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.
Shannon
Warmed my bones and filled my belly. This soup is soooo easy and delicious.
Kate
That’s great! Thank you for the review, Shannon.
Brenda
We absolutely love your recipes!! I use them all the time for my meal prep shop and am going to make this one today for the lunch crowd. I will keep you posted on how it goes!! Thanks so much for your relishes vegan options. Love your flavours!!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Brenda! Yes, please let me know how it goes
Michaela
I made this last night, am eating leftovers as we speak, and could not be more excited about how it turned out! This was really simple to make and the flavor combinations were really satisfying. The combination of peanuts, tomato paste, and collards didn’t sound off-putting to me but if it does to anyone else debating on whether or not to make this, push the doubts aside! This will definitely become a new go-to recipe for me. Thanks for sharing!
Kate
Wonderful, Michaela! Thanks for sharing and for your review.
Tafrica
I had my first taste of peanut soup from a friend who hails from Guinea West Africa. I made this soup and was not disappointed! Absolutely delicious and beautiful! Thanks Kate (and Cookie)!
Kate
I’m glad it didn’t disappoint! You’re very welcome. I appreciate the review, Tafrica!
Rich Drake
Delicious soup recipe Kate. I’ve made it several times in different variations of greens. We have used Kale, Spinach, Chard, Napa Cabbage and Grelos. It’s all good. We like to bump it up with a chopped serrano. The recipe is yum. Been a fan and follower for a long time. Your site is always creative and inspiring. Thank you for your hard work. Blessings to you and Cookie, Rich.
Kate
You’re sweet, Rich! Thank you, for your review.
Vicky Clarke
Hi ive just made the west African peanut soup for my fussy veggie son, he loves it. Does is freeze ok??
Thank you
Kate
It sure does!
Sheri
I’m new to vegan cooking and trying to find exciting recipes that will help us adapt to meatless meals. Is the Peanut Butter sugar free natural? Or is it the regular grocery store PB w/ sugar?
Kate
I prefer with just peanuts. Hope this helps!
Sheri
Perfect! That’s what I assumed but didn’t want to guess at it! Thanks Kate – can’t wait to try it!
Shruti Saran
This was so good! I replaced one of the six cups of broth with a can of coconut milk and added coriander, cumin, cayenne and cinnamon. I also went ahead and added that sweet potato. So yum! Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome!
Sue Martin
I was looking at the nutrition information and wonder how it’s possible that one serving of this stew has 13 grams of added sugar??? The only ingredient that might contain added sugar is the peanut butter – though that would be a big stretch since it’s only 3/4 cup. (or maybe the tomato paste- again, quite a stretch given the small amount). Could this be a mistake?
Kate
The nutrition information is not added sugar, but overall sugar content of the dish. A lot of food has sugar naturally already in it. Hope this helps! See more on my nutritional disclaimer here: https://cookieandkate.com/nutrition-disclaimer/
Amber
Just made last night and so AMAZING. Thank you for this delicious recipe!!!
Kate
You’r welcome, Amber! Thanks for your review.
S Gallaher
I loved how simple this recipe was and the flavor was phenomenal. I’m diabetic so instead of rice I cubed up some tofu and it worked really well with this thick creamy soup. This is a keeper and will be made many more times. Thanks Kate.
Kate
Thanks for sharing!
Fae
This is my go-to recipe for peanut soup. I’ve made it so many times and it’s always amazing.
Kate
Great to hear, Fae! Thanks for your review.
Josie
I love your recipes so much. I made this with butternut squash and it was really good. Thanks for everything :)
Kate
You’r welcome, Josie! Thanks for your review.
Diva
so good it feels like I’ve been trying to, thank you for the recipe
Kate
You’re welcome!
Tim Keegan
This is so delicious I’ve made it twice in a week!
It tastes like a cross between tomato soup, a makhani curry, and satay. Best recipe I’ve found in a while.
Thanks!
Elle
I’m sorry. This was just gross.
Kate
I’m sorry you felt that way! It may just not be the flavor combination for you. Thanks for sharing!
liz
Hi I love your recipe and I would like to try it I was wondering how you got the rice to the side of the bowl as the picture shows?
