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!
PrintVegetarian Peanut Soup
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- 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.
kickpleat
I love african peanut soup!!! I’ve never paired it with rice before but that sounds amazing. I’ll try your version soon since it’s chilly, windy and rainy out (aka the perfect setting for this soup).
Sheree
I have a peanut allergy, so I substituted the peanut butter with sunflower butter and it still came out good!!!!! I want to make it every week for dinner. Also, I made cauliflower rice instead of rice for a healthier alternative. Bomb!
Kate
Glad to hear it, Sheree! Thanks for letting me know. It’s probably about time for me to get on the cauliflower rice bandwagon!
Tiffany
I did too! I think Sunflower Butter is a little bit thicker than regular peanut butter so it reheated a little thicker than I wanted, but overall I think it tastes better with the sunbutter.
vivi
I was just thinking of using cauliflower rice :) yumm! cant wait !
Caitlin
this looks so delicious, kathryne! i have always been intrigued by african peanut soup, considering how obsessed i am with peanut butter. I truly must make this.
Kate
If you love peanut butter, I know you will love this soup! It’s vegan, too. Hope you try it soon.
Martetatin
This soup looks amazing, it looks and sounds like the perfect comfort food. Can’t wait to try this!
Cassie @ Bake Your D
I don’t think these flavors are regrettable at all. This sounds so good to me. I love the photographs!
Stephanie
Mmm, I could really use a big ol’ bowl of this to cuddle up to while the snow falls outside!
Alex
I haven’t made this yet but I’ve made so many of your recipes and I just wanted to say thanks for changing my diet. Ah- everything you do is sublime!
Kate
Thank you, Alex! I’m blushing.
Rachel
I will echo this response to say I started being a conscious eater a little over a year ago and after I tried your stuffed globe zucchini recipe, I was inspired to keep up this lifestyle and have definitely made at least 5 to 10 other dishes from your blog :)
Kate
Thank you, Rachel! That makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, truly. :)
Eileen
Weird combination? No way! This soup sounds like the perfect blend of tart and rich and savory to me. :)
sandra
not regrettable at all. This looks so yummy and the perfect meal for cold nights. I have been seeing a lot of peanuts in recipes lately. A trend?
Nicole
This sounds great! I’ll totally trust you on this and bookmark it :)
Kate
Thanks, Nicole. Hope you get a chance to try it soon!
Barbara Thukral
Yummy! I have a similar recipe that calls for garbanzos, sweet potatoes, and zucchini. Really beefs up (pardon the pun!) the protein and nutrients. This looks AWESOME. We will definitely be trying it soon.
Kate
Your version sounds good, too! I think I’ll throw a sweet potato in mine next time, maybe some chickpeas, too.
Murphy
I made this soup as lunch for a women’s ax skills class, including the yam, zucchini, and garbanzos Barbara suggests. We were outside in the falling snow all day and this really warmed our bones at lunch time! Served over brown rice, it got lots of compliments and I’m sending all the students a link to this recipe. Thanks for this vegan, grain-free crowd pleaser!
Kate
That’s so great to hear! Thanks, Murphy!
Bill
I think I had this (or something really close to it) while I was in Senegal in 2010. It IS delicious, and they eat it all the time over there, although I don’t think I ever saw a vegetarian version…
Kate
Good to know that it is based on an authentic dish, at least! I totally Americanized it by making it vegetarian, huh?
Marissa Pinch&Swirl
Oh fabulous! I love this soup and it’s fun to see a vegetarian version to try!
FL
Wait, you have a beau now? He’s a lucky man! This looks amazing. (I just almost ordered collard greens in my groceries. Now I have to add them.)
Kate
Yep, sure do! He’s great. Hope you can get those collards soon, I think you’ll love this soup.
Joanne
Actually I think peanut butter and collards sound wonderful together! This is totally my kind of soup.
