West African peanut butter stew - easy vegan recipe

This West African peanut butter stew is inspired by traditional peanut stew and soup recipes from a few different West African countries: Senegal, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Ghana. This peanut stew is vegan, gluten-free and can also be made oil-free. This healthy vegan dish is comforting, nourishing and super-filling. It's jam-packed with flavour and high in plant-based protein. It's a quick, fuss-free recipe that comes together in just 50 minutes and it requires only a handful of easily accessible ingredients and cupboard essentials. This is my go-to recipe for a nourishing and flavourful meal. It's perfect for a pick-me-up weeknight dinner after a long day at work. This wholesome vegan meal is also great for meal prep and it's suitable for freezing, too!

The kitchen smelt of peanut butter

Ok, so after wasting the best six years of my life with my sociopathic (now ex) husband I found myself in a very difficult position. I had to evacuate myself from our flat as soon as possible and that was only three weeks after the first lockdown was announced in the UK. It wasn't easy to find a place, I've got to tell you. Too much information, I know. I can't help it sometimes and you can always jump straight to the recipe if you'd like!

Literally, the only room I could find on the whole Internet was this rather above-average room with lovely old-fashioned furniture. I fell in love with that cute vintage dressing table at the first sight, the flat was in great location - only a five-minute walk to the seafront. What's not to like!

'-I'll take it' - I said to my new landlady, a lovely lady in her early seventies with a Russian accent (which made me think of Poland, my home country). She was so wrapped up she looked like a Muslim lady but she mentioned something about her ear infection and how lousy she felt that day because she forgot to take her morning shot of vodka.

My new Gambian flatmate

Anyway. The flat made a good first impression and I liked the fact that the kitchen smelt of peanut butter. The only thing was that I didn't meet my new flatmate. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. 'He's asleep' - my landlady pointed at my flatmate's door. 'He works nightshifts' - she said. Fair enough, I said to myself. I'll take my chances. And what choice do I have, anyway? With my nervous breakdown and this lockdown going on it, all felt like the end of the world anyway. And fingers crossed, with a bit of luck, since he works night shifts I'll be hardly seeing him anyway.

Where was I going with this?

Oh, the peanut butter. My new flatmate turned out to be pretty chill if you know what I'm saying ( too much marihuana :)). He was always super kind and friendly with me. Not because he had some hidden agenda or anything like that (cough, cough). And he was from the Gambia, which explained the peanut butter smell! He would always cook those rich and fragrant peanut butter stews which he said were just the way his mum used to make it back home. The smell of the peanut butter simmering in a stew with all fragrant spices was killing me!!!

Sadly, he would always make his stews with chicken being a star ingredient so I wasn't able to try them. But isn't it cool how sometimes you get inspired to try something new like that? Before I knew it I was on a mission to create the best vegan version of my flatmate's peanut stew. Sorry if I went off on a tangent a little bit too much. I was just trying to share a bit of a back story on how this West African-style peanut stew landed on this blog. Hope you like it!

So what's with the peanut stew?

Different variations of peanut stews and soups are immensely popular in many West African countries such as Mali, Senegal, the Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Recipes vary by region and what's in season and of course there as many different recipe variations as families. But the idea is always to make a spiced-to-perfection, rich-with-peanut butter stew or a stewy soup, packed with veggies and a source of protein of choice.

I can't say my vegan peanut stew recipe is 100% authentic and based on one particular version from one of the countries I just mentioned. But it was definitely inspired by my Gambian flatmate's peanut chicken stews (which he calls domoda). I was closely monitoring his kitchen endeavours. My love for rich and creamy curries and my mission to veganise my flatmate's peanut chicken domoda resulted in this vegan West African-style peanut butter curry. Because this stew is kind of like a curry with a lof peanut butter, isn't it?

Why you will love this West African-style peanut butter stew?

What's not to love? This peanut butter stew is vegan and gluten-free and it's ridiculously easy to make. It comes together in just 50 minutes and it mostly requires easily accessible basic pantry ingredients. This peanut butter curry is jam-packed with flavour and nutrition. It's high in plant-based protein and it will keep you satisfied for hours. It's a perfect mid-week dinner idea and leftovers will be great for meal prep too. Plus, it's such a delicious way to broaden your culinary horizons a little!