Kate
Hi Liz, I simply piled up the rice high on one side of the bowl before ladling soup in. Hope you enjoy it!
karen
I made this tonight and I was really looking forward to it. I had an African peanut stew years ago and was hoping for something similar. All I can say is ‘OMG I can’t wait to make this again!” It was sooo easy, came together in a hot second and wow, my family has a filling flavorful dinner that made every single one of them happy.
Sweet potatoes were in the original stew I had so I wanted to incorporate them. Of course I didn’t have any so I diced half of a small sugar pumpkin and added that. I served it with more Sriracha for those that love spicy food. Next time I will probably use much less Sriracha (and let the kids go to town on their own servings).
Thanks for making my night awesome and adding new favorite to my weekly rotation.
Kate
Love that! I’m glad it met your expectations and will be a regular for you now. Thanks, Karen!
Dh
Uuugggghhhhh this is so good!!! Quick and easy too! Australia doesn’t seem to have collard greens so I made it with kale. I used 4c stock and 2c water (so I didn’t have to waste or freeze half a litre of stock). I ate it with (more) kale and sourdough bread. I basically dipped the two into the soup then ate any leftover soup once the bread and kale were gone. For that reason I think it’d also make a nice warm dip. I got about 4 small meals out of the recipe. I recommend making a double batch whether you’re feeding a group or just yourself.
Kate
Kale works great! Thank you for sharing you experience. I’m happy it was such a hit with you!
Nat
It was amazing!!
I added a few chopped carrots too.
Yummm!
Kate
Thank you, Nat!
Seppie
I make this everytime I’m sick and often in between. You can add anything pretty much and it’s delicious. Use chunky peanut butter, you won’t regret it.
Kate
Thank you, Seppie! So much goodness in this, no wonder you eat it when you need to feel better.
Karen Brady
I made this to feed a friend who has been under a lot of stress and reported having little appetite. She asked for seconds!
Kate
Wonderful, Karen! Thanks so much for sharing.
Katie
Just Wow. This recipe is amazing! The flavor balance is perfect. I used kale instead of collards and supplemented the siracha with some ground cayenne. I’ll be making again soon for vegan thanksgiving!
Kate
Great! I love this option for Thanksgiving. I appreciate your feedback, Katie!
Mahogany
OHMIGOD, so amazing!! I made this yesterday as part of my meal prepping for the week. I thought my fiance and I would have at least 3 meals with this soup AFTER I put some away so I can take for lunch. I was WRONG, after nearly an out of body experience with just my cup and half worth a soup, I went back to the kitchen for seconds, he beat me to it and asked if I was going to have any more because he was going to finish it…ALL of it. With a sad heart I let him finish the glorious soup all the time patting myself on the back because I had the forethought of putting some aside for lunch. 12:00pm can’t come fast enough!
Kate
You crack me up, Mahogany! Thank you for your detailed comment. I love this is a hit for you!
Kimber Goff
I made this soup and added the chickpeas as it was recommended in the cookbook (without sweet potatoes because I am not a fan) and it was Ah-MAZ-ING! I was skeptical but I kept flipping back to this recipe in the book and finally took the leap. I feel like this is a guilty pleasure I will be making time and again – thanks Cookie + Kate!
Also, to any reader that has not yet bought the book – this is my go-to weekly meal planner. Mine is full of scribbles splatters and smudges, so you know it is well loved. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Kate
Thank you so much for your praise, Kimber!! You’re the best. :)
Lindsey Bingham
This is one of my new favorites! I halved the recipe today but my family likes it so much that I am making it again tomorrow to have the rest of the week!
Kate
It is really good! Thanks for sharing, Lindsey!
Michele
I had this recipe in my bookmarks for awhile. It called my name today, on a cold evening. Absolutely delicious! Creamy, rich, with complex flavors and very filling. I added the sweet potatoes and skipped the rice. Will make this again.
Kate
Thanks for trying it, Michele!