Donecia
The first time I made “Ground Nut Stew” was in 6th grade! I made it for a social studies class project and served it in tiny cups to parents and student who attended our cultural fair. The version I used was fantastic if I say so myself and it included chicken. Your version sounds even better I cant wait to try it I am sending my daughter out as we speak to obtain some organic collards and fresh ground peanut butter from our local health food store!!!
Kate
How neat! I wish I had been introduced to this stew/soup in 6th grade… I’ve been missing out! Hope you and your daughter enjoy the recipe.
Laura Gery
Sixth grade was the first and last time I had peanut stew (as part of our ‘world cuisines’ we made…chili con carne. So excited to try this vegan recipe!
Lindsey
can’t say i ever thought that peanut butter would ever make it in a soup, but this peanut butter-loving-girl is sold! looks delicious.
Kate
As a fellow peanut-butter-loving girl, I have no doubt you’d enjoy this soup! Hope you give it a try, Lindsey.
Meg D
Do you think you could sub the collard greens for spinach? Huge bag in my fridge just waiting to be added to something delicious.
Kate
Yes, I do! I would add the spinach in the last few minutes of cooking, though.
dana
i love you for this. I really do.
Kate
:)
Angela
This sounds fantastic! I just so happen to have all of the ingredients in my kitchen, except the collards. Funnily enough it has actually stopped snowing here for the first time in days, so I might just have to hop in the car and go pick up some greens! Have an awesome weekend lady! :)
janet @ taste space
Sounds like a keeper… The boy AND the soup! :-) My boy made me an African peanut stew, too, for Valentine’s Day. He is also one that would point to a llama. All good things. :-)
Sylvia Wulf
Oh my – I think I know what I am going to be making tomorrow! I have a bag of collards I was trying to decide what to do with this time, and all the other ingredients are standard in my pantry… ;-)
Sofia
You had me at peanut nutter, tomatoes, and collard greens. I’m usually not big on peanuts, but this combination sounds a lot more interesting than regrettable. I’ll definitely be trying this soon :)
Alissa
My stepdad always orders Peanut soup when it is offered. It always freaked me out…until I finally tried it. OMG. I have been wanting to make an almond butter version but I am not sure how it would turn out. I’ll have to give this recipe a shot with almond butter and let you know.
Mathi Bear
I was looking for a good recipe to make for a mostly-vegan friend, but he has a peanut allergy. Usually I will substitute stuff into recipes without hesitation, but since peanuts are the title item I was thinking that not using peanuts would ruin it. If your substitution works please let me know, this soup sounds amazing.
Kate
Wish I knew if almond butter tastes good in this soup. Your vegan friend might enjoy my curried cauliflower soup or butternut squash chili. Both are vegan.
Katrina
I am all over this beauty! What a fabulous soup!!
Kat
Sounds lovely! What were the spices in the original recipe?
Kate
Thanks, Kat. The original recipe called for hot sauce, but I’ve seen other similar recipes that use dried spices like cayenne pepper, ground coriander, turmeric, cumin and/or cinnamon, so I think you could play around with those instead.
Bethany
Made this for dinner tonight! I was just wondering what to do with all those collard greens when I spotted this recipe… delicious!!! Thanks!
Kate
So glad to hear it, Bethany! One week later, I’m wishing I had a bowl of this soup for dinner.
dervla @ the curator
I’ve never cooked with collard greens (gasp!) but this soup sounds so doable. Gorgeous flavors. Happy friday!!
Honey What's Cooking
I was born in Africa, but moved to the US when I was young and thus, never really tried African food when I was there. Looks amazing. Bookmarking this. Gorgeous site you have here.
ayelet
Too bad winter is almost over here, in Israel. Nevertheless, this looks so yummy and simple, I’ll cook it this week, in any weather. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll let you know how it was. :)
Tina K.
Your soup looks really nice! I am a sucker for anything spicy, especially south east asian and african dishes. Unfortunately where I live, Denmark, supermarkets don’t have the selection of products most of the world has, so no hot sauce here. Would have loved to try it out thought.
