Groundnut Stew or Peanut Stew is hearty, comforting, and perfect for fall. This vegan recipe is inspired by West African peanut stews, and adds butternut squash, chickpeas, and kale.
What are Groundnuts?
Groundnuts or earth-nuts are another name for peanuts (which are actually legumes, not nuts!). Peanuts are plentiful throughout much of Africa and the Caribbean, and because of this, they often serve as the base for a variety of soups, stews, and sauces.
This particular Groundnut Stew is inspired by the peanut stews in West Africa, particularly Sierra Leone.
What types of peanuts are used in groundnut stew?
Typically, peanut stew is made with freshly ground peanuts. But that’s a whole process, so we’re going to a take a bit of a shortcut today and use natural creamy peanut butter. Natural peanut butter has no additional additives like oils that can affect the taste and consistency of the stew, so we’ll get a more authentic flavor. Plus, peanuts naturally produce oils, which we’ll get from the natural peanut butter! We also want to use a creamy peanut butter instead of the chunky variety because that will ensure the stew is nice and smooth. This recipe calls for salted creamy peanut butter, but feel free to use unsalted and adjust the seasonings to your taste.
The recipe…
This recipe is so simple! We already know the main ingredient: peanuts. But there are a few other ingredients needed to make this peanut stew extra special.
Since we are approaching fall, I also added butternut squash to the recipe, along with chickpeas. Those additions make this a hearty peanut stew that you can eat over rice, or with naan as I did. I also added some beautiful tuscan kale for some color and to sneak in some veggies! To round out the flavors, I’d also included vegetable broth, jalapenos, harissa paste, ginger, and some ground spices in the recipe. The peanut butter can make this recipe very claggy (my British way of saying heavy), so it’s important to balance the flavors with spices and a lot of liquid.
- Step 1 – sautee the onions, garlic, ginger, and jalepeno. Add the spices and cook down.
- Step 2 – add the butternut squash, cooked chickpeas, and peanut butter. Stir until well combined. Cook for 20 minutes, or until squash is tender.
- Step 3 – Add harrissa paste and kale. Cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped nuts and cilantro and serve!
Can I make this nut free?
I know it sounds a bit silly to ask whether you can make peanut stew nut free, but the answer is totally! If you have a nut allergy or want to avoid nuts for any reason, don’t shy away from this recipe! You can substitute sunflower butter or tahini into to still get a nice earthy taste, without the nuts. Of using tahini, I’d only use half of the amount of peanut butter the recipe calls for.
Looking for more fall recipes? Try:
Caramelized Mushroom and Tamarind Pizza
Doubles (aka Curried Chickpea Flatbread)
Share this recipe…
If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know by rating it and leaving a comment below. I would love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag #sweetandsorrel on Instagram!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil (e.g. canola)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeno, diced with seeds
- 2 inches fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 2 tsp corriander
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth more for thinner stew/soup
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 small butternut squash, cubed
- 1 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter
- 2 tsp harissa paste optional
- 1 bunch tuscan kale, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- crushed peanuts and cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, and ginger and cook for 3 minutes..
- Add cumin, coriander, paprika, cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste, vegetable broth, chickpeas, butternut squash, and peanut butter until well combined. Increase heat to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until butternut squash is tender.
- Add harrisa paste (optional) and kale. Cook for another 5 minutes on low heat. Taste stew and season with salt and pepper until seasonings reach your desired taste. If using salted peanut butter, you may not need any additional salt. Garnish with chopped nuts and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Notes
Did You Make This Recipe?
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