Tejal
Hi
this receipe is like magic. Serves very well at any occasion. People love it and you dont worry about left over because everything goes fast! People love it for potlucks. Thank you so much for this recipe :)
Kate
I love that! Thanks for sharing you loved it, Tejal.
Caitlin
Hands down my favorite soup of all time!! I especially like your version in your cookbook that includes chick peas!
Kate
They are both delicious! Thanks, Caitlin!
Mary
I never comment on recipes but this was so amazing I had to say something! DELICIOUS and so healthy! Absolutely saving this recipe. Highly recommending it to others, too. :)
Kate
I’m glad you did! Thanks, Mary!
Veronica
I have made this recipe soooooo many times! I change it all the time but stick with the same base. Sometimes I add jalapeños, sweet potato, coconut milk, and cinnamon. Tastes amazing every time! Thanks for the recipe.
Kate
I love it! Thanks for sharing, Veronica. I appreciate the feedback.
Danni
I loved the soup’s taste but the smell of the cooking red onion was harsh. Could I use a milder onion or is the red one required? My whole family liked it and they don’t eat anything vegan, ever.
Kate
Red onion really works well, but if you prefer a slightly different flavor you could use a yellow onion. Thanks for the review, Dani!
Lily
I made this dish last night—it was absolutely delicious! A big hit with the family :) I would love to make this as part of our Christmas dinner (this may sound strange lol, but i’m hooked!) I was wondering if you had other dishes to recommend that pair well with this one? Thank you!
Kate
My simple green salad would pair nicely with this!
Megan
Love this recipe and have made it many times. Tonight I didn’t have the optional sweet potato, so I used a beet. It actually worked and looked very red and green – Christmas-y :) :) :)
Kate
Thank you, Megan!
Hilary S. Laing
This soup has become a staple in my menu rotation. I have added black beans or chickpeas, depending on which I have on hand- nice additions.
Kate
Love it, Hilary!
Pirita
It’s getting freezing cold (and dark) here in Finland, but this soup definitely helps! :D It makes my family all warm and fuzzy during these harsh months. Thank you Kate! Yay!
Kate
You’re welcome! Stay warm, Pirita!
lisa
i’ve made this twice and am serving it again tonight for a group game night. i’m going to try with sweet potato tonight. i’ve done with chicken as well, both ways are delicious, back to veggie tonight.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Lisa!
Scott S Schafer
This was fantastic. My kid has a peanut allergy, so I substituted whole sunflower seeds, run through the blender. A big hit. Also added paprika, turmeric and cumin. Will make again!
Kate
Great thinking, Scott! I’m glad your family was still able to enjoy it.
Spencer
Just cooked this bad boy up and it’s bomb! The whole fam loved it :D
Kate
Love it! Thanks so much for you review, Spencer.
Enzo
A delicious soup and very satisfying. I swapped Salam Oelek (chili-garlic paste) for sriracha, which can have an off putting after taste to me. I added the sweet potato for added veg.All in all a brilliant recipe.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Enzo! I appreciate the review.
Cara
Omg! I had never even tried peanut soup before but this is fantastic. I made it exactly by the recipe and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Kate
I’m so glad you tried it, Cara! Thanks for letting me know you loved it.
Emily
This soup is so, so, so good!! It’s in our regular winter rotation and is one of my favourites. I usually add a bit of honey to bring up the sweetness, but that’s purely for personal preference. Highly recommend this recipe!!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Emily!
Sofia
yum, just made this. so good! I used some mustard greens and broccoli greens sine that’s what I had on hand. Would love to try with collard greens. I was also very generous with the ginger. Will definitely be making again
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Sofia!
Nick
Just gave this recipe to a friend for the umpteenth time and realized I’d never left a formal review. This is a full regular-rotation meal in our house and we love it so much. Definitely suggest folks mince the ginger – I feel like a micro plane paste gets lost and I like the little “zings” of ginger while I’m chewing. Also, don’t be afraid to really thicken it up with even a tad more PB and Paste than is listed here – I go closer to 1 cup pb / 3/4 cup paste and it’s still totally a soup and not too thick. Delish!! Also, hello from a fellow Kansas Citian!
