West African Peanut Stew is a slightly sweet, flavorful stew that is super hearty. The colors and seasonings are a delight! I’ve always wanted to try this stew, and I’m glad I did.
I’ve often heard of African peanut stew but never had it or tried to make it. My husband recently came across a recipe for a version of the stew on Southern Cooking.
We tweaked the recipe a bit, and you can too by adding your favorite vegetables and seasonings. For example, we used kale instead of collard greens because that’s what we had on hand.
According to this post in Southern Cooking, peanuts likely originated in South America and spread to the New World by Spanish explorers. The post gives great info via Dr. Jessica B. Harris, an expert on food and culture of Africa in the Americas.
It also notes that, “peanut stews are found across West Africa, originally made with indigenous groundnuts before the peanut arrived from the New World in the sixteenth century.”
I love the sweet potatoes in the stew, and the bright, vibrant color that develops. If you visit this site often, you’ll know that I’m a fan of sweet potatoes.
I can put them in pretty much any recipe, like Sweet Potato-Pear Smoothies with Candied Pecans. These smoothies are great for breakfast, but you can sweeten them up with a bit of whipped topping and serve them for dessert.
If you love sweet potatoes, too, try my Sweet Potato “Fried Rice.” It’s a healthy twist on a classic dish.
This recipe makes a big batch so it’s perfect to feed a crowd, or to tuck some away in the freezer to serve another time.
This West African Peanut Stew is filling, for sure. I served it with quinoa piled on top, but you could also use rice. If you love peanuts, greens, and warm, fragrant seasonings in your stews, break out your stock pot and make a batch!
Yields Serves 6-8
This recipes is slightly adapted from a Southern Cooking recipe.
Save Recipe5 based on 1 review(s)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Habanero peppers, diced, seeds and membrane removed
- 1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced, seeds and membrane removed
- 1 large bunch kale leaves (about 5 cups, packed), removed from stem and torn into bite-sized pieces
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- Cooked rice or quinoa to serve with the stew
Instructions
- Add 1-1/2 tablespoons of the oil to a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook in batches for about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Add the onion and cook for about 4 minutes, or until it begins to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Stir and add the peppers. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the kale and stir to combine. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, sweet potato, peanut butter, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and bay leaf. Stir to combine.
- Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low. Cook at a low simmer, covered for about 22 minutes.
- Add the chicken and cook for another 8 minutes, covered.
- Turn off heat. Add the vinegar, and remove bay leaf, stir.
- Serve hot with rice or quinoa.
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