Tina
Kate
Oh my, I can’t imagine a life without hot sauce! Other similar recipes use ground cayenne pepper, ground coriander, turmeric, cumin and/or cinnamon if you want to play around with those.
Jodye
I’ve seen recipes for West African peanut soup many times now, but have yet to get around to actually making it. I generally stay away from soup as it doesn’t seem to fill me up, but I am quite positive this soup would do a good job of that. Back to the top of my list it goes!
Jane @janerunswild
I tend to agree with you about soup Jodye- but this one is incredibly filling! You have to try it if you haven’t already! :)
EverydayMaven
I love these flavors – this looks perfect a really cold winter night!
Lauren Hardy @ Makin
Kate,
This is very similar to the African Peanut Stew I make: http://laurenhardy.com/tasty-tuesdays-african-peanut-stew/.
Looks delicious!
(:
Tammy
Kate,
Thanks, once again, for another AMAZING recipe! It’s so yummy!!! In one single week I have made three of your soup recipes (the spicy black bean soup and the spicy lentil soup). They are all winners. :) I might even try another recipe over the course of the next few days. You’re the best. :)
Have a wonderful day!
Kate
That is fantastic to hear! Thank you for letting me know, Tammy!
Foodess
Looks and sounds amazing, Kate!
Kori
I’m going to make this tonight! Depending on my ambition level later I may or may not add some shredded chicken since my boyfriend and myself are big meat eaters. The different combination made me really excited to try it right away! Thanks!
Bev @ Bev Cooks
Faaaaaaaabuuuuuuulous. The end.
candace
haha, cracking up at you calling this soup “homely”. it’s been my experience that the “homelier” the soup, the better tasting it is! can’t wait to try this!
Kier
My husband is making this for me right this minute, sOUper excited to eat it with a big pile of brown rice!
Kate
Hope you two enjoyed the soup!
Shanna
I like the sound of this–both the handsome fellow and his cookbook’s soup! A man who can cook is a jackpot indeed, especially one who cooks with you. : )
Ala
You’ve got a keeper–recipe and fellow! I absolutely love African Peanut Soup, I’ll make it soon and see if I can’t be a keeper as well ;) hee!
Maggie
Just made this – literally, I just inhaled a bowl! – and it. is. FABULOUS. Even using ground ginger rather than fresh (forgot to pick it up at the store). I spooned it over some quinoa instead of brown rice, too, since I had some on hand. YUM. So yum. Thank you!
Kate
Thanks, Maggie! Glad you loved the soup. I wish I had some for dinner tonight!
Christi Warner
I just made this for Sunday night supper. SOOOO Delicious! I’m freaking out! Super quick and easy also! Thank you!
Kate
That’s great, Christi! I’m really glad you enjoyed the soup. I’m hoping to make it again before spring weather comes around. Thank you for letting me know!
Julie
The idea of a peanut stew has always intrigued me, but I’ve never actually made it. I may need to try this one!
Kate
I hope you’ll give it a try, Julie! It’s so good, I promise.
Morgan
While not the most attractive, this soup looks incredibly comforting. And for a soup, it’s got a pretty short cooking time. I am making this tonight!
Kate
Thanks, Morgan! Hope you loved the soup.
Andrea
I keep coming across recipes for African Peanut Soup these days, but none have been as enticing as this one! That’s it, I’m giving it a try – thanks for sharing! And your pictures are lovely. I especially love the photo of the collards.
Sonja
This looks lovely! I’ve always been intriguing by peanut soup but never made it. Thanks for this — and glad to hear the handsome fellow knows his way around the kitchen ;)
Caroline
Not a regrettable combination in the slightest! This looks fabulous! I’m going to have to make this for dinner! :D
dixya
this is the BEST combination! I am going to try this ASAP. I love anything sweet/savory soup, esp with peanut butter-heck ya
Kim
This was a total hit! I added a splash of white wine at the end. Super delish- thanks for posting!
