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.
This was AMAZING!!! I used spinach because that’s what I had on hand and it worked great. Definitely making again.
Great, Robin! Thank you so much for your star review.
Hi Kate,
I tried making this soup today, but it turned out very liquid, I’m not sure why, since I’m sure I respected your measures :(
Do you have an idea why it might have turned out this way?
It looks really amazing!!
I’m sorry this didn’t turn out perfect for you! It will be a more liquid soup. It works great over rice. Did you allow it to simmer? That helps is thicken some
The snow is melting and the sun is coming out, but there’s nothing better than a big bowl of comfort. This stew is so good I’ve been eating it everyday! I made a big batch and serve it with brown rice. The nutty flavours are a match made in heaven! Bonus: my meat-loving, pizza-fries-and-burger eating boyfriend also loves it — he’s even requested I pack it for his lunch the next day! Winner!
This recipe is our new favorite meal! I did exactly as you said – ran to the store right after, bought more ingredients, and made it again! I can’t speak highly enough of this recipe!
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing, Matthew!
I am making this for a friend who is recovering from abdominal surgery and cannot have kale, cabbage, collard greens, etc. Is it okay if I omit this ingredient (or any suggestions for a replacement) ?
Make. This. Soup! If you’ve ever enjoyed tomato soup with a toasted peanut butter sandwich (a staple of my childhood), you’ll love this savory, elevated dish. I make a triple recipe almost every week, with or without the collard greens. I like to cook the onion separately in broth and puree it with a bit of the tomato paste and peanut butter before adding it to the big pot — that process really does make for a much creamier soup. Quick, easy, and by far the best soup I’ve ever made!
Make this soup all the time using ingredients from the cupboard. Kids love it too.
Thank you for sharing, Heather!
I made this soup last night and it is uh-mazing! Very quick and easy to prepare. I sautéed the onion before boiling the vegetable broth because I’m not a fan of crunchy onion. The soup is delicious as is, but next time I will add some carrots or sweet potato and maybe chickpeas.
Thank you for sharing, Melissa! I appreciate the review.
Do you have a slow cooker adaptation?
I don’t, sorry! You could see if others have tried it by searching the comments.
This soup is awesome, I was apprehensive at first but I went all in and I’m glad I did.
I’m so glad you did, Ellen!
Very delicious. I added some sweet potatoes and canned chickpeas to “beef” it up.
I will definitely make it again!
My cookbook version has something similar. :) Thanks for sharing, Serena.
This is my second time making your recipe and its by FAR one of my favorite recipes.. ever. I add in some tofu too, and I have rotated out the collard greens for both kale or spinach. So yummy – thank you!
I’m so happy to hear that! Tofu sounds like a great addition.
Wow! This is SO good. I followed the recipe almost exactly as written. The only slight changes I made were throwing in a few chopped veggies that were about to go bad (carrots, celery, peppers) and choosing kale as my green of choice. I am already looking forward to the leftovers of rice for lunch tomorrow. Thank you, Kate!
Sounds like a great way to add to this soup, Rachelle! Thanks for your comment and review.
Our family loves ths soup! My daughter, a vegetarian, never tires of it and asks for it often. Thanks for such an easy recipe that tastes like it has been cooking all day and is of restaurant quality!
You’re welcome! I’m happy it’s a hit, Betty.
Who knew you could use one of my favourite foods, peanut butter, in a soup,
This is spectacular. First time trying Vegan cooking for a vegan guest. This will be a go to soup. Thanks Kate & Cookie
Right?! Surprise, but wonderful addition to this soup. Thanks, Lyndell!
Thank you for sharing this super-tasty and satisfying dish! It was easy to prepare and incredibly delish on rice noodles. I have yet to make a recipe from your kitchen that isn’t a home run! :-)
Love from Canada,
Val
That makes me so happy to hear, Val! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Thank you for sharing this super-tasty and satisfying dish! I have yet to make a recipe from your kitchen that isn’t a home run! :-)
Love from Canada,
Val
You’re welcome, Val!
This soup is to die for, I doubled the recipe and still people wanted more of it!
