The last time I made this stew was in my mama’s kitchen about three years ago.
Don’t ask me why I haven’t made it since then, because I don’t have a good enough reason for you. There is no reason why I’ve waited so long to make this African Peanut Stew again … other than the fact that I am a food blogger and food bloggers hardly ever make the same thing twice. It’s just how the gig works.
Now that you know I rarely make the same thing twice, you can bet when I do make something more than once it has to be extra delicious.
I first heard about this African Peanut Stew recipe through my mama’s friend, and at the mention of peanut butter and sweet potatoes I was all in. I’ll never forget the day my mama came home from the office telling me about this recipe back in 2012. On and on she went about this amazing stew: how good and different it was, how she’d already bought the ingredients, and how we would be making it the next day.
Let me tell you — the soup lived up to its reputation. It did not disappoint. Then again, when has anything with peanut butter in it failed to be delicious? This is not to mention the other healthy ingredients this stew is loaded with like spinach, tomatoes, carrots and edamame. Packed in every bowl is a rainbow of nutrients that make you feel good from the inside out, as all food should.
The other day my dear neighbor and friend Traci asked if we could make dinner together, when suddenly this recipe popped into my mind. I don’t know if it was because we were talking about stew and I was eating a spoonful of peanut butter for a snack, but whatever the case I am happy that this stew has made its way back into my life. Hopefully it will find its way into yours as well.
You can eat this stew on its own, or add a scoop of rice to make it more filling. When it comes to the peanut butter, feel free to adjust the amount depending on how creamy you want the stew to be. The original recipe my mama’s friend shared with us only called for 1/4 cup peanut butter, but because I like creamy soups, I double the amount.
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- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 sweet potato (12 oz.) peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups shelled edamame
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, creamy
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
- 1 bag (5 oz.) baby spinach leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Coarsely ground black pepper
- Heat olive oil in a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, carrot and celery; saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger and curry powder and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute; do not brown garlic. Add tomatoes and bay leaf; cook uncovered until tomatoes are slightly reduced, about 3 minutes.
- Add broth and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 12 minutes. Stir in edamame and peanut butter until combined. Cook until thoroughly heated, about 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro and spinach until spinach wilts. Season with salt and pepper.