Kate
Thanks, Kim! Glad you enjoyed the soup, and good idea with the wine. I usually just drink my wine but I’ve recently realized that it can be so great for cooking, too!
Tia Stockton
I just had this over quinoa at a friends’ baby shower! So. wonderful.
Kate
Thank you, Tia! It’s fun to imagine you all eating this soup at a baby shower. Glad you all enjoyed it.
Alicia
Hey Kate! I recently found your blog and have been making many of your recipes. This soup however is probably one of my MOST favorite! I was a little skeptical at first as to whether collard greens, peanuts, and rooster sauce would be good, but I am so glad I trusted your recipe. Plus, my dog was exceptionally happy to find out that he was allowed to munch on some of the collard green ribs :-)
Kate
Thank you, Alicia! I’m delighted to hear that you are enjoying my recipes and this soup. It’s so good, right?! I think I shared some collard greens with Cookie, too. She loves kale, too!
Jamie @ Thrifty Vegg
Sounds just crazy enough that I know it must be delicious!
Elena
I just made this soup – amazing! I didn’t have collard greens, and couldn’t quite muster up the courage to trudge through the accumulating snow to the store in my puffy coat, so substituted a cauliflower I had in the fridge. I’ll definitely try the collard greens next time, but for now, the cauliflower is a tasty alternate!
Kate
Well, I certainly can’t blame you for not wanting to trudge through the snow for greens. Glad to hear that cauliflower is good in this soup! I love a good substitution.
Kate
A friend made this for me tonight and it was fabulous, thus turning me on to a new recipe AND site! I’ve already bookmarked a bunch of other recipes to try. As a lifetime vegetarian, I’m always inspired to find out-of-the-box recipes. This one was really delicious and I can’t wait to make it myself!
Kate
Kate, thank you so much for your kind comment! I’m glad your friend introduced you to my blog. I always love to hear feedback, so please let me know how my other recipes turn out for you. Happy cooking. :)
Heather/snacktive
Couples post!! So cute. This soup looks perfect and there are hardly any ingredients. I would try it but I’m only making blendtec recipes now. ;)
Kate
Haha, thanks Heather. Glad you are putting your new blender to good use! :)
Rikke
I am one of those weird people who really aren’t bothered about soup. But I think this might be the recipe that can sway me – so easy, and seems to pack a lot of flavours. I’ll be trying this one very soon! :)
Katie
I made a big pot of this soup last night and it is absolutely delicious!! As soon as this post popped up, I knew it would be a winner. Collards, ginger, and peanut butter are some of my all time favorite ingredients – I added a sweet potato to the pot and served it over farro instead of brown rice. Both delicious! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Kate
Thanks for commmenting, Katie! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed the soup. Sweet potato and farro sound like terrific additions. Yum.
Allison
This looks amazing! I am especially drawn to the gorgeous color of the soup. The textures look thick, creamy and hearty. Sounds like a great meal!
heidi
This looks fantastic. I love African peanut soup, but I haven’t had it with collard greens, so I’m definitely giving this one a try.
Becky
I’va always wanted to try African Peanut Soup!! We LOVE love African food,especially Ethiopian (probably because you can eat with your hands!) but somehow I’ve missed out on this soup. I’ll have to try it soon!
Kate
Ooh, you just reminded me to visit the local Ethiopian restaurant! I’ve been wanting to go. I’ve never tried Ethiopian food but I have no doubt I’d love it. I think you would love this soup, Becky, especially while it’s so cold outside. Please let me know if you try it.
Marian
A friend of mine has lived/traveled through West Africa and always raves about the peanut butter dishes. I need to vet this through her and give it a try!
Merelyn worthy
Loved this soup. I did though,find, the ginger and garlic not strong enough for my tastes, so doubled up on both. When I make it next time would like to try it with crunchy almond butter as I find it healthier, for me plus think a tasty garnish in addition to the chopped nuts would be chopped fresh cilantro . Love all your recipes.
