West African Peanut Soup

72 Reviews

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr
Ready In: 1 hr 20 min

“Tomatoes and peanut butter? YES! The first time I tried this at a health food restaurant, I was hooked. About 5 years of tweaking the recipe to my personal taste has created a spicy, sweet favorite amongst my friends and family. Luckily there is always enough for everyone!” - by DRUMNWRITE

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper, and garlic until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with their juice, vegetable broth, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
Add rice to soup and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
When rice is cooked, whisk in peanut butter and return to a simmer, and serve. Garnish with chopped roasted peanuts, if desired.

Reviews (72)

Rate This Recipe

Cookaholic

Dec. 17, 2009

"I have made this many times, and while it is wonderful as is, I have tweaked it to make it a little healthier. First, I add some carrots and celery to increase the veggie content, and only use about ..." See more3/4 - 1 cup peanut butter, which is plenty. If you find this is not thick enough, I sometimes make a cornstarch slurry to give it the same consistency as the original. I also use fire-roasted tomatoes in this, as it adds a particular rustic flavor to it. Either way, this soup is requested all the time at my work parties!"

Mike

Aug. 2, 2008

"I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea in West Africa and this is a very popular dish there. This recipe is more or less the same as what they make there. I've had this probably 200 times and I still..." See more make it here in the US. I don't even use vegetable broth, water is fine. It's also good to add a sweet starchy vegetable like sweet potatoes or butternut squash. But the biggest difference between the African version and this recipe is how it's served. I was surprised to see this being served as a soup. It's very, very rich! In Africa, they typically pour two ladels or so over a plate of rice. And if you're serving it over rice, 2-3 lbs of chicken or beef turn it into a very hearty meal."