This authentic West African Easy Peanut Butter Soup is made with simple ingredients: made with ground nuts in the form of creamy peanut butter, create a rich and irresistible savory broth. Roomate and fellow Costco co-worker,William Bangura, grew up in West Africa in Sierra Leon and had learned to cook from his mom and grandma. This was a real treat, to have someone cook for us. Furthermore, there are many variations of this recipe, depending on the origin. Moreover, in this Sierra Leone recipe, the meat is simmered in creamy peanut butter broth, flavored with garlic, seasonings, and some spices with a little kick to it.
What is Easy Peanut Butter Soup
Peanut Soup is a staple of African cuisine, and wow is it ever so delicious! Although, you would think stews are winter fare, the people of Sierra Leon don’t need cold weather to be inspired to cook a deliciously rich and spicy stew. The West African name for this peanut butter soup is, which translates as a ground-nut stew.
The best part is no thickeners are needed in this stew because it gets a rich creamy texture from the peanut butter melts into the sauce. It’s naturally dairy-free and gluten-free, which is a nice bonus.
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER SOUP
First, the chicken thighs or leg, on the bone, are browned in palm oil, then stewed low and slow with the rest of the ingredients: onions, garlic, ginger, sweet potatoes, crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, and habanera pepper. However, in the end, the tender chicken meat is removed from the bone, shredded, and returned to the pot. In fact, the bones add great flavor and nutrients to the stew.
Tips for Making African peanut soup:
- There’s a delicate balance when cooking peanut butter soup/stew.
- Use natural peanut butter made with only peanuts and salt.
- Whether you opt for chunky or creamy, that will really come down to your preference. Just make sure the peanut butter you use doesn’t contain oil, sugar or any other additives. We want to maximize the peanut flavor. Even though the soup/stew can look a little thin, at first, but will eventually thicken as it cools.
- Additional vegetables you can add 1 cup of spinach or kale
- Tomato paste is sometimes used.
- To use pre-made chicken broth: 6 cups low-salt chicken broth, divided
- Depending on the recipe; Garnishment used crushed peanuts and cilantro, sliced bell peppers
- Other spices used coriander.
- The estimated total cooking time is 45 minutes.
- If you want to keep this low carb, you can actually just enjoy this as a peanut butter soup on its own. And I love adding some crushed roasted peanuts on top. It adds a crunchy and salty topping that pairs really well with the creamy hearty bowl of peanut soup.
Easy Peanut Butter Soup
Ingredients
- 4 – 5 pounds of chicken legs, thighs, and/or wings.
- 4 tablespoon palm oil/olive oil/ canola, divided
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
- 2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 cups (16 ounces) canned crushed tomatoes
- 3/4 teaspoon habanera pepper
- 6 cups low-salt chicken broth, divided
- 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter at room temperature
- 1 bunch cilantro, thick stems removed, washed, and chopped for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Rinse chicken parts, pat dry, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat oil (2 tablespoons) in a large stew pot or dutch oven till hot, but not smoking. Brown the chicken over medium-high heat in batches, (4-5 pieces at a time) about 3 minutes per side. Once the chicken is browned, set it aside.
- Pour 2 additional tablespoons of oil into the pot and add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until fragrant and somewhat softened, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to the pot. Add the tomatoes (2 cups), cayenne pepper (3/4 teaspoon), and only 4 cups (out of 6) of chicken broth.
- In a bowl, which the peanut butter (1 cup) with the other two cups of broth. When fully combined, pour the mixture into the stew pot. Bring the stew to a boil, reduce heat to a steady low simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
- Remove stew from heat. Using tongs, lift chicken pieces out of the stew, remove meat from bones, and shred. You won’t need the bones for this recipe. Return shredded chicken to the stew pot. Season stew with salt and fresh pepper, to taste.
- Ladle stew into shallow bowls. Garnish generously with cilantro and peanut (optional). Enjoy!
NOTES;
**Best creamy Peanut Butter to use is the Kirkland brand from Costco; Organic,
Tips for Making African peanut soup:
- Willaim says. there’s a delicate balance when cooking peanut butter soup/stew.
- Even though the soup/stew can look a little thin, at first, but will eventually thicken as it cools.
- Additional vegetables you can add; spinach, kale,
- Tomato paste is sometimes used.
- Depending on the recipe; Garnishment used crushed peanuts and cilantro, sliced bell peppers
- You can use whatever meats and seafood are available, will be used in these types of recipes.
- Other spices used coriander.
- The estimated total cooking time is 45 minutes.
Substitutes:
Fresh is always good if at all possible. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in a pinch.
- If you don’t have fresh ginger, substitute 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger for 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.
- Instead of sweet potatoes, you can use yams, white potatoes. Although, the gold potatoes are so delicious. The texture and taste is a cross between a white potato and yam.
- You can substitute the spinach for any other hearty greens like kale, mustard greens, or collards greens, or leave them out altogether.
- To make it vegan, just leave the chicken out. You can add tofu, more potatoes, or leave as is without the chicken.
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