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This Peanut Stew is a seriously tasty, family-friendly, one-pot wonder. This gluten-free and vegan stew is delicious, comforting, and only costs around £1 per person.
Recipe Difficulty – Very Easy
Table of Contents
Why this recipe works
Fall and winter is such a fantastic time for stew! This one-pot peanut and sweet potato stew is super easy, ready to go in thirty minutes, and perfectly spiced!
The best thing about this vegan and gluten-free recipe is it’s comforting and nutty flavours.
And the second best thing? The price. At approximately £5, this dinnertime go-to costs around £1 per person. Who knew delicious dinners were so easy and cheap to throw together?
Another thing I love about this Peanut & Sweet Potato Stew is that it’s a perfect batch-cooking recipe. Simply freeze in batches and take out on evenings when you’re too busy to cook. With our super busy lives and long days, having a freezer full of delicious homemade dinners really is a winner!
The chunky sweet potato and chickpeas give this hearty sweet potato peanut stew a satisfying bite and the delicate spices bring the dish a lovely depth. Best of all is the peanut butter. Such a simple and cheap ingredient, yet it adds so much delicious richness. And who can resist the scattered peanuts on top?!
Because this stew is made in one pot, you can forget about mounds of washing up. Plus if you don’t eat the lot, you can simply pop the pan in the fridge with the lid on, ready for the next evening.
This West African Peanut Stew has variations known as groundnut stew, domoda, or maafe. Gambian vs Nigerian peanut stews, for instance, would likely have some differences. There is even a Filipino peanut stew! My recipe is a Gluten Free and Vegan Peanut Stew based on a variety of those recipes.
This was inspired by my Sweet Potato and Black Bean Stew and pairs well with this amazing Homemade Socca Bread recipe.
Ingredients to make Peanut Stew
- Red Onion – adds a great undertone of flavour.
- Garlic Cloves – need to be crushed.
- Sweet Potatoes – add a great heartiness to this stew.
- Turmeric – is common in curries with a peppery, earthy taste.
- Fennel Seeds – improve the taste of the dish overall.
- Ground Coriander – is slightly citrusy and sweet.
- Tinned Tomatoes – are just as nutritious as fresh tomatoes and great to keep on hand.
- Tinned Chickpeas – Make sure to drain these before using. Adds protein and texture to this vegetarian stew.
- Peanut Butter – You can use crunchy or smooth peanut butter. Have any spare try my Chocolate Pots a try.
- Veg Stock – is a great vegan replacement for chicken stock.
- Spinach or Kale – is an optional addition
- Unsalted Peanuts – are also optional, but highly recommended!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Red Onion – yellow or white onions would also work. In a pinch, you could use dried minced onions.
- Garlic Cloves – can be replaced with minced garlic.
- Tinned Tomatoes – can be replaced with fresh tomatoes, but you may need to add a little more liquid to the stew.
- Peanut Butter – You could sub this for almond or cashew butter.
Variations
- Spicy – Swap the regular tomatoes for fire-roasted tomatoes and add some minced jalapeno for a spicy peanut stew.
- Deluxe – Don’t skip the optional ingredients! Add a touch of green with fresh spinach or kale and then sprinkle peanuts over the top. Serve with rice or fufu and a wedge of lime.
- Kid friendly – If the little ones like to get involved, simply put the crumbled peanuts in a separate bowl and let them add their own.
See this 15 Minute Chickpea Stew recipe on my website!
How to make Peanut Stew
Step 1: Firstly, get the sweet potato ready by peeling and chopping it into small cubes. Slice the onion.
Heat a pot with oil. Add the onion, garlic, sweet potato, and seasonings. Stir until combined.
Step 2: Add the tomatoes, drained chickpeas, and peanut butter. Stir and then mix in the veg stock. Allow it to simmer for 20 minutes on low heat.
Remove from heat and stir in spinach or kale. Top with chopped unsalted peanuts. Serve and enjoy!
Hint: The spinach/kale and chopped peanuts are optional, but add a great flavour and additional texture to this vegan African stew.
Leftovers
Leftover Peanut Butter Stew can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. It can also be frozen for up to three months. Thaw before reheating.
Recipe FAQs
Peanut Stew is popular in many West African countries such as Ghana, Sierra Leone, and the Ivory Coast.
Peanut Stew is a delicious, hearty stew. My sweet potato peanut stew is plant-based, making it vegetarian as well as gluten-free.
You can! Follow the same directions you would use for the soup, but combine in the slow cooker. Cook for 4 hours at high heat or 8 hours at low heat.
Yes! This is a fabulous recipe to batch freeze! Simply freeze in batches and take out on evenings when you’re too busy to cook.
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Peanut Stew
Ingredients
- 1 red onion , sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 sweet potatoes , (roughly 800g)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 2 400g tinned tomatoes
- 2 400g tinned chickpeas, drained
- 4 tbsp peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
- 200 ml veg stock
- 2 handfuls spinach/kale, (optional)
- unsalted peanuts, chopped, (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the sweet potato by peeling and chopping into small cubes and slice the onion
- Heat a pot with oil and add onion, garlic, chopped sweet potato, 1 tsp of turmeric, fennel seeds and coriander and stir until combined
- Add the 2 cans of tomatoes and drained chickpeas, stir in the 4 tbsp peanut butter and finally the 200ml veg stock. Simmer for 20 minutes on a low heat
- Finally, take off the heat and stir through a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach/kale (optional). Top with chopped unsalted peanuts and serve (optional)
Notes
Nutrition
Another fantastic recipe. I should have reviewed each recipe as I made it but today I decided to rate them all at once. I love peanut butter and make my own and adding it to this recipe, what can I say other than yummy.
I am a Vegan and James creates a lot of Vegan recipes – well done James.
Thanks for all the great reviews Alicia 🙂
This is a super recipe, I mean delicious!
Really gorgeous sweet potato recipe. Made a good size batch so could freeze the rest. Lovely with rice x
Thank you Joanne, so pleased you enjoyed it 🙂
Any suggested non-nightshade substitute for the tomatoes?