West African Peanut Soup – Your Way

What’s West African Peanut Soup? That’s a great question!

Imagine, if you will, the combined flavors of fire-roasted tomato, sweet potato, and peanut. Got that? Now add garlic, fresh ginger, and cumin or curry.

Just one too many ingredients short of ridiculous. Which is where BRILLIANT always hovers. Risky, almost to the edge, maybe leaning precariously, but still on solid ground.

Still with me? Just for fun throw in a spicy green chile pepper. And finally, to soften the whole effect, perhaps a whopping pour of coconut milk. Or chicken stock.

Got it? You’re now either running to the kitchen to see if you have all the ingredients or hopping over to this fabulous winter soup instead.

No worries. Either way you’re a good person. There’s simply no accounting for taste. And this soup undoubtably pushes the boundaries.

What Does West African Peanut Soup Taste Like?

It’s hard to say because there are no iron-clad parameters for this soup, making the cornucopia of available recipes interpretations rather than law. You’ll notice in the mix of photos that many of these are titled stew rather than soup. What we want to create here is definitely a soup. Intense flavor, packed with a melange of happy-together ingredients with a flavor-packed liquid base.

The ingredients are predictable (sweet potato, tomato, green chile, peanut, garlic, ginger, and cumin or curry spices). The unpredictability is in the proportional quantities of each. And that of course makes ALL the difference.

For instance, there’s this version with ¼ cup peanut butter for a three-quart batch of soup. That’s on the conservative side of peanut butter for the recipes I’ve perused. The less peanut butter, the lighter the texture of the soup.

And then there’s this version with a whopping cup of peanut butter for a similar size batch of soup. It looks almost like a sauce coating the veggies and chicken.

Lastly, take a look at this google search page, and you’ll see that most of the soups in this category are on the thick side. We’re going to go all in on flavor and color here, while keeping the texture on the light side. This approach enables all the wonderful ingredients in the soup to share the stage with the base.

(Don’t be thrown by the photo below. That heap of peanut butter is for show only. I use only 1-2 tablespoons.)

So Let’s Talk Nuts. Are Peanuts Indigenous to West Africa?

Short answer first: No.

Peanuts were grown as far north as Mexico when the Spanish began their exploration of the new world. The explorers took peanuts back to Spain, and from there traders and explorers spread them to Asia and Africa. West Africans were however the first people to introduce peanuts to North America in the 1700s.

So now you have the basic idea. It’s always great to see how the world at large is viewing a dish before following your own muse into new territory. It gets the creative juices flowing. And you will make many discoveries of your own along the path.

Besides Peanuts What’s West African About This Soup?

Spices! Specifically, a blend of spices hailing from North Africa/Middle East. Take your pick from the list below. They’re all wonderful.

Middle Eastern Spice Blends (Choose One)

I always have custom spice blends on hand because I use them frequently. Any one of these will work for this soup. A blend of spices rather than a single flavor note (cumin is often suggested) is my preference for this soup (and most others I create as well).

Baharat (North Africa/Middle East: black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, nutmeg, paprika)
Garam Masala (Northern India: black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, red pepper)
Mejadra Spice (Cross between Baharat (North Africa) & Ras el Hanout (Morocco): allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, turmeric)
Ras el Hanout (Morocco: allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, turmeric)

What’s Better in West African Peanut Soup, Peanuts or Peanut Butter?

Peanuts! Period!

Well obviously, opinions vary. If you do a search on this soup, you’ll find most top-ranking recipes contain peanut butter. Some famous restaurants claim their peanut butter version of this soup is their most ordered dish. They’re FAMOUS for it.

Which leaves me utterly baffled. After several trial runs, I’m convinced that a copious quantity of peanut butter doesn’t belong in this (or any) soup.

But remember, tastes vary. To test, make the recipe without peanut butter. Sample a small amount of finished soup with a tiny hit of peanut butter. Notice the texture and notice the taste. And then, if you love it, add peanut butter to the entire batch.

YOU are all that matters here. It’s YOUR soup!

Equipment

6-7 quart soup pot

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (or neutral cooking oil)
1 medium skinned, chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons LunaCafe Baharat, Garam Masala, Mejadra Spice or Ras el Hanout
1 tablespoon skinned, minced garlic
1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
1 medium stemmed, seeded, ribs removed, minced green poblano or Anaheim chile
4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
2 cups fire-roasted crushed tomatoes (14.5 ounce can)
2 cups peeled, diced sweet potato, sugar pumpkin, acorn squash, or butternut squash
4 cups roughly chopped Lacinato kale, ribs removed and discarded

Optional

2 tablespoons creamy style natural peanut butter

Optional Garnishes

chopped roasted, salted peanuts
diced poblano chile
chopped fresh cilantro
crumbled croutons
fresh lime wedges

Instructions

In a 6-quart soup pot, over medium-low heat, add olive oil and onions.
Stirring constantly, sauté slowly until onions are softened (not browned), about 4 minutes.
Add Baharat (or other suggested spice blend), garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add green chile and cook for 1 minute.
Add tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring, until paste darkens.
Add stock, crushed tomatoes, and sweet potatoes.
Bring to a slow simmer and stir until fully combined.
Turn heat to low and simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Add kale and cook until just tender, about 3 minutes.
Optional: Add peanut butter and stir to melt and combine.
To serve, ladle hot soup into bowls and garnish with peanuts, chile, and cilantro.
Accompany each serving with a wedge of lime.

Makes 2 quarts | Serves 4-6