West African Peanut Soup With Chicken
Updated February 28, 2024
Evan Sung for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
¾ cup roasted and shelled peanuts
2 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn
1 medium red or white onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ pound skinless, boneless chicken (about 2 thighs or breasts) cut into chunks
Pinch of cayenne
Salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 cups stock or water
2 sweet potatoes or yams (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into thick slices
8 plum tomatoes, cored and halved (canned are fine; drain and reserve liquid for another use)
½ pound collards or kale, washed and cut into wide ribbons
¼ to ½ cup peanut butter, chunky or smooth
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
59 grams carbs; 53 milligrams cholesterol; 716 calories; 19 grams monosaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 40 grams fat; 12 grams fiber; 1888 milligrams sodium; 38 grams protein; 19 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Chop peanuts, or crush them with the side of a knife, or pulse them in a food processor to chop roughly.
- Step 2
Put oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat; a minute later, add onion, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add chicken and continue cooking for another 3 or 4 minutes, until just coloring. Add ½ cup peanuts and the cayenne and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Step 3
Stir in the stock and the sweet potatoes, bring to a boil, and turn heat down to medium-low so the soup bubbles gently. Stir in tomatoes and collards, then cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Step 4
Stir in ¼ cup peanut butter. Taste, adjust seasoning (you may want to add more peanut butter at this point) and serve, garnished with remaining peanuts.
Private Notes
Comments
I've made this recipe about a dozen times over the years and I've come to a point at which I'm very satisfied, so I'd like to share. First of all, African peanut soup benefits from being flavorful and thick, and falls flat when it's brothy and bland. I more than triple the amount of garlic, ginger, and ground peanuts! Subbing freshly ground peanuts for jar PB makes a big difference. I add cinnamon, carrots, and sub the stock for fresh bone broth & some coconut milk.
This is in regular rotation in our house. We serve it to guests. We usually use Jiffy or similar sweetened peanut butter. Despite our efforts to be health conscious, when we make it with natural, unsweetened peanut butter it tastes like something is missing, and we usually end up adding a tablespoon of sugar to the pot. I also find the PB blends in better if you scoop out a 1/2 cup of soup liquid, wisk in the PB, then add it back to the pot.
We've taken to making this with cashews in place of the peanuts. The texture of the cashews in the soup is so luxurious we can never go back. This is one of my favorite recipes of all time.
I made this without the chicken and used vegetable broth because I wanted to try it for a fundraiser that’s vegetarian. Maybe used more peanut butter and cayenne than the recipe calls for, but every bit as good!
Make again - delish! I used less sweet potato (only about 3/4 of a pound) and cut it into cubes rather than big slices. I also think next time I would add more chicken, just to get more protein on board. Also, be sure to use all chicken broth and not water in order to maximize flavor.
We make a vegetarian version of this near the solstice; insanely filling and comforting. Sub out the chicken with 1 cup each pre-cooked black eyed peas and rice, and add some soy and nutmeg to the PB with some of the soup broth to get it smoother to whisk in. I also use a sweetened PB -- salt and sugar aren't bad for you!