Kate
Thank you for your feedback, Merelyn. We were generous with the garlic and ginger, too, and didn’t find the results to be too spicy. I’ll make a note of that in the recipe. Please let me know if you try the soup with almond butter, I’d love to learn how it turns out.
Grace @ FoodFitnessF
Just came across your beautiful blog. This sounds fantastic. I eat way too much peanut butter as is, but adding collards seems like a good excuse to consume a little more.
Kate
I’d say! They really do go great together. Hope you get a chance to try this soup before it gets too warm outside.
Emilie
I cooked this recipe TWICE this week, once for family and once for friends. Everybody loved it! I would recommend using crunchy peanut butter and not put the peanuts in at the end..saves a step!
Kate
Victory! I’m so glad you and your loved ones enjoyed the recipe, Emilie. Thanks for letting me know!
a farmer in the dell
peanut butter, tomatoes, and collard greens are actually 3 of my favorites foods! why the heck not combine them together? I’m sold!
marissa @ the boot
mark bittman has a version of this that i have always wanted to try, but i love the look of this version too! i will definitely try it!
Sally
This looks delicious! I’m always looking for soups to pair with my rice and this seems perfect, especially with the cold weather. And I’m glad sriacha works well with this (my fave hot sauce!)
-Sally
Indonesian Foods
look delicious :) I so wanted to try at home
ultimatefoodaddict
This looks like our local dish, Kare-Kare. Very popular here in my country, the Philippines. :) Main difference is that Kare-Kare is meat-based. :)
melissa
my husband and i made this last night– it’s amazing! my goal for the year is to be more adventurous with my cooking and your blog is a fantastic hit for that! thank you for the amazing tips. keep them coming!
Kate
Thank you, Melissa! I’m glad you both enjoyed the soup, and I will keep the recipes and tips coming.
Molly
This soup was outstanding! I’ve never left a comment on a recipe ever and had to for this soup. The next day I mixed the left overs with some rancho Gordo heirloom beans and that was delicious as well! Thanks for the great recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Molly! I’m flattered. Glad you enjoyed the soup, I bet it is great with beans.
ashley - baker by na
Handsome and a good cook…? Looks like you found a winner, missy!!!
Kate
:D he’s a winner, alright!
Maria
Josh is allergic to nuts, so how about I come over for dinner and you make this for me? :) Love it!
Kate
Yes! Come to Kansas City and I will make soup for you, Maria. :)
Caroline
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was AH-mazing! Such a great change of pace than the traditional dinners I usually make. Thanks for the great recipe Kate!
Kate
Thanks, Caroline! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup.
Steph
Hi Kate!
I just went through all 105 comments but couldn’t find whether anyone used natural PB with success…could you let me know your thoughts? Thanks!
Kate
Hey Steph, good question. I used MaraNatha’s no-stir organic/natural peanut butter in this recipe and it worked great. I would imagine that several of the others have been using natural peanut butter, too. As long as it’s really ground up well (not gritty) I think it will be fine!
Steph
Thanks for the reply! I used Trader Joe’s natural chunky PB and a bag of their southern greens blend and they worked perfectly.
The soup is delicious…It sort of reminds me of the Thai peanut dipping sauce for chicken satay skewers, but in soup form, if that makes sense :) Thanks for the recipe!
Kate
That totally makes sense! I’m glad the recipe worked out well for you, Steph.
Olivia
Hi Kate! Do you know if this recipe freezes well? I’m just unsure because of the collard greens- probably gonna give it a shot! :)
Kate
Hey Olivia, I haven’t tried freezing the soup but I bet it would hold up well! Please let me know if you try.
Lisa
This is one of the easiest soups I’ve ever made. It’s very tasty. I didn’t have veggie broth so I used organic chicken broth. I also couldn’t change my ways and I sauteed the onions, garlic, and ginger first (sorry). I’m putting the roasted & chopped peanuts and rice on the side for now (I just had all four wisdom teeth removed…thank you for your sympathy) since I cannot eat anything with tiny pieces, but won’t deny my friends the opportunity to enjoy the soup “blinged” out. Thanks for the recipe!
