Vegetarian Peanut Soup
This West African peanut soup recipe is made with pantry staples and collard greens. It's a creamy, spicy vegan soup that's easy to make on busy weeknights.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 5, 2024
I know that peanut butter, tomatoes and collard greens may seem like an unlikely combination, but I hope you’ll trust me on this one.
This recipe was originally inspired by a friend’s vegan cookbook called Local Bounty. With the author’s headnote, “Of all the soups we serve in my restaurant, this one is by far the most popular,” and his endorsement, I trusted that this soup was a safe bet.
If you love this recipe, be sure to check out the revamped peanut soup with sweet potatoes and chickpeas in my cookbook!
We taste-tested the soup with a few different hot sauces (none of them African) and decided that we liked sriracha was the best. It provides just the right punch of heat.
The end result is a creamy, nourishing soup made of basic pantry ingredients, herbs and greens. It doesn’t require much prep and the hot sauce cuts down on the total number of ingredients, so it’s perfect for cold days and lazy weeknights.
I originally titled this soup “West African Peanut Soup.” While it’s inspired by West African peanut soups, it’s not authentic by any stretch. I’m told that authentic recipes do not contain collard greens, and I believe they often contain meat, among other details.
As a vegetarian, this recipe may be the closest I’ll ever taste to the authentic dish, and I love it for all of the aforementioned qualities. Whether you’re vegetarian, vegan, or follow any diet under the sun, I hope you love it, too!
Vegetarian Peanut Soup
This West African-inspired peanut soup recipe is a creamy and comforting, spicy vegan soup. Made with a simple combination of peanut butter, tomato paste and collard greens, this soup comes together quickly and would be a great weeknight meal. If you love spicy flavors like me, don’t hesitate to use liberal amounts of ginger and garlic. Recipe yields 6 bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 medium jalapeño (optional, for heat), seeded, ribs removed, and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fine salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons finely grated or minced fresh ginger
- 4 medium cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 4 cups (32 ounces) vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- ¾ cup creamy peanut butter*
- 6 ounces tomato paste
- 1 medium bunch collard greens or kale (about 8 ounces), tough ribs removed and leaves chopped into bite-size pieces
- Hot sauce, preferably Sriracha
- For serving (optional): 1 batch of cooked brown rice
- For garnish (optional): ¼ cup roughly chopped roasted peanuts and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, jalapeño (if using), and a dash of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and water, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Meanwhile, in a heatproof medium bowl, combine the peanut butter and tomato paste. Transfer 1 to 2 cups of hot broth from the pot to the bowl. Whisk the mixture until smooth, then pour the peanut mixture into the soup and mix well.
- Stir the collard greens into the soup and continue cooking until the soup is nice and thick, with sufficiently softened greens, 15 to 25 minutes longer. Season the soup with hot sauce to taste (I usually add over 1 tablespoon Sriracha, but I like spicy soups). Remove the pot from the heat and add more salt to taste, if necessary (I often add up to ½ teaspoon more).
- Serve the soup in bowls as desired—perhaps over cooked rice, with a sprinkle of chopped peanuts and cilantro on top. Serve with additional hot sauce on the side.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Local Bounty: Vegan Seasonal Recipes by Devra Gartenstein and my cookbook, Love Real Food.
Change it up: Add 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice, with the onion. You can also stir 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained, into the soup with the collard greens.
*Peanut butter options: I use unsweetened natural peanut butter in this recipe (salted or unsalted both work). If you’re allergic to peanuts, substitute almond butter or sunflower butter and skip the peanut garnish.
Recipe edits: In 2025, I retested this recipe and matched it to my cookbook’s cooking method, which yields superior flavor and texture. The ingredients are the same, besides adding some olive oil to sauté the onion and an optional jalapeño, for heat.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
WOW. incredibly easy, even for the kitchen dummy here.
Very easy to judge where I needed to add and subtract. It delicious, it might not make the dinner party =)
thank you for the beautiful recipe. from south africa, much love
Home sick with a cold/sore throat. Perfect recipe to not have to leave the house and fight a bug. I haven’t seen collards here in Calgary but added spinach and a dash of lime juice to the bowl.
Thanks, Shelley! I’m really glad you enjoyed the soup. Feel better soon.
Hi Shelley.
I’m in Calgary too… I see Collard greens from time to time at Sobeys.
So satisfying and flavorful, yet a cinch to make! I meant to thank you after I first made it. Today we had it for lunch (had frozen it)—still simply wonderful.
