West African Vegan Groundnut Stew

25 mins Prep Time

1 hours 0 mins Cook Time

Written By

Nadia Boachie

West Africans love their soups and stews! There are very few dishes that don’t include a pot of tomato based soups that have been simmered to perfection with meats or veggies. In Ghana, where I am from, groundnut soup is a popular dish eaten with rice balls (omotuo) or pounded cassava (fufu). Ghanaian groundnut soup is what inspired this groundnut stew. After some research, I realized that other West African countries like Gambia and Senegal make a version of groundnut stew with various ingredients that vary from country to country and in different households! I decided to make this a vegan dish! Filled with delicious hearty veggies like sweet potato, kale and white kidney beans. This is the perfect meal to make at the beginning of the week and have with rice or other grains. Like other stews or chilli, it is very customizable.

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If you give this recipe a shot, make sure to post up your creation on Instagram and tag @tastetoronto and @travelandmunchies!

Ingredients

West African Vegan Groundnut Stew

1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (approximately 2 - 2 ½ lbs)
1 can white kidney beans (or other beans like chickpeas)
1 medium onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 large tomato
1 habanero pepper (or scotch bonnet)
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1-1 ½ teaspoons salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup natural unsweetened peanut butter
1 small bunch of kale, de-stemmed and chopped (~2-3 cups)
Parsley, for garnish
Rice, to serve

Directions

West African Vegan Groundnut Stew

12 Steps

Step 1

In a small pot add peanut butter and two cups of water, mix over medium heat until a pale light brown smooth paste forms. Set aside.
Step 2

Heat the oil in a separate large stock pot over medium heat. When hot add the onion and garlic, cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 3

Add salt, ground black pepper, curry powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, thyme, bouillon cube, oregano, basil, garlic powder and onion powder. Mix thoroughly.
Step 4

Add tomato paste to onion, garlic and spice mixture, let cook out for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 5

While tomato paste cooks, blend fresh tomato and habanero in blender.
Step 6

Pour tomato and pepper mix into pot with tomato paste, onions and garlic. Add crushed tomatoes to pot and stir to combine.
Step 7

Cook down and simmer uncovered until thickened slightly, about 10-15 minutes, then add peanut butter and water mixture to pot.
Step 8

Add diced sweet potatoes, reduce heat and cover, simmer for 10-15 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.
Step 9

Add white beans and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
Step 10

If stew is getting too thick add more water to thin it out and adjust seasoning. If stew is too thin, simmer uncovered to reduce water.
Step 11

Add the chopped kale and cook until just tender, 2-3 minutes.
Step 12

Serve topped with parsley or another fresh herb for garnish and rice.