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.
I just made this and it was delicious. I usually do not like peanut based sauces but wanted to try it. The collard greens really make the peanut taste super mild and just a perfect and interesting taste. THANK YOU>
Yes! Happy to hear that you enjoyed the soup after all, Rebeca!
I kept putting off making this soup because I was just not sure I would like it. What a mistake, I LOVED THIS SOUP! My 2 year old devoured his as well. So good! I can’t wait to make this again.
Awesome! Thanks, Rachel!
I love this soup! It has been one of my go-to recipes over the last year. I’ve probably made it 10+ times. Some things I’ve learned:
Sautéing the onions & ginger mellows them so they don’t pack the flavor punch of just simmering. Those with picky eaters may like that, but I’m all about the punch.
Tomatoes instead of paste makes for a thinner soup and a lighter (fresher?) taste which can be better in warmer weather.
Even as easy as this soup is, I love freezing leftovers & thawing them (and some frozen brown rice) out for a super quick healthy worknight meal.
Melinda, thank you for solving those mysteries! I really appreciate your feedback/tips!
Hey! I made the soup and posted my results on my blog- gave you a link back and shout out! Thanks for the recipe!
http://prettypolymath.com/2014/07/31/west-african-peanut-soup/
mind blowing delicious, as usual! excited for my leftovers today :)
Thanks, Tricia!
I love this soup so much! I make it at least twice a month and my boyfriend and I devour it. Super easy and, honestly, who doesn’t love peanut butter in anything?
Thanks, Isabella! I’d put peanut butter in everything if I could. :)
Okay, this Northern Minnesota girl was skeptical of this soup…but wanted to try something new for the hubby and I. This was AWESOME! I substituted Tuscan Kale for collard greens and oh my yum yum yum!
Just made this tonight for a crowd, and it was a huge hit! I used cayenne powder instead of hot sauce and it brought the flavours together perfectly.
That’s great to hear. Thanks, Elena!
I made your West African Peanut Soup for me and my girls (5 & 2)…It was so delicious, they were lapping it up like little puppies. We used spanish peanuts to top it! Delicious! Enjoyed every bite and will make it again soon! Thank you!
Thank you, Katie! So glad you all enjoyed the soup.
I keep coming back and making this soup time after time. It’s so delicious. This time, I used a can of coconut milk (full fat) in place of two cups of vegetable broth, and then I only used half a cup of peanut butter. I saute my onions, garlic, and ginger in a little coconut oil first, then add the tomato paste (and harissa!!), then the broth, peanut butter, and kale. This recipe is so comforting…perfect for fall!!
Thanks, Alyssa! Glad you’re loving the soup! Your version sounds delicious.
I made this today and it was soooo good! It really made my day.
This might just be one of my new favorite foods.
I added a full cup of peanut butter, some black pepper and added a little bit of sugar to help bring out all of the flavors a little more, plus a little bit of corn starch to thicken it up just a little bit.
Delicious!!!!
Great recipe, thanks for inspiration! You can see my adaptation of it here: http://maikinmokomin.blogspot.fi/2014/09/lansiafrikkalainen-maapahkinakastike.html
I made this last night, and I think this is going to become a new staple recipe in my kitchen! I added a little more tomato paste because I loveeee tomato flavours, and I used flowering kale instead of collards and me, my roommates, and friends devoured the whole pot. Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe– I sent them here!
Thanks as always!
Awesome! Thank you, Allison! I really appreciate you sharing my blog with your friends!
Hi Kate- I made this tonight for dinner and it was so delicious! Perfect for using up some slightly wilted kale in our fridge. I’ll definitely be making it again.
Thanks for the awesome recipe :)
Thanks, Kylie! Glad you enjoyed the soup!
I found this recipe on Pinterest and finally made it last week. It was so great! My husband isn’t always into vegetarian meals, but he loved this one too.
Hooray! Thank you, Jen!
I absolutely love this recipe! After having peanut soup for the first time at a Ghanian restaurant, I wanted to make something with that same sort of taste. I have since made this recipe multiple times, served it to many guests, and everyone loves it! Usually I serve it with brown rice and because I live in Iceland, collard greens are hard to come by, so I always substitute kale. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It warms me up like a blanket and makes blustery grey days feel cozy! :)
Thank you, Kirsten! I’m glad you and your guests enjoy the soup! So neat to know that it’s been made in Iceland. :)
I found out about this recipe through a coworker three weeks ago and since then I’ve already made it four times and shared it with half a dozen people! It’s delicious and has become one of my most favorite dishes. Thanks a bunch for posting! I personally like it with 2x the greens (spinach + collard + kale) and a can of fire-roasted tomatoes (drained) in addition to the tomato paste. I’m excited to explore your blog for more great recipes!
Thanks, Danielle! I’m so glad you’re loving the soup. Your extra greens and tomatoes version sounds super tasty! Thank you for sharing my blog with friends, I really appreciate it!
Hi there Kate, I’d love to cook this but am rubbish at ‘cups’! Could you tell me the amount of stock in ml please, and the peanut butter and tomato paste in g??
Thanks!
