a yummy and filling hot lunch this week!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it, Lauren! Thank you for your review.
Keri B
This is a favorite in my house!! i def recommend adding a sweet potato and a jalapeno like the recipe in the book calls for. Delicious and fun to make.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Keri!
Tracy
If you knew how many times I’ve made this soup! It’s one of my favorites. All the aromatics blends so well. Thank you for the recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome, Tracy!
Natasha
Excellent! I added fresh cilantro (1/4 cup) and some lemon juice (1 tbsp) and it was excellent! My whole family, including young kids, loved it!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great to hear, Natasha! I appreciate your review.
Emily
This recipe has been in my family’s rotation for years and we all love it, including my young kids! I always throw a couple sweet potatoes in the broth. I lived in West Africa for a couple years, and rice and peanut sauce were served twice a day in the area where I lived. While this version is different, the flavors take me right back!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad it takes you back! Thanks for sharing, Emily.
James
I have to admit, while i was mixing the tomato paste and peanut butter together, i had my doubts. But i followed it through to the end, and i am glad it did.
Very good
★★★★★
Chris
Hi, sounds delicious but what if you can’t handle hot foods, will leaving out the sirrach ruin it?
Chris
Kate
Hi, I don’t find it too spicy. But you can reduce or omit. Let me know what you think!
Katie
I have to leave a review because this soup was the most amazing, delicious soup I’ve ever tasted. I made the version from your cookbook with the sweet potatoes and chick peas. Sooooooooo good!! I will continue to make this every week for the rest of my life :)
★★★★★
Tiffani
Hello, I came across this recipe and I’m very interested in trying it. I was wondering what you think about substituting cabbage for the collard greens?
Thanks!
Kate
HI Tiffany, That is an interesting idea! I don’t know if it will provide the same flavor at the end you want here, but you can try it. Let me know what you think! You may want to cook it longer so the cabbage can soften a bit.
Trish Puchalski
I made this last night for a friend who’s eating vegan. I didn’t have any brown rice in the house, so I whipped up some wild rice and served it with that instead. It was fantastic! Surprisingly so. I think if you substitute cilantro for the greens and gave it a squirt of lime before serving, it could also be a great Thai dish. Really great and versatile.
★★★★★
Adam
Hi from NJ
How much kale? 1/2 lb? More?
Would crushed ginger work? I have a bottle.
Thanks!
Adam
Kate
Hi! I don’t have ounces, sorry. I haven’t tried with crushed, so the flavor may vary.
Katie
Another hit! I made your cookbook version with the sweet potato and chickpea additions, and my grocery store was out of fresh ginger so I had to use ginger paste. Very filling and comforting dish. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is make some white rice to go with it, but this is a keeper!
★★★★★
Leah
Love this soup. I make it with crushed tomatoes, dried ground ginger, don’t mix the pb separately and replace the greens with broccoli and it is still delicious. Such a great base recipe!
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Leah! I appreciate your comment.
Daria
Wow this was good! I made it tonight and it was exactly what I was hoping for. The only thing I did was add some small steamed sweet potato cubes at the end for a little more heartiness. Love love love it!
★★★★★
Kate
That’s great, Daria! I appreciate your review.
Morgan
Mmm Cookie and Kate recipes never disappoint! This one was no exception, I did add a sweet potato to ours.
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Morgan! Thank you for your review.
Coley
I’ve made this more than any other recipe over the last 5-6 years when I seek comfort food. I pride myself on cooking gourmet meals for my family and although this may not be a “Julia Child” recipe, it’s turned into my favorite comfort food of all time. Thank you for sharing something so wonderful and nutritious.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Coley! I appreciate your review.
Kelly
Love this recipe! I sautéed the onion, garlic and ginger first then added everything else including sweet potato and a dash of lemon. I also blended it end so it was smooth. The sriracha made it! Such a great recipe thank you :)
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kelly! Thank you for your review.
Karenf
I wasn’t onboard with this recipe at first. I made it as written and didn’t care for it at all the first day. But this happens to me all the time. I don’t know if its a matter of letting flavors mellow over time, or if my taste buds are different depending on whether I’ve cooked or not. So I gave it shot on day two [a busy day] and it was not bad, but meh. Today is day three and now I love it. Had a bowl for breakfast and for lunch will try it over rice. I see in the comments that you’ve amended the recipe slightly? Sautéing veggies and adding chickpeas? So I will try that. I don’t know what to put in my recipe notes for the kids. “Don’t eat for 3 day”? haha
★★★★★
Gail
Thanks Kate for a fabulous recipe. Added the chickpeas, and some lime at the end and used chopped peanuts and shredded coconut for toppings. So satisfying!