Ingredients you will need:

• red kidney beans
• butternut squash
• sweet potato
• fresh spinach
• green peas
• a can of chopped tomatoes
• vegetable stock
• smooth peanut butter (preferably unsalted but it’s up to you)
• fresh ginger
• green chilli
• garlic
• onions
• smoked paprika powder
• coriander powder
• cumin powder
• cinnamon powder
• cloves
• nutmeg powder
• red chilli powder
• turmeric powder
• black peppercorns
• pink Himalayan salt
• coconut sugar

Don't forget about toppings:

• finely chopped peanuts
• chopped fresh coriander (chopped)
• red chilli flakes
• sliced mini sweet bell peppers

For the full ingredient list, exact measurements, complete recipe method, please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom.

How to make West African peanut stew:

• Dice onions. Crush garlic and ginger.
• Sauté onions, garlic and ginger in a bit of olive oil for about 5 minutes.
• Add chopped tomatoes from a can.
• Cook on a low light for 5-7 minutes.
• Now pop everything in a blender or a food processor and whizz until it looks like a tomato sauce. Pour it back to the pot.
• Add all spices, peanut butter, chopped green chilli, a cup of water, mix well and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Drain the red kidney beans and add them to the pot.
• Peel and dice the butternut squash and sweet potato, add them to the pot. Add a bit more water if necessary (so the sauce covers all the veg).
• Cook on a low light for 10 minutes.
• Add 1 cup of green peas. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Wash spinach, drain and stir it in the dish. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Your peanut butter stew is ready!

Serving suggestions:

This West African-inspired stew will taste absolutely amazing with brown or black rice, garnished with fresh coriander, finely chopped peanuts, red chilli flakes and a bit of lime juice squeezed on top. You can also add sliced mini bell peppers or red chillies on top, to make it extra pretty. I always enjoy it with rice but I can assure you this stew will be also great with other carbs such as fluffy naan bread, cous cous, millet and quinoa.

Variations and substitutions:

• Feel free to customise your peanut butter stew to your liking with your favourite veggies and beans of choice. Sometimes I also like to make it with black-eyed peas instead of red kidney beans.
• Please don't tell me you're allergic to peanuts 🙁 I hope not but if that's the case, well, almond butter is commonly used in rich and creamy curry recipes so it should work here, too. The taste won't be quite the same, however.

Any leftovers?

Not very likely as this vegan stew will definitely leave you coming back for more. But if there are any, this stew will keep well in the fridge for a few days, stored in an airtight container. It's also suitable for freezing. I usually end up having my stew leftovers the next day for lunch. This peanut butter curry is perfect for meal prep!

This African peanut stew is:

• 100% vegan (it's eggless and dairy-free)
• gluten-free
• can be made oil-free
• inspired by traditional West African peanut stew and soup recipes
• a fuss-free meal that is quick and easy to make
• high in plant-based protein
• a wholesome and nourishing vegan meal
• bursting with flavour
• rich and creamy
• delicious and satisfying
• warming comfort food
• a great speedy mid-week dinner idea
• perfect for meal prep
• suitable for freezing

Other easy vegan dinner ideas:

Kala chana - black chickpea curry - chana masala's cooler and younger sister...

Vegan korma - creamy vegetable curry made with cashew nuts and coconut milk.

Vegan keema - finally, thanks to so many amazing vegan mince alternatives, vegans can enjoy this popular Indian dish, cruelty-free!

Moroccan carrot lentil soup - simple yet delicious and filling comfort food, spiced with lots of cinnamon, cumin and paprika.

Thai yellow curry noodle soup - with tempeh, black soba noodles and lots of healthy veggies.

Vegan kimchi ramen - combining my two biggest loves (kimchi and noodle soups) in one dish.

If you make this African peanut butter stew, leave a comment below and rate the recipe on the recipe card. And be sure to tag me on Instagram – @justynamanjari. I love seeing your creations!

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