Kate
THank you for sharing the C+K love and coming back to comment!
Meg
I actually used the recipe from your cookbook, which does add sweet potato — I do like that addition (I left out the chickpeas that recipe includes). It was tasty, but next time I’ll add a lot more greens. It’s tasty but extraordinarily rich. I added a tiny splash of white wine vinegar to my bowl; lime would work as well. I realize that’s non-traditional, but I needed a bit of acid to balance the richness. I might use a bit less peanut butter, just for personal preference.
Kate
I love the cookbook version as well! Thank you for sharing! I think you know your taste buds well. I appreciate the review, Meg!
Miriam
I made this for my friends who feel every meal should have meat and they loved it! They said they were going to add it to their weekly rotation- score one for incredibly delicious vegetarian fare!
I myself adore this soup and make it whenever I am I a cooking phase.
Kate
Hooray! I love it. I’m glad this soup is on your cooking phase list. Thank you for your review, Miriam.
Sandy Mills
The weather in Ontario is frigid right now and last night I made the West African Peanut Soup. It is so wonderful on a cold day. I did add the sweet potato and I had to use a white onion because that is all I had, but it was amazing and so warming with the garlic and ginger bits in there. I cooked some rice to put in the bottom of the bowl and topped it with this lovely concoction. We had dinner for two for two nights. Two thumbs up and five stars!
Kate
Perfect soup for a cold day, for sure!
Kitty
Thank you for this recipe. It was truly wonderful. I added tofu and garbanzo beans to make it a bit more hearty but I loved the base idea. Thank you again for taking the time to share.
Kate
You’re welcome, Kitty!
deilia
My family loves this soup. Super easy & makes me feel like an exotic cook!
Kate
I’m happy to hear it’s a hit with everyone!
Gabriela Gesheva
Hey Kate would please share how many grams in one serving?
Thank you x
Kate
Hi Gabriela! Roughly 1-1.5 cups per serving.
Robin
This was AMAZING!!! I used spinach because that’s what I had on hand and it worked great. Definitely making again.
Kate
Great, Robin! Thank you so much for your star review.
Marie
Hi Kate,
I tried making this soup today, but it turned out very liquid, I’m not sure why, since I’m sure I respected your measures :(
Do you have an idea why it might have turned out this way?
It looks really amazing!!
Kate
I’m sorry this didn’t turn out perfect for you! It will be a more liquid soup. It works great over rice. Did you allow it to simmer? That helps is thicken some
Léa
The snow is melting and the sun is coming out, but there’s nothing better than a big bowl of comfort. This stew is so good I’ve been eating it everyday! I made a big batch and serve it with brown rice. The nutty flavours are a match made in heaven! Bonus: my meat-loving, pizza-fries-and-burger eating boyfriend also loves it — he’s even requested I pack it for his lunch the next day! Winner!
Matthew J McGarr
This recipe is our new favorite meal! I did exactly as you said – ran to the store right after, bought more ingredients, and made it again! I can’t speak highly enough of this recipe!
Kate
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing, Matthew!
Marnie
I am making this for a friend who is recovering from abdominal surgery and cannot have kale, cabbage, collard greens, etc. Is it okay if I omit this ingredient (or any suggestions for a replacement) ?
Jenny
Make. This. Soup! If you’ve ever enjoyed tomato soup with a toasted peanut butter sandwich (a staple of my childhood), you’ll love this savory, elevated dish. I make a triple recipe almost every week, with or without the collard greens. I like to cook the onion separately in broth and puree it with a bit of the tomato paste and peanut butter before adding it to the big pot — that process really does make for a much creamier soup. Quick, easy, and by far the best soup I’ve ever made!
Heather
Make this soup all the time using ingredients from the cupboard. Kids love it too.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Heather!
Melissa
I made this soup last night and it is uh-mazing! Very quick and easy to prepare. I sautéed the onion before boiling the vegetable broth because I’m not a fan of crunchy onion. The soup is delicious as is, but next time I will add some carrots or sweet potato and maybe chickpeas.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Melissa! I appreciate the review.