Kate
Thanks, Lisa! I’d probably sautĂ© the aromatics next time, too—that certainly couldn’t hurt! I hope your mouth heals soon, I remember the balloon head feeling well. No fun.
Quinn and Pais
I never thought that peanuts and tomatoes would be a good mix but after trying it I am very impressed! I am making this again!
Kate
Success! Made this tonight and it was a hit. Went heavy with garlic, ginger, and sriracha. Subbed kale for collards (since I made your Lemony Collard Greens last night!). I’m thankful for your recipes that use ingredients I tend to have handy!
Kate
Wonderful! Glad to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes, Kate. That makes me happy.
Raquel Wilson-Sow
Sounds lovely, but haven’t seen collards in Warsaw in the 6 months we’ve been here. Can I substitute the collards for something else?
Kate
Hi Raquel, you could definitely substitute kale, or if you can’t find that, I think spinach would do as well. It won’t retain its texture like collards/kale, but I think it will be delicious nonetheless.
Yemi
I made this with sweet potatoes and it came out perfectly. The flavors blend together so well, and I like that that it’s thick enough to be eaten with brown rice. This is a new favorite!
Kate
Glad to hear it, Yemi! Thanks for commenting.
Jen
I LOVED this. Seriously delicious. Adding this to the list of recipes that make me happy to be vegan. Thank you!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks, Jen.
Rosa
This looks and sounds strange but is DELISH! I was also hesitant about boiling the garlic and ginger before sautĂ©ing but mmmmmm….
Kate
Thanks, Rosa! So glad you enjoyed the soup.
Jordan Little
I love savory uses of peanuts! They are not used often enough in everyday cooking. Thanks for posting this!
Christelle van Vuure
Kate, thank you very much for this recipe. Followed the basic version but used frozen marrows and green beans I had and made whole wheat bread to go with. I got some wierd looks when I told people what I was making, but unanimously they loved it and polished the bowl! (Stuck on a sub-Antarctic Island with no fresh supplies, only dried onions and frozen veg, and even just with that it was super and easy cooking for 20 poeple). Thanks again. Most inspired. C
Kate
So glad you all enjoyed the recipe, Christelle! I never would’ve guessed that my recipe would be made so far south! Amazing.
Roksie
This was a great recipe. I used kale instead of collard greens, pickapeppa sauce instead of hot sauce and I added a tablespoon of honey, squeezed in a lemon and went a bit heavy on the tomato paste (heaping 1/2 cup). It was absolutely divine and my boyfriend said this is his new favorite.
Beth
I came across this recipe on Pinterest and made it last night. I too, was a bit skeptical about not sautéing the onions and garlic, but I also made it exactly as written, and it was delicious! And so easy. Served with rice and a bit of sliced avocado. Perfect! Thanks for posting.
Kate
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed the soup, Beth. Thanks for trusting me on this one. :)
Damaris Rosich-Schwa
I made this soup last month and I loved it. Making it again tonight. My new comfort food!
Damaris Rosich-Schwa
Forgot to mention, I made it with wild rice or wild rice blend and some avocado slices. Delicious.
Kate
Glad you enjoyed the soup, Damaris! Wild rice and avocado sound like great additions.
Kate Self
I loved this recipe and everybody I served it to did as well! I added cilantro, garbanzos and a purple sweet potato with shredded rotisserie chicken on the side for the meat eaters to add. We loved a dollop of sour cream/plain yogurt on top too! Yummy!
Kate
Thanks, Kate! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Your additions sound great.
jenna
This was so good! I made it last night and posted about it on my blog today. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
http://jennaloublog.blogspot.com/2013/03/cooking-west-african-peanut-soup.html
Gayla
Made this last night for some friends, and it was delicious!!! A favorite for me now, thanks!
Kate
Thank you for commenting, Gayla! I’m glad you and your friends enjoyed the soup.