Clare
Hey Clare, I’m sorry about that! Six cups is 1420 mL. I’d have to measure out the peanut butter and tomato paste in grams and I’m not at home to do so. If it helps, 3/4 cup peanut butter would be 177 mL and 1/2 cup tomato paste is 118 mL.
This sounds delicious except I’m allergic to peanuts. Do you think this recipe will work well, meaning taste just as good or close with almond butter?
Hey Stephanie, that’s a really good question. I know a couple of others have mentioned making it with almond butter but no one has reported back. I *think* it would be good with almond butter. I wish I could say for sure! I’m sorry. Please let me know if you give it a try.
YUM! Made this last night for my boyfriend–the first time I have ever cooked for him–andhe loved it! I did add 1 can of coconut milk in place of 2.5 cups of vegetable broth as well as a sweet potato and some chopped up ancho chiles. Delicious! I will be making this a ton. thanks so much!
Hooray! Glad the soup went over well with your boyfriend. :) Thanks for letting me know!
I’ve had this recipe pinned since you first published it and finally made it for dinner last night. Its AMAZING and so very easy… I used an entire package of chopped kale from Trader Joes and added in some red lentils to bulk it up and make it filling without the rice and it was great! I just saw someone added in coconut milk and I will definitely try it next time. Thanks for this and all of your great recipes, love! love! love! your blog!
Thank you, Beth! Glad you enjoyed it!
Found this recipe from a simple Google search for “West African Peanut stew”. It is spot on! Always happy to find new vegetarian recipes. I’m glad I stumbled across your blog! Excited to try this next time with the addition of coconut milk and jasmine rice.
Thanks, Jessica! Glad you enjoyed it!
This might officially be my favorite of your recipes. I made it last night with kale and homemade veggie stock and it was out of this world good. If I could give it six stars I most certainly would.
This is not a good alternative to authentic groundnut soup. If you want an authentic recipe get it from a ghanaian or gambian or sierre leonean.
I just have to say many thanks for this recipe!
I have made it A LOT over the last 12 months since I discovered it, and my husband says it’s his favorite soup!
I have made a few alterations however: I put sweet potato, Brussels sprouts and chickpeas in mine.
Thank you! I’m delighted to hear it. Your version sounds so tasty! Love the addition of Brussels sprouts, so clever.
I made this the other day and froze it for leftovers. It turned out so wonderfully the second time through. Will definitely make it again. Thank you for such a great recipe :)
Awesome! Thanks, Beth!
I love this recipe!! What a wonderful idea and so rich in protein already! I’ve slightly amended it and made it a chicken soup. Thanks again for the recipe!!
Wow, just wow, excellent thanks for sharing!
Thank you!
Hey, this soup looks amazing!!! You’re black bean soup is a winner in my household so I really want to give this a go. I just have one question (I did scroll through but you have a lot of comments on here!):
Did you sauté the ginger and garlic in oil or just add them to the broth? The recipe indicates that you just add it to the broth but you mentioned sautéing in oil in your introduction. I just want to clarify before I make this. Thank you – and thank you for sharing your amazing recipes! Love from London!
Hey Siya, so glad you’re enjoying the black bean soup! Sorry for the confusion on this one—I should remove my speculation from the post. No need to sauté the aromatics first. The soup turns out marvelously the easier way!
We love this soup! Especially this past summer when everyone was giving us excess kale from their gardens, but still into the winter now. We always pour a jar or two of sweet potato baby food into the broth/PB/tomato paste mix, which is incredibly easy and delicious. Don’t worry: we share with our fourteen-month-old, it’dn’t be fair to steal his food supply otherwise!
Thanks, Tim! I’m so glad you guys are enjoying the soup, never would’ve thought to add baby food to the mix but then again, I don’t have a baby around to borrow from! :)
I am a new reader, and just made this soup today. It is FANTASTIC!! I love you.
Belated welcome, Kaleigh! Glad you enjoyed the soup!
Well, it’s the dead of winter and minus 42 degrees celcius (this is where the overlap is with Fahrenheit!) where I live, so I’d say it’s a good night to make a pot of this soup. I’ve tried it before and loved everything about it except the red onions, so I’m going to make it with white or yellow from now on. Also we don’t get collard greens where I live, so I’ll add some sweet potato for bulk and some frozen spinach for greens.
My boyfriend and I are already looking forward to dinner tonight! Thanks for the amazing recipe.
Just made this soup last night…so delicious! I added a sweet potato, white beans, and tons of greens so it was thicker-more of a stew. We are eating the leftovers right now…wish we had more!
This was pretty good. I thought it was a bit heavy on the tomato flavour, but that may be because I made my own peanut butter (just peanuts, no salt or sugar). I did a few modifications and quite liked the final product. I added half a can of leftover pumpkin (really, I just needed to get rid of it because I didn’t want it to go to waste), some shredded chicken and a splash of coconut milk. I ended up with a lot of broth, and I wish I had more greens on hand. Nevertheless, this is a great recipe to warm up with this winter! Thank you!
Hi Cookie, Hi Kate!
I found and pinned this last week, and immediately tried it (same day).