Emily
Do you have a slow cooker adaptation?
Kate
I don’t, sorry! You could see if others have tried it by searching the comments.
Ellen Bradshaw
This soup is awesome, I was apprehensive at first but I went all in and I’m glad I did.
Kate
I’m so glad you did, Ellen!
Serena
Very delicious. I added some sweet potatoes and canned chickpeas to “beef” it up.
I will definitely make it again!
Kate
My cookbook version has something similar. :) Thanks for sharing, Serena.
Kristine
This is my second time making your recipe and its by FAR one of my favorite recipes.. ever. I add in some tofu too, and I have rotated out the collard greens for both kale or spinach. So yummy – thank you!
Kate
I’m so happy to hear that! Tofu sounds like a great addition.
Rachelle
Wow! This is SO good. I followed the recipe almost exactly as written. The only slight changes I made were throwing in a few chopped veggies that were about to go bad (carrots, celery, peppers) and choosing kale as my green of choice. I am already looking forward to the leftovers of rice for lunch tomorrow. Thank you, Kate!
Kate
Sounds like a great way to add to this soup, Rachelle! Thanks for your comment and review.
Betty
Our family loves ths soup! My daughter, a vegetarian, never tires of it and asks for it often. Thanks for such an easy recipe that tastes like it has been cooking all day and is of restaurant quality!
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m happy it’s a hit, Betty.
Lyndell
Who knew you could use one of my favourite foods, peanut butter, in a soup,
This is spectacular. First time trying Vegan cooking for a vegan guest. This will be a go to soup. Thanks Kate & Cookie
Kate
Right?! Surprise, but wonderful addition to this soup. Thanks, Lyndell!
Val
Thank you for sharing this super-tasty and satisfying dish! It was easy to prepare and incredibly delish on rice noodles. I have yet to make a recipe from your kitchen that isn’t a home run! :-)
Love from Canada,
Val
Kate
That makes me so happy to hear, Val! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Val
Thank you for sharing this super-tasty and satisfying dish! I have yet to make a recipe from your kitchen that isn’t a home run! :-)
Love from Canada,
Val
Kate
You’re welcome, Val!
Sandra Dykstra
This soup is to die for, I doubled the recipe and still people wanted more of it!
Kate
I’m glad you liked this one too, Sandra!
Anthony Wutoh
My family is from Ghana, and my mom made Groundnut Soup routinely. This recipe was my first attempt at Peanut soup, and it was excellent! Very authentic to the taste of my mom’s, but with a vegan twist. My only addition was chopped sweet potatoes, which made the soup sweeter. My family and I have had seconds and thirds!
Kate
I’m really happy to hear that, Anthony! I appreciate the feedback and review.
Kathleen
We made this soup with one sweet potato added and loved it. I will probably add a second sweet potato next time because I love the creamy texture of the soup with the chunkiness of the sweet potatoes.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Kathleen!
Rhonda
Love, love, love it!! I made a peanut stew with okra,sweet potatoes,eggplant and Harrisa. This recipe was a little easier because of less ingredients than the stew. Same GREAT TASTE. Thank you.
Kate
You’re welcome, Rhonda! Thanks for your review.
Christina S.
I love this recipe. I have been eating this all week. I live alone so the recipe made about 8 portions. It is hearty, a little sweet and spicy, and delicious! I eat it with basmati rice. YUM!
Kate
I love that! Thanks for sharing, Christina.
Robert
This looks delicious but I’m really concerned about the sodium content. The nutritional guide says it’s over 1500g of sodium for a single serving? And that’s using low-sodium vegetable broth? That is off the charts! I can’t figure out where all that sodium is coming from unless it’s the tomato paste. Is this possibly a mistake in the nutritional facts?
Kate
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database via Nutrifox, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators. Sorry to not be more helpful! You can always use those sources and input your specific ingredients to get more accurate count.
Kim Martin
Love, LOVE, Love this recipe! It’s a favorite in my winter meal rotation! Quick enough for a weeknight! Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Kim!
