West African Peanut Soup

by Lucas
Created • Updated
From the cookbook Love Real Food

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1 medium sweet potato (about ½ pound), peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1 medium jalapeño, seeded, deribbed, and finely chopped
  • Fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons peeled and finely grated or minced fresh ginger
  • 4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
  • 2 cups water
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 6 ounces tomato paste
  • 1 medium bunch collard greens or kale (about 8 ounces), tough ribs removed and leaves chopped into bite-size pieces
  • 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1½ cups cooked chickpeas
  • Hot sauce, preferably Sriracha
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional for garnish)
  • Chopped cilantro (optional for garnish)

Directions

  1. In a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, sweet potato, jalapeño, and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the sweet potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  2. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
  3. Meanwhile, in a heatproof medium bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste. Transfer 1 to 2 cups of hot broth from the pot to the bowl. Whisk the mixture together until smooth, then pour the peanut mixture into the soup and mix well.
  4. Stir the collard greens and chickpeas into the soup and continue cooking until the soup is nice and thick, with sufficiently softened greens, 15 to 25 minutes longer. Season the soup with hot sauce to taste (I usually add over 1 tablespoon Sriracha, but I like spicy soups). Remove the pot from the heat and add more salt to taste, if necessary (I often add up to ½ teaspoon more).
  5. Serve the soup in bowls with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts and cilantro on top. Serve with additional hot sauce on the side.