Kristin
I’m so lad other people refer to sriracha as rooster sauce! Everyone is like “Why do you call it rooster sauce?”…umm because there is a big rooster on the bottle! Can’t wait to try this!
Jenifer
I just made this tonight. Followed the recipe as it is – and YUMMMMM!!! wow. i never would have guessed peanut butter + tomato was a good combo! very delicious dish. I’ll definitely be making this again. It’s quite simple to make, really. You could make it even quicker by doing some of the prep work the night before too. Also: i wonder how kale would taste instead of collard greens… hmmm…. :)
TA
I’m not sure what sort of collard greens you’re using, but 15 minutes is not even close to enough time to cook them sufficiently. Also, a “bunch” of collard greens must vary greatly. No matter how much longer I let them cook, they continued to protrude from the broth. I added a bit of water to the broth and let it simmer on medium low, but it still tasted like undercooked collard greens in peanut water. It was a disaster.
Molly @WonderlandK
Late to the game but finally made a batch and it was lovely. The soup is very forgiving. In the dinner rush, I started sauteing my garlic/onions/ginger in olive oil on auto-pilot before actually reading the recipe. Simmered the greens a bit and then just dissolved the peanut butter and tomato paste right in the stock out of laziness. Garnished with some dukkah spice I had left over from trying Food Loves Writing’s roasted carrot onion soup. Smash hit!
Kate
Thanks for commenting, Molly! I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup. I bet it’s fantastic with dukkah spice, I’ve been wanting to try some.
Annika
Yum-amazing! Although a tip in case others find theirs is also more watery than they’d like: I added about a cup of pureed chickpeas. Upped the iron+protein factor and got to the thicker consistency I was looking for. Devoured it!
Kate
Great tip, Annika! Thanks for sharing. Did you use tomato paste or crushed tomatoes? I’ve been confused about the reports of watery soup because my version with tomato paste was incredibly creamy as is.
Rachel
This soup, had the honor of being my birthday dinner this year! It is a perfect reflection of my recently committed healthy, clean-eating lifestyle and was full of flavor. I did add garbanzo beans for some extra texture/flavor and I served it over brown & wild rice pilaf along with a green salad (and some vegan brownies…cuz, you know birthday!)
Thank you so much, I look forward to more recipes from your site.
Kate
Happy belated birthday, Rachel! I’m so glad you enjoyed the peanut soup. Vegan brownies sound like a great ending.
Jesse
Just gotten to making this as a family dinner, possibly the greatest thing for novice student to whip up living away from home in a show of ‘I’m totally eating right and not living off of failed cooking attempts’ I’ve found yet! Everyone loved it – though did try it with the kale (first time ever eating it, and used a left over amount to make some delicious kale chips for midnight snack), threw in some frozen peas to pump it out some, and over white rice instead of brown (budget cut backs, I swear).
Everyone loved it – even my spice averting father and my spice loving mother (did have to give her a bottle of the chilli sauce to add extra though)
Kate
That’s so awesome, Jesse! Thank you for commenting. I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe, and your addition of peas sounds like a great idea.
Anjali
I have made this twice now!! Absolutely amazing. I used diced tomatoes instead of crushed/paste and added broccoli, swiss chard and spinach to make it extra green. It is just amazing.
I love all the vegan options on your site! Thank you!
Kate
Thank you, Anjali! I never would have thought to add broccoli, yum. Glad you’re enjoying my vegan recipes. I’ll try to post more for you soon.
Lisa
Making this again tonight but with a Thai flair. I’m still going to saute the ginger, garlic, and onion first. In addition, I’m going to add the tomato paste directly to the saute to concentrate the sweetness of the paste even more because I plan on adding a healthy does of sambal oelek, which should complement the sweetness nicely. I’m omitting the greens and opting for cilantro. I’m serving it with tofu lettuce wraps. Yay!
Kate
All great ideas, Lisa! I love sambal oelek (thanks for reminding me to add it to my grocery list, I’m out).