Paola
I made this last night before going to the gym and spent the whole hour and a half at the gym dreaming of eating it when i get back.
And it was worth the wait. Delicious! The texture was perfect and not soupy at all ( which is how i like it) and the tomato paste and peanut butter are such a great combo! I had it with basmati rice… and then later used it as a dip with some rice cakes.
I will be making this once a week for sure,I love it.
Kate
I love it, Paola! Thanks so much for your review.
Jeff B
Really nice recipe for my picky veggie teen and us omnivores alike! Easy to put this together as a quick dinner, and quite delicious. Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Jeff!
Mara
This Soup was absolutely DELICIOUS! Second time around I served it to a small dinner party of 6 as a “starter.” They went CRAZY for it! Most of them had seconds on the soup and I was concerned they wouldn’t eat the Thai food I also served. NOT! They slam dunked ALL of it! :) The soup has become a favorite of my husband and mine. Thanks so much!
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Mara!
Sara
Used a generous amount of berbere spice, 2 small sweet potatoes, and spinach. Added sriracha to taste to kick up a little more acidity. I don’t like thin brothy soups so I did one fewer c of broth as I do for pretty much all soup recipes
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Sara!
Len
This is so yummy and easy to make! I have made it a couple times. This last time I used kale, and I added a jalapeno, mushrooms and fresh lime to squeeze on top after it is plated. Came out super yummy. Thank you for the amazing recipes!
Kate
Sounds delicious, Len! Thank you for your review.
Kate
Delicious! Very unique flavor that would wow people that are skeptical. I like more hot flavor than sweet so I might add less peanut butter next time and add more sriracha. Loved the peanuts sprinkled on top to add crunch. Per someone else’s comment, I added chickpeas as well. Will make again!
Kate
I’m glad you liked it, Kate! Thank you for your review.
Haiping
I have made it so many times, everyone who has tried it loved it. I usually serve it with my homemade sourdough bread, simply perfect!
Kate
Sounds like a great combination! Thank you for your review, Haiping!
debra edmonds
This looks wonderful. I look forward to making it. Can I ask (sorry) what exactly do you mean by broth ? Is it a smooth liquid that goes in, or does it have bits of vegetables, lentils etc in it ? many thanks,
Kate
Broth is a liquid. You should find it in the soup section of your grocery store. Hope that helps!
Julie
I loved this soup,will definitely make this again. I served mine over rice and sautéed mushrooms on top.
Alan Freedman
This was good. I could only get kale, and it lent a slightly bitter taste to the soup so I added a little sweetener. I wasn’t blown away, but with a little vinegar and some curry powder it turned out well. The guests said they liked it and they don’t stand on ceremony.
Emily
My husband and I are working our way through your cook book ❤ (ps we are not vegetarians but have found it easy to be primarily veggie friendly with your cook book) I made this soup this evening after finding out he had never had peanut soup and he loved it! I didnt have an Srirracha but Tobasco was pretty tasty!
Kate
Great to hear, Emily!
Katherine Hammitt
This recipe is SO delicious. I added a white sweet potato and next time I will also add carrots. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Kate
Thank you for your review, Katherine!
Breana
I just finished making this recipe. My roommates are fixing their second bowls! I added a few dashes of red pepper flakes instead of hot sauce (only because we didn’t have any in the house). I also used organic broth and organic tomato paste (incase anyone else was wondering how it would turn out with organic ingredients). My roommate is from Lebanon and has made her own version of this before. I got her stamp of approval after using this recipe! Thank you so much!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks for sharing, Breana.
Kim Phillips
Delicious. My new favorite soup.
I sauted 1/2 of the red onion, the garlic and ginger in some corn oil along with a chopped jalapeno pepper for heat, then followed the recipe. I didn’t have collard greens so I substituted 1 small bag of frozen chopped spinach. This turned out so good. Very quick and easy to prepare. Thank you!
Kate
Spinach works well, too! Thanks for sharing, Kim.
