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.
One of my favorites! I make it all the time!
Great to hear, Kate!
Very good, added a tablespoon or so of fish sauce to round out the flavor. And yes this freezes nice
I love your version of this tasty soup! I’ve made it many times. It’s quick, easy and filling. Thank you for sharing
Love this recipe. First African peanut soup I taste. Can I make it ahead and freeze it? I am looking for meals I can freeze and then heat post-partum. Thank you for the recipe!
If you try it, let me know! I’m glad you love it, Vilma.
I love this soup! I am living in Turkey and right now, no sweet potatoes available nor chard. I substituted fresh pumpkin for the potatoes and spinach for the chard. Absolutely yummy! Oh, and no tomato paste so I blanched, pureed and made my own tomato paste. More labor, but so worth it! Thank you for your creative genius!
I just made this for the first time, and the flavor was spectacular!
I love this recipe! And I do put the sweet potato in! So delicious!
Great to hear, Gwen!
Sounds and looks so good. We don’t like spicy so would leave out the hot sauce but I am guessing it would still be good.
I just made this soup for New Year’s Day and added 2 cups of cooked black-eyed peas. I believe I saw you post that somewhere, which is where I found the recipe. OMG it is so delicious! I’m eating my second bowl right now. Next time I make it, I am doubling the recipe! I didn’t serve it over rice or anything. I just added A LOT of collard greens and the black-eyed peas which made it chunky. I also used an immersion blender before adding the collard greens and black-eyed peas. I hope it brings me lots of good luck in 2024! Happy New Year!
I’m glad it was a hit! Thank you for sharing how you made this soup, Tami.
This is so good and simple to make! Definitely on our weekly soup rotation :)
Can I use salted peanut butter and leave out the teaspoons of salt or lesson it?
Amazing!!!
Thank you, Chantal!
I made this today. I used Cabbage and tofu. Next time I will try with chard, kale and tofu. I had it on its own workout rice and it was delicious thank you
Delicious! All your recipes are delicious!
I followed it exactly as written. My husband and I enjoyed every mouthful. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow
Thanks Kate
Great to hear, Jane!
Hi Kate! Getting ready to make the Aftican peanut soup from your cookbook. I want to add a protein-maybe boneless chicken breasts. Would I be able to do this in a crockpot/slow cooker? If so, any specific instructions? Or is it best in a dutch oven?
Thank you!!
I don’t have specifics for you since I am a vegetarian, sorry!
This was a delicious and rich soup. For somebody who is both gluten and lactose intolerant, it felt like a gift to be able to look at the creaminess of this soup and know that it is safe to eat. Instead of the hot sauce, I chopped a few hot, green chilies and added them to the onion, garlic and ginger mix.
Very good and will definitely make again. Thank you, Kate
Great to hear, Shoba! I appreciate your review.
Made this tonight for the first time. It was fantastic! So flavorful.
Great to hear, Patti!
I’ve made versions of African peanut Soup over the years, inspired by the spices of a local, much missed restaurant, Le Petit Dakar. Mine is different every time. Today’s adds sorrel and chives from the garden, chick peas and beans with a home made chicken stock built from leftover chicken in tomato sauce. For heat, a local artisan’s giner and chili mix is perfect. What strikes me about your recipe is something I had not thought of before: blending tomato paste into the (organic) peanut butter. Such a simple thing, but it has somehow made a great difference—thank you! Another takeaway from your site is the rather lovely exchange of ideas and appreciation shown in your followers. Congrats to all…we need much more of that. Happy eating!
This is a favourite recipe of mine – I add a sweet potato and just cook it from the same time as the red onion, and then when I add the kale I add a can of chickpeas too.
It’s so hearty and so dang delicious, and freezes really well. 10/10 soup/stew. I don’t eat it with rice but it goes beautifully with some toasted bread!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Rose!
My husband (non-vegetarian) and I (vegetarian) absolutely love this soup. It’s so simple to throw together, filling, and delicious. It’s blazing hot outside here in TN, but he just requested me to make it tomorrow. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
You’re welcome, Ashley!
I make it with chicken since I am a strict meatatarian It is fabulous. Best soup ever.
I love this soup and have been making it for years! It is especially tasty with a can of coconut milk added to it!
This is so creamy and comforting! This time I didn’t have kale (no mention of the Collard Greens: I don’t Even know what it is in French?!) so I scattered some(quite a lot actually) arugula on the top of each bowl and it worked beautifully.
I would say this is not the kind of soup you turn to when you’re not really hungry but need something hot and light before you go to bed : it is filling!
Is there supposed to be sweet potato and chickpeas in the recipe? This one looks different than before and from the cookbook.
100 stars! How can something this simple be this good? I’ve made it with fresh ingredients, but I just made it with frozen ginger, garlic, and collard greens, and it is just as good. With the frozen ingredients I can be 30 minutes away from this soup at all times this winter (and with a lot less chopping).
I rarely measure but it always wows those I serve. Typically serve over rice and I’ve always added a can of chickpeas for texture – not for everyone but would recommend! Aldi a great optional garnish is just a hint of avocado :)
I’ve made this since at least 2017 and haven’t found a person who didn’t love this recipe!
I sweated the onions first, then added the ginger and garlic til fragrant over med heat, then added the stock. I used all stock, no water.
While simmering I roasted diced sweet potatoes in peanut oil, salt, fresh cracked back pepper, about 35 minutes at 425°F for a little bit of crisp and heavy caramelization.
After simmering I whisked in 1/4 tsp of xantham gum to thicken slightly.
Served over rice, and some of the sweet potatoes. Even my kids liked it.
Kate! Another fantastic recipe. It’s turned very cold down here in the southeast so this will definitely be on my soup for dinner menu. I’ve never made a p-nut soup so I’m really eager to try it. It’s sounds so delicious. Thank you again!
I made this two nights ago using chard as that was what I had on hand. My husband, who is not very adventurous liked the soup! I’m looking forward to eating the leftovers.
This is the best soup I’ve ever had. I’ve made it SO many times. It’s the weirdest combination with unlikely flavors, and it just works. I make a double batch often.
If you do make this, here’s my pointers: Definitely add a can of chickpeas when you add the kale. Also, when cooking the red onion, also add a medium chopped sweet potato. Double those if making a double batch. Don’t skip the chopped peanuts at the end and add a squeeze of lime. Serve over brown rice too. Omit the jalapeno unless you have a hankering for it because I’ve made it with and without and it adds nothing really IMO, except burning hands. Lastly, do not use peanut butter with any ingredients except for peanuts and salt. Smuckers natural fits the bill just fine. I use a whole 16 oz jar when making a double batch. I got these suggestions from other comments and also some were right in the notes of the recipe. Thanks for this awesome recipe, Kate!
What a terrific soup. My husband ate two bowls at one sitting.
I added the sweet potato and chickpeas.
I always trust your recipes and this one was a winner.
Was great! I added sweet potatoes and chickpeas as well. Adding it to my meal rotation.
My wife and I have been using this recipe for at least 5 years now. We were surprised by the recent addition of jalapeños, but just made it and it works great, thank you!
I could have sworn that this recipe when I first saw it had ginger in it. Neither here nor there I have love the recipe I just add the ginger to it. Love love this recipe.
I didn’t have sweet potatoes so added a tin of navy beans and spinach rather than kale. My peanut butter was natural so added a dash of ketchup for some sweetness and cider vinegar to enhance flavour. It was very delicious.
I love this and it’s a go-to lazy recipe. I live in the UK so I use a whole bag of spinach instead of collard greens or kale.
I also use sriracha sauce.