Since I am inherently inable to follow recipes to a t, I added black beans and lima beans, cut up carrots and kale to make it a stew (but I don’t think that changes the taste, really) so I wanted to thank you! It was AMAZINGLY good, and actually tasted even better the day after, for lunch.
I also want to say that your site is truly inspiring and a delight to look at and navigate. So light and airy and with so much yumminess in every post!
Again, thank you – and I wish you a fantastic 2015. :)
Thank you, Zarah! Happy new year to you, too!
Made this last night – not quite the “sauce arachide” we used to get in peace corps (not enough palm oil for that! :) – but the flavor wasn’t far from it! A nice full flavored soup, given some nice body and texture from the collard greens, crushed peanuts and rice. The Sriracha was a nice touch to give it some spice. Like others have said, you could definitely add some sweet potatoes to this, maybe some crushed tomatoes, and/or throw in some browned chicken (or serve over grilled) if you wanted to add some meat. Great as it is though. My girlfriend loved it – will make it again!
Thanks, Toby! Glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Kate! I had been wanting a peanut stew for a month or so now since I had some at a nearby restaurant. I was so excited when I found your straightforward and easy to make recipe. I impatiently waited all day and went immediately to the store after work to pick up some of the ingredients. I added in sweet potato chunks and subbed kale for the collard greens (the store was out!). All in all, I loved your recipe and plan to bring some to my friend tomorrow since I made way too much for little old me and want to share the deliciousness.
Thank you! Can’t wait to make more of your recipes soon!
Thanks, Amy! So glad you enjoyed it!
Would love to try this soup. Unfortunately, my son has a peanut allergy. We use almond butter a lot as a substitute for peanut butter – do you think it would work for this recipe?
Hi Jessica, I think it would! No one has confirmed how the soup turns out with almond butter, though. I’d love to hear if you give it a try.
I have been eyeing this recipe forever wanting to make it, then when I saw it on your post yesterday I knew I had to make it ASAP. So I did! Tonight. It’s so delicious!!
Awesome! Thanks, Jenna!
I love African Peanut Soup and it’s been so long since I’ve had it. This recipe looks like a winner, so I’ll have to make it sometime soon, especially since it’s so cold out.
I am going to try to use PB2, to cut down on some of the calories. I wonder how it will turn out. I’ll keep you posted!
I make a similar soup using sweet potato and I add chickpeas as well. Your version looks beautiful… It’s damp and cold here today and I’m thinking some soup may be in order for our next meal!
Made this today. It is delicious! First time I’ve had a peanut soup/stew without sweet potatoes, and I prefer it this way. It would taste great with them, as well, though, for those who like them.
Thanks, Kim, glad you enjoyed it!
This was sooooooooo DELICIOUS! Just made this for dinner after a long day at work. Love that it was nice and simple to make and pretty quick to boot. Even hubby liked it!
Officially on my go- to recipe list!
Awesome! Thank you, Christina!
Yet another winner!!!! I used 2 tablespoons Chili garlic paste instead and it was delicious.
Fantastic! Thanks, Suzanne.
Kate, this was absolutely fantastic. Made it for the first time a few months ago, and it’s been on our rotation at least once every few weeks since. No substitutions or changes to the recipe needed, it’s absolutely a winner as is.
That’s great to hear! Thanks, Nick.
I’ve made this soup probably five times this winter,and each time I make it, I love it more. It’s a perfect combination of flavors, and I find myself craving it if I feel a bit under the weather (that combination of garlic, ginger, onion, and hot sauce is marvelous). Thank you so much for sharing this, and giving me a terrific addition to my repertoire!
Thank you, Janey! So glad you are loving this soup!
I got a good deal on collard greens at a farmer’s market yesterday and was looking for something to make with them. I came across this recipe on yummly and it led me here. I made it tonight for dinner and it was so delicious! The only thing is, it wasn’t as creamy as the pictures suggested. The only substitution I made was using water + chicken bouillon instead of chicken broth. Could that have affected the texture? Perhaps once the soup settles it might thicken up. The flavor was good though!
Hey Melanie! Hmm, I’m not sure why that happened. You might try using a little less broth… or in your case, water, next time.
Hi Kate, I made this soup tonight and my husband and I LOVED it! Terrific flavor, consistency and color, and easy to make, too. I’m new to your blog – really enjoying your great recipes and, of course, Cookie.
Hooray! Welcome to my blog, Diane. So glad you enjoyed this one.
This recipe has become a staple for us! It’s so simple to make and flavorful. Thanks for creating it! It’s my go to comfort dish.
So glad to hear that! Thank you, Jenny!
This was AMAZING!
Can’t rave about this enough, it is sooooo creamy and just…
I don’t have the words to describe how good this is!
Made it for dinner tonight, made enough for dinner tomorrow as well.
Will be making this over and over.
Think I will add little pieces of cauliflower next time :)
Just a note: I used tomato paste and it was a little runny, so I added one extra table spoon of bother peanut butter and tomato paste and bam! perfect consistency. :)
Couldn’t be happier with the results, thank you soooo much Kate!!! :D
Thank you so much, Jadzia!