And Cookie is adorable—what an alert, happy dog (I can tell!)
Thank you, Ellen! Glad you’re enjoying my recipes. Cookie says hi. :)
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve never had peanut stew before and I used your recipe plus another to make my own version. It was great!
I posted my experiences making this recipe on my blog at
http://bloginspiredcooking.blogspot.com/2013/07/out-of-africa-peanut-stew.html
Thanks for sharing, Jessica! So glad my recipe could provide some inspiration.
This soup has become a staple of our house! Amazing!!!!! I added some maple syrup to the mix to counteract the rooster sauce, and it gives a great taste. Love your site and thanks for giving me fun recipes to try as I learn to cook vegan!
Thanks, Lexi! I bet maple syrup lends some sweet complexity, I’ll have to give it a try!
Amazing recipe! just made this tonight! I lived in Toronto for a while and close to my office was a place called Soup Nutsy (a play on the Seinfeld creation) and they have THE BEST West African Senegalese Peanut Chicken Stew… whenever i had a bad day, it was down to Soup Nutsy for a bowl of my favourite stew and a little pick-me-up mid day. Since moving to Vancouver everything has been wonderful EXCEPT the fact that I am no longer close to the stew. I have been scowering the web for a recipe that mimics that of the Toronto stew but so far haven’t found one as close (or easy!) as yours!!!!! I Added chicken to it and it was just like being back in Toronto!!! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I am in love with your blog, and since being gluten and dairy free have had a very hard time finding good recipes so thank you thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!! – Your Canadian admirer!
Thank you, Kyra! I’m delighted you’re enjoying the soup so much!
Kate, you hit this one out of the park!!! The West African Peanut Soup is fabulous! I made the soup for my family, the night before my niece’s wedding, and everyone loved the soup. I have made the soup two different ways; with the collards and kale and both are delicious. My favorite is with the kale. Umm, umm, good! Thank you Kate…the meals I prepare from you recipes always put smiles on the faces of my family. I’m a fan!
NeeC, I’m so sorry I didn’t respond sooner to your wonderful comment. Thank you for writing me! I’m really delighted that you and your family are enjoying the soup and other recipes. Hope you have a great weekend!
My anut made me peanut soup 15 years ago and I keep thinking about how delicious it was. This recipe seems similar to hers because i remember it being a little spicy. Going to make this soon.
Hope the soup brings back fond memories for you, Lee!
I have made this now several times, served it to friends and family and passed on the recipe to many. It is my most favourite soup recipe. I always have some ready in the freezer for soup emergencies. And I always have the ingredients on hand to make more. Thank you for this great recipe. :)
P.S. I have also made this with spinach! Delicious!
Leanne, I know it’s been a while, but I just wanted to say thank you for commenting! I’m delighted that you enjoy the soup so much. I need to start freezing soup for those “soup emergencies.” :)
This is so great! Thank you!
I don’t like peanut butter so I’ve been looking for a good way to use the jar I bought a while ago and this turned out better than expected. Ironically, the only thing bothering be about the soup is the butter, so next time I’ll try making it with just a bunch of chopped peanuts and I think it’ll turn out even better.
Glad you enjoyed the soup, Olivia! It won’t be as creamy without the PB, but as long as you like it without, that’s all that matters!
I’ve been eyeing this soup for so long and finally declared that the chilly fall air outside meant it was time to try it, and oh my goodness, it’s so wonderful and comforting! I think I might try adding tofu next time to add another texture. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Thank you for commenting, Tessaly! I’m really glad you enjoyed the soup!
Oh my STARS. I made this today with the servings cut in half. Because it was just for me, solo. And I felt so happy when it was done because it turned out exactly as delicious as I hoped it would be!!!! So many exclamations. This was my first recipe to have tried from here, let alone many cooking blogs, and I am so stoked to try it out again.
Rate it 11/10 stars (or five out of five, yes).
Hey Miranda! Thank you! I’m so glad the soup turned out well for you. Thank you for commenting to let me know!
This is very similar to what I ate in West Africa. I make my own version, and like it best with Nutiva Organic Palm Oil and a can of organic black eyed peas. I never had it with ginger so I will give it a try. BTW you can’t go wrong adding a sweet potato. (And I am actually cooking the pumpkin version of this stew right now.) Oh! And, I usually eat it with organic brown rice, sometimes white. Trader Joe’s Oranic Power Greens work great with it, too.
Thank you for your feedback, Susie! Glad you’re enjoying the recipe! I’m definitely adding a sweet potato to mine next time.
So yummy!! I had some one give me kale and I didnt know what to do with it. So glad I tried this recipe. I served it over rice noodles and it was fabulous.
Thanks, Whitney! I’m glad you enjoyed the soup!
Quick question: Do you think this can be frozen?
Oops. Just saw some asked the same thing.
This was amazing! Made it for a few friends and everyone loved it:)
I’m glad! Thank you, Jasmine!
The soup tasts so good. In your picture it looks quite thick. Mine didnt turn out to be thick at all. Any advice?
Thanks for the receipe
Hey Minka, I’m not sure why your soup is thin. Are you sure you mixed in the peanut butter well? That’s what makes the soup so creamy.
Why did I wait so long to try this soup?? I pinned it ages ago and finally made it tonight. SO SO delicious. I served it with red quinoa and naan bread. Thanks for the recipe!
Alison, I’m so glad that you enjoyed the soup! Thank you for commenting!
Hi Kate! I know I bug you on Instagram all the time but thought I’d comment here, too. This soup was wonderful. I did saute the ginger/garlic/onions and I added sweet potatoes and diced tomato but followed the rest of your instructions. Such a great soup! Perfect for these chilly nights. I loved it with rice, too. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thanks, Lia! I always love to see your photos of my recipes and really appreciate your feedback. Happy cooking!
Hi Kate — I’ve had this blog post bookmarked for nearly a year and was reminded of it when you posted the top 10 recipes of 2013. I finally made it tonight and loved it! To help some of the people who also encountered soup that was not quite so thick — I added about another 3/4 cup of peanut butter, and then once all of the ingredients were in the pot, I brought it to a boil again. I think that helped to thicken it up nicely! Thank you for this delicious and unique recipe!
Thanks, Nicole! I’m glad you tried it. I’m a little baffled by the reports of less thick soup, but I’m glad you made it work for you! Stay warm, it’s cold out there.
Hi Kate,
I made this soup a while ago and I forgot to tell you how much I enjoyed it. I had never even thought of a peanut soup, but I love peanut sauce so of course I gave it a go. MMM I need to make this again soon
xx
THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING!!
Note to all: It is the *perfect* Polar Vortex meal…
Thank you, Kate!! Hope you and Cookie are staying nice and warm :)
Thanks, Michaelea! I can see why it would be the perfect polar vortex meal. :)
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this recap! I just started reading your blog a few months ago and I love it. Also, I have been dying for this wonderful (and completely meaty) African Peanut Sauce that a good friend of mine makes for at least a week. Now I can have the best of both worlds, with your help! I’m can’t wait to make it.
Stephanie, thank you for reading! I hope you love the peanut soup. It’s pretty delicious. :)
YUMMM! This one totally hit the spot! We made it with kale and brown rice and it was just DELICIOUS. We also subbed powdered ginger instead of fresh and cayenne instead of sriracha. I think it might become a staple in our home. Thank you!
Thank you, Nina! Glad you enjoyed the soup so much!
Wow! Wow wow wow wowowowowowowowowowow! Holy cow(less) this soup is amazing! Thank you so much for the recipe. A friend fed it to me last night and I loved it so much I came home and did a search for the recipe and then turned around and made a big pot tonight. My husband thought it was fantastic, too. Definitely a keeper!
Patti, thank you! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoy the soup so much. Hope you’ll give some of my other soups a shot, too!
This is absolutely wonderful!! Since I have had it with sweet potatoes I added them in and then added my kale in a early to make it a little softer….however even without those small changes…I know it would just as delicious! Definitely a go to recipe that I will enjoy for years to come. Five stars plus!!. Can’t wait to try the sweet potato chili. :)
Thank you, Jenn! I’m delighted to hear that you enjoyed the soup so much. I’ve been meaning to make it with sweet potatoes… I’ll have to try that soon!
I also added sweet potato and Tuscan kale and it was delicious. Even my 17 year old son had seconds! Will definitely be a go to soup recipe for our family! Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it, Michelle! Thank you for commenting!
Wow, Kate, this recipe sounded so delicious! And, cheap to boot! In fact, since I had all of the ingredients in my cupboard and freezer except fresh ginger, AND as it’s cold and snowy outside, it spurred me into making a pot of it for tonight’s dinner for the family. I always buy huge amounts of chicken when it’s on sale. Then, I put it all (including the skins) into a huge soup pot, cooking it till the chicken’s done. Removing the chicken from the broth, I’ll discard the skin, shred and cube the meat, put it into freezer bags. Then, I just pop the bags into the freezer to have on hand for recipes calling for chicken. I also save all of the delicious broth, putting it into sandwich-sized freezer bags and pop them into the freezer, too.
I used the kale, though, as that’s what I had on hand today. And, since I didn’t have fresh ginger on hand I just used about 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger I had in my spice cupboard.
I also have a very tasty Thai Jasmine rice I’m cooking to serve the African Peanut Soup with.
Thanks so very much for posting this recipe.
Oh, my gosh, Kate!!! I just HAD to come back onto your blog and report my family’s reactions. This soup was “To Die For” delicious. But a word of warning to anyone who’s trying to diet. Just two words……F O R G E T I T !! This is so decadently rich and creamy. Being on a self-imposed calorie-restricted diet to shed some weight, when making food for the family, I will use a small dessert saucer for my portion. I really hate to admit this, LOL, but I had to go back for (albeit VERY small) SECONDS! I liked the first bite, loved the second and thought I’d gone to heaven by the third, it was THAT good.
Where do I look for your other recipes?
Robyn, I’m so sorry for my late response to your wonderful comments! I’m just delighted that your family loved the soup so much. It would be hard to pass up seconds (or thirds) of this soup, that’s for sure! My website is full of my recipes: http://www.cookieandkate.com.
We make something very similar with chard and pineapple. Good way to eat greens.
This looks delicious and I’m going to make it for two different groups of friends this weekend! I was wondering if it can be made in a croc pot and what modifications might be necessary for doing it that way… Thanks!
Kathleen, I’m sorry I didn’t answer your question sooner! I wish I had firsthand suggestions to share on how to make this soup in a slow cooker. Did you try it? The recipe is pretty prime for the slow cooker because it doesn’t require any sautéing of the onions/garlic. I would throw the broth, onion, garlic, ginger and salt in the pot and let it go for a while. Once it’s warm, aromatic and the onion has softened, I’d add the remaining ingredients as instructed above and let it continue to cook until the greens wilted to suit your preferences.
Hey Kate, this looks really interesting and I tried to make it today, but for some reason my soup doesn’t seem to have the same texture that your version looks like in the photos. It’s more liquid and less thick, perhaps because I used tomato pulp from a can and not the thicker paste from a tube? Should the final product be thick as a paste?
Thanks!
Hi Matan, I’m sorry your soup didn’t turn out like the photos. Your comment reminded me of a couple similar comments. I never tried the soup with canned tomatoes, but the cookbook author suggested it as a substitution. I believe that the soup turns out much thicker if you use tomato paste instead. I’ll update my recipe to reflect that. Apologies again!
Hi Kate! I just want to let you know–this post inspired me to write my first food blog post ever, and since I’ve been trying to work up the courage to follow my bliss in this way, I have to thank you. I love your blog, and this soup was fantastic.
My post–and you’re linked =) :
http://talkingtosquid.wordpress.com/2014/02/28/good-weird-food/
Thank you so much for the inspiration.
Megan, thank you for sharing your post with me. In all sincerity, you could find a career in food writing. So well done.
Amazing. Made with kale and I can’t wait to eat another bowl.
That’s awesome! Thanks, Monica.
Thank you so much for the recipe. I tried it today, and even blogged about it (http://www.saffrongatherer.blogspot.gr/2014/03/blog-post.html). Made a nice and warm Saturday lunch in rainy Athens, Greece. Keep up the good work.
I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the soup, Efthymia! Thank you for sharing your post about it. It’s fun to see my recipe in Greek.
This was the perfect recipe to try out on my lazy Sunday. I loved it! And I also enjoyed it with a light squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of cilantro on top. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you, Elisa! Glad you enjoyed the soup!
I just made this, and oh my. It is PERFECT! Delish, and cozy, and perfect for the peanut butter obsessed! Instead of brown rice, i paired it with some quinoa… definitely a winner!
This soup is absolutely amazing!! Everyone in my family is obsessed. I was skeptical at first, but so incredibly glad I made it. Definitely a new go-to recipe for me. Thanks!
Awesome! So glad you are enjoying my recipes, Heather. :)
I am one of those cooks who hardly ever follow a recipe as is. I already had some lentils, carrots, a few cubed potatoes, peanut butter, red onions, garlic and chopped peanuts soup leftover. After seeing your recipe, I added a lot more peanut butter, ginger, more tomato paste, kale and hot sauce and a few chick peas just for good measure :-) Delish!!! Must be served with rice or naan bread. Lovely blog. I will be back.
Your version sounds fantastic, Leticia! I want some. :)
I just finished making this–wow!! I normally tend to avoid recipes that call for a lot of chopping and mincing, but this was so worth it! I followed your recipe exactly except that I added a sweet potato, which I liked, but of course it depends on personal preferences. I was actually making this to take to my boyfriend’s house for dinner tomorrow night, but I couldn’t stop “tasting” it just now. Oh well, there’s plenty left! Thanks for posting this.
Awesome! So glad you’re loving the soup, Kristen. Thank you for commenting!
YUM! This WEIRD blend of ingreds tells me it’s going to be unique and really deliciously addictive. Making this tonight but with the addition of roasted sweet potatoes — which my BF and I have renamed “sweetroots” since they are NOT tuber potatoes and are so misnamed. :) Dont you think we should start a movement to rename them? btw You have such pretty hands (photo above) especially for someone in freezing weather who spends a ton of time washing dishes and cooking! Cheers :)
This soup is totally addictive! Hope you both loved it. Sweetroots—I like that idea!
This has quickly become one of my favorite, go-to recipes! My family loves it, and I’ve recommended it to a few friends who also love it. I like to use a few hits of hot sauce, but also add 1/2 tsp of cayenne and 1 tsp cumin for an extra kick. Instead of using rice, I like to make homemade chapati for dipping. So yummy!
Thanks, Alex! So glad you’re all enjoying the soup. The more spices, the better, if you ask me!
Hi! I made this for dinner tonight (kale version) and it was delicious! I’m hooked on Sriracha now. Thanks for this lovely recipe.
Maureen, so glad you enjoyed the soup! Sriracha is tasty, isn’t it?
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! I’ve passed it along to everyone I know, and I get the same reaction each time someone makes it – WOW! My diabetic husband follows a pretty low-carb diet, and is also a picky eater… he turned his nose up when I told him the ingredients, but once he tried it he was hooked – it’s a regular request in our household, and definitely low-carb…thank you! Cheers!
Elisabeth, thank you for sharing my recipe! I really appreciate it. I’m so glad your husband enjoys it, too!
What’s the calorie count on this?
I’m sorry, I don’t provide nutrition breakdowns. Myfitnesspal.com has a handy recipe converter if you want to try it.
This is the second time I’ve made this soup in the past 6 weeks or so. I love it, as does my husband. I forget what greens I used the first time, but just tonight I used mustard greens, and they worked quite well. It’s so easy to make, and takes no time. I never have veggie stock on hand, so I always make my own with the veggie scraps while I’m prepping everything- this has worked quite well for this soup. Anyway, this soup is a total winner for me- I’m happy you shared it! It’s definitely being worked into our dinner rotation.
Carrie, thank you for commenting! I’m happy to hear that you both enjoy the soup. Great idea to make your own stock with scraps while you’re prepping—I should start doing that.
Hello, I just wanted to let you know that I made your soup and it is awesome. I made one minor change by accident. I don’t know why when the recipe clearly called for collard greens I bought mustard greens instead. I think it was a good mistake. The soup turned out awesome. I also did decide to add a large sweet potato. I baked it in the oven and chopped it up in chunks and added it to the soup. I thought the addition turned out great. It made the soup more hearty. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Austin, glad the recipe turned out great for you! Your version sounds delicious. I’ve actually never tried mustard greens, but I think it’s about time I changed that!
I love this recipe! Thank you for sharing. I add pigeon peas which gives it a little added texture, especially when I don’t have that much nut butter in the pantry!
It has been raining here for a few days and this is *exactly* what I needed! I had everything on hand and it came together nice and quick. Thanks!
Wonderful to hear. Thank you, Stacey!
Hi, I just made your soup and it’s delicious! Warm, creamy, with really fun spices. The only suggestion I would make would be less peanut butter– it’s kind of overpowering and I know it’s a peanut soup but you lose out on some of the other flavors, especially the tomato. Maybe a bit more than 1/4 cup would work, or just add it to taste. Thanks for the recipe!
LOVED this recipe. I was excited to try this recipe because my husband and I have spent some time in West Africa (Togo) and it’s always fun to be reminded of our time there. This recipe tasted totally authentic. I have a feeling we will be enjoying this soup time and time again! I substituted swiss chard for collard greens since that’s what I found at the farmer’s market and it was great.
Awesome! It’s so nice to hear that the soup tastes authentic. Thanks for commenting, Sarika!