Chelsea
Hi Kate, I am planning to make this for a group, and I won’t be able to eat it (dietary restrictions)…is there any way you can give me an approximate measurement for the sriracha since I won’t be able to taste it? Thank you so much!! Love your recipes, by the way!
Kate
Hi! I would recommend a teaspoon at a time or you could just let others add it to their specific servings.
Jason
Absolutely amazing and delicious!!
★★★★★
Heidi
This is so good! I added about 1 1/2 cups of cubed delicata squash because I happened to have it in the freezer, and used habanero hot sauce instead of sriracha. It’s going into my regular rotation.
★★★★★
Erin
I have two little people that have peanut allergies, do you know if almond butter would be a decent substitute?
Kate
Yes, that is a great option. I hope you enjoy it, Erin!
Linnea
This soup is a crowd pleaser! It’s so simple, hearty, and easy to make. Every time I make it for my co-workers they freak out. The star of the show for me is the sriracha, so don’t skip it!
★★★★★
Regina knezevich
It is finally raining in California! Wet and cold so what better day to make your African Peanut Soup and am having a bowl right now . Yum !! So very good !! Thank you for this and all the yummy recipes !
Pam
Hi Kate, Question – do the Nutrition Facts you have listed include the brown rice? And if so, do you have them without the rice?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi! It includes everything listed in the ingredients and included in the picture. I don’t provide them separately. Sorry!
Marcia
This soup is delicious – I’m not usually a fan of sweet potato, but I absolutely love this! I am not vegetarian but enjoy meatfree days and you are my go to person to choose recipes from, be it your book or online. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Marcia! I appreciate your review.
Nicole
This is my second time making this soup. Went back to eating meat but still use your recipes all the time. I boiled and shredded some chicken breast and threw it in. So good!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Nicole! Thank you for your review.
Nicole
Hi there!
If I am to add chickpeas and or sweet potatoes when do I add those? And just add raw?
Kate
Hi! You can add canned when the soup simmers. I hope you love it!
Nathaniel
Hi Kate,
I’m debating whether to make this recipe. It sounds like one helluva of a soup. The thing is: I can’t quite figure out what it tastes like. Is this soup a relatively sweet soup? Does it taste like peanut butter? I like to occasionally eat peanut butter, but I’m not a peanut freak, and I’m wondering how strong/concentrated the flavor flavor of PB is.
Thanks!(:
Kate
I think it is more savory. There is a peanut taste, but I don’t think it tastes like peanut butter.
Barbara
This is a delicious soup, made it exactly according to the Love Good Food recipe. My question is, does it freeze well? Way more than my husband and I will be able to eat in a reasonable amount of time.
Thanks!
★★★★★
Kate
I haven’t tried it, but I believe others have said this freezes ok.
Sarah
This is unreal, a great vegan dinner. I had no kale or spinach so I threw in some frozen peas. Rather than rice I served it over a baked sweet potato. I love it! So filling and tasty.
★★★★★
Connie H.
Made the West African Peanut Soup this morning. Prior to that I made 2 cups of sugar water for my humming bird feeder and set it on the counter to cool. As I finished adding veggies, I noticed that a measuring cup with 2 cups of water was still on counter so quickly added it to my soup. After allotted time I tasted the soup, which was extremely sweet. Added a bit of vinegar to cut the sweetness, checked to be sure my peanut butter was sugarless, and discovered my humming bird water was gone. I am forever humbled, but will try it again tomorrow and pay attention this time. It did smell wonderful…. And I’m sure when made, minus humming bird food, it will be delicious!
Theresa
I used to make a different version of peanut butter soup, and then I found this recipe. I make this weekly! I was also inspired to purchase Devra Gartenstein’s cookbook, which I love. Thanks for the great Blog!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Theresa! I appreciate your review. I’m excited you have been enjoying my recipes.
Gregory
OUTRAGEOUS GOOD!!! Serious rib-sticking food! Such savory, primal flavors! The collard greens really do it right. Hardcore eats all the way around. I wasn’t sure about what to do for hot sauce, so I used gochujang. I’m going to try making it with some PBfit low-fat peanut butter powder next time, but not so I can lose weight, I’m just looking for an excuse to eat larger portions.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad you loved it, Gregory! Thank you for sharing.