I’m glad you liked this one too, Sandra!
My family is from Ghana, and my mom made Groundnut Soup routinely. This recipe was my first attempt at Peanut soup, and it was excellent! Very authentic to the taste of my mom’s, but with a vegan twist. My only addition was chopped sweet potatoes, which made the soup sweeter. My family and I have had seconds and thirds!
I’m really happy to hear that, Anthony! I appreciate the feedback and review.
We made this soup with one sweet potato added and loved it. I will probably add a second sweet potato next time because I love the creamy texture of the soup with the chunkiness of the sweet potatoes.
Thanks for sharing, Kathleen!
Love, love, love it!! I made a peanut stew with okra,sweet potatoes,eggplant and Harrisa. This recipe was a little easier because of less ingredients than the stew. Same GREAT TASTE. Thank you.
You’re welcome, Rhonda! Thanks for your review.
I love this recipe. I have been eating this all week. I live alone so the recipe made about 8 portions. It is hearty, a little sweet and spicy, and delicious! I eat it with basmati rice. YUM!
I love that! Thanks for sharing, Christina.
This looks delicious but I’m really concerned about the sodium content. The nutritional guide says it’s over 1500g of sodium for a single serving? And that’s using low-sodium vegetable broth? That is off the charts! I can’t figure out where all that sodium is coming from unless it’s the tomato paste. Is this possibly a mistake in the nutritional facts?
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database via Nutrifox, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators. Sorry to not be more helpful! You can always use those sources and input your specific ingredients to get more accurate count.
Love, LOVE, Love this recipe! It’s a favorite in my winter meal rotation! Quick enough for a weeknight! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kim!
I made this last night before going to the gym and spent the whole hour and a half at the gym dreaming of eating it when i get back.
And it was worth the wait. Delicious! The texture was perfect and not soupy at all ( which is how i like it) and the tomato paste and peanut butter are such a great combo! I had it with basmati rice… and then later used it as a dip with some rice cakes.
I will be making this once a week for sure,I love it.
I love it, Paola! Thanks so much for your review.
Really nice recipe for my picky veggie teen and us omnivores alike! Easy to put this together as a quick dinner, and quite delicious. Thanks!
You’re welcome, Jeff!
This Soup was absolutely DELICIOUS! Second time around I served it to a small dinner party of 6 as a “starter.” They went CRAZY for it! Most of them had seconds on the soup and I was concerned they wouldn’t eat the Thai food I also served. NOT! They slam dunked ALL of it! :) The soup has become a favorite of my husband and mine. Thanks so much!
Thank you for sharing, Mara!
Used a generous amount of berbere spice, 2 small sweet potatoes, and spinach. Added sriracha to taste to kick up a little more acidity. I don’t like thin brothy soups so I did one fewer c of broth as I do for pretty much all soup recipes
Thank you for sharing, Sara!
This is so yummy and easy to make! I have made it a couple times. This last time I used kale, and I added a jalapeno, mushrooms and fresh lime to squeeze on top after it is plated. Came out super yummy. Thank you for the amazing recipes!
Sounds delicious, Len! Thank you for your review.
Delicious! Very unique flavor that would wow people that are skeptical. I like more hot flavor than sweet so I might add less peanut butter next time and add more sriracha. Loved the peanuts sprinkled on top to add crunch. Per someone else’s comment, I added chickpeas as well. Will make again!
I’m glad you liked it, Kate! Thank you for your review.
I have made it so many times, everyone who has tried it loved it. I usually serve it with my homemade sourdough bread, simply perfect!
Sounds like a great combination! Thank you for your review, Haiping!
This looks wonderful. I look forward to making it. Can I ask (sorry) what exactly do you mean by broth ? Is it a smooth liquid that goes in, or does it have bits of vegetables, lentils etc in it ? many thanks,
Broth is a liquid. You should find it in the soup section of your grocery store. Hope that helps!
I loved this soup,will definitely make this again. I served mine over rice and sautéed mushrooms on top.
This was good. I could only get kale, and it lent a slightly bitter taste to the soup so I added a little sweetener. I wasn’t blