Recipe: Vegan West African Peanut Stew

We found this simple delicious recipe on Budget Bytes - with a rich peanut and tomato sauce, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and crunchy peanuts, this Vegan West African Peanut Stew is comfort in a bowl! 

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic 
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 sweet potato (about 1 lb.) 
• 1 medium onion 
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 6oz. can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup natural style peanut butter
• 6 cups vegetable broth 
• 1/2 bunch collard greens (4-6 cups chopped) 

Optional Garnishes

• 1/4 bunch cilantro 
• 4.5 cups cooked brown rice 
• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts 
• Plant People Mind+Body drops.

Method

1. Peel and grate the ginger using a small holed cheese grater. Mince the garlic, and dice the onion. Sauté the onion, ginger, and garlic in a large pot with the olive oil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the onion becomes soft and translucent.
2. While the onion, ginger, and garlic are sautéing, peel and dice the sweet potato into 1/2-inch cubes. Add the sweet potato cubes, cumin, and red pepper to the pot and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomato paste, peanut butter, and vegetable broth to the pot. Stir until the peanut butter and tomato paste have mostly dissolved into the broth. Place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to high. Allow the stew to come up to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and allow it to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are very soft.
4. While the soup is simmering, prepare the collard greens. Use a sharp knife to remove each stem (cut along the side of each stem), then stack the leaves and cut them into 1/2-inch wide strips. Place the chopped collard greens in a colander and rinse very well
5. Once the stew has simmered for 15-20 minutes and the sweet potatoes are very soft, stir in the collard greens. Let the stew simmer for about 5 minutes more, then begin to smash the sweet potatoes against the side of the pot to help thicken the stew.
6. Finally, taste the stew and add salt or red pepper, if desired. Serve the stew with a scoop of cooked rice (about 3/4 cup), a few chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of sriracha, if desired.

Enjoy!!!

For original recipe and text, please visit

Budget Bytes

Reviewed by Gabe Kennedy

 Co-Founder of Plant People, Gabe Kennedy is an acclaimed chef and entrepreneur. Growing up in a house of healers and herbalists, he is passionate about the power of food as a tool for health, and actualized this passion and belief system into his company, Plant People. Named to Forbes 30 under 30 Gabe has shaped menus and cooked his way around the world with his mission to promote a more communal, green and healthy world.

 Gabe is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. You can learn more about his work at his website.