West African-inspired peanut stew with sweet potato and quinoa
This peanut stew simmers sweet potato and chickpeas in a gingery tomato broth, then gets whisked peanut butter for a silky, rich sauce, with peas and spinach stirred in and everything spooned over quinoa.
Published .
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Protein
- ~23 g
- The vegan swap
- Creamy peanut butter does the job that heavy cream or slow-cooked meat usually would, turning a simple tomato broth rich, thick and satisfying.
- Make ahead
- The stew keeps 4 days in the fridge and tastes even better on day two. Store quinoa separately. The stew thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of broth or water when reheating.
Ingredients
Quinoa
Stew
To serve
How to make it
Start the quinoa
Add quinoa, water and salt to a small pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff.
Build the base
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until fragrant and brick red.
Simmer the sweet potato
Add sweet potato, chickpeas, diced tomatoes and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sweet potato is fork tender.
Add the peanut butter
Scoop a ladle of hot broth into a bowl with the peanut butter and whisk until smooth. Stir it back into the pot and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, until the stew turns thick and glossy.
Finish with greens
Stir in the peas and spinach and cook 2 to 3 minutes, just until the spinach wilts. Add lime juice and salt to taste.
Serve
Spoon quinoa into bowls and ladle the stew over top. Finish with chopped peanuts, cilantro, a squeeze of lime and hot sauce if you like heat.
Why this works
Blooming the spices and tomato paste in oil before any liquid goes in wakes up their flavor and gives the broth a deep, toasty backbone. Simmering the sweet potato and chickpeas right in that broth lets them soak up flavor while some of the potato’s starch thickens the pot.
Whisking the peanut butter with hot broth first keeps it from clumping, so it melts into a smooth, rich sauce. A short simmer after it goes in lets the fats emulsify, and a last hit of lime cuts the richness so every bite tastes bright.
Tips
- Use natural peanut butter with just peanuts and salt. Sweetened kinds make the stew taste like dessert.
- Mash a few sweet potato cubes against the side of the pot for an even thicker stew.
- Swap the spinach for chopped kale or collards. Add them with the sweet potato for the last 5 minutes so they soften.
Questions about this recipe
Can I use crunchy peanut butter?
Yes. The sauce will be a little less silky but you get extra texture. Whisk it with the hot broth the same way so it melts in evenly.
Can I serve it with rice instead of quinoa?
Absolutely. White or brown rice works great, and so does couscous or crusty bread for dunking.