April
I admit that I changed this recipe and made it non-vegetarian, but I never could’ve done it without your recipe as the base. I’ve made it a number of times now and it’s one of my favorites! I leave out the onions because I don’t like them, use a 5oz bag of spinach (de-stemmed and slightly chopped) instead of the collard greens, add two cubed zucchini that I like to sear up in a separate pan, add shredded rotisserie chicken, increase the peanut butter to about 1 cup, and use the whole can of tomato paste. I used a chili-garlic paste last night and I think it worked better than sriracha or red pepper flakes (worked a little *too* well for me actually!). It’s absolutely delicious over brown rice–so wonderful on a cold day!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, April! I’m happy it inspired you to do your own variation.
Jill
I’ve got this on my list of meals for the month… but, having little familiarity with African cuisine, I have no idea what to serve it with? What would make for a good side? We’re a pretty adventurous and veggie-loving family, so don’t hold back! I love your recipes, by the way!!
Kate
Hi Jill! Great question. Honestly, this is great on it’s own (if you serve with rice). Or, serve with a simple salad of greens with one of my vinaigrette or roasted veggie!
Tigra
Wow. I’ve wanted to try peanut soup for awhile and this did not disappoint. I used dino kale a mix of creamy and crunchy pb, veggie stock and 1 sweet potato, I did not add hot sauce. It is soooo good and will definitely make again and freeze for later. Next time I will make cornbread to go with it. Thank you for sharing this.
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you loved it, Tigra.
Ellen
Thank you for this recipe!! My family loves it. I add garbanzo beans, sweet potato, and zucchini when I make it.
Kate
You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s a hit with your family.
Jennifer Yamazaki
I just made it and it is absolutely amazing!
Kate
Great to hear, Jennifer!
Stacey
It’s almost winter here in Australia and we have been eating this once a week for the past month. Really delicious! I add carrots and one potato to fill it out a little. Tastes amazing!
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Stacey!
Cleo
Five stars, always a winner! This is my second time making this stew for dinner and it’s been consistently great (even my burger-and-fries-loving boyfriend loves it and asks me to pack it for lunch the next day!) I love that it’s so versatile — I used ingredients I already had and it always turned out delicious! Subbed chickpeas and tofu for the sweet potatoes for protein, added carrots, bell pepper, and kale, as well as a pinch each of chili flakes, paprika, and cumin, topped with cilantro, crushed peanuts, and lime, and served with brown rice…mmm! So healthy, so protein/good carbs/good fat rich, so satisfying! Makes a big batch good for a few days — which is good, because I could eat it for a few days straight!
Kate
I’m glad you are loving it, Cleo! Thanks so much for your review.
Julia
So delicious! Made some homemade peanut butter to use by grinding up peanuts in my food processor beforehand. Ate it with rice and steamed vegetables. Let it simmer a little longer so it would be a bit thicker.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Julia!
Hayley
Was somewhat afraid to try this recipe (really? Peanut butter and tomatoes?) but I made the version from your cookbook this weekend with jalapeño and sweet potato and I couldn’t believe how good it was. I will definitely be making this again!!
Kate
I know, it sounds strange but it’s so good! I’m glad you made it. Thanks for stopping to comment, Hayley.
Rachel
This was SO GOOD. It does taste a lot like indian makahni curry, but without the curry spices, somehow.
Kate
Thank you for your review, Rachel!
Shwetha
I was skeptical about trying this but I’m glad I did. It tastes so good! Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Shwetha
Kate
You’re welcome, Shwetha!
Greg
Hello! This looks delicious, and I am excited to try it. One question: If I were to add the chick peas and sweet potato, at what point you you recommend doing that? It seems like at the same time I add the collared greens?
Kate
I would add the sweet potatoes with the onions, then add the chickpeas when you simmer. I have a version of this in my cookbook :)
Beth
Would you say the tomato paste is essential to the flavor? I can’t have tomato, but I use a pureed carrot/beet substitute for many recipes (and that has a similar texture). It’s fairly bland, so I’m thinking the other flavors will cover it.
Kate
It really does add to the flavor of the soup. I would be interested in what a carrot puree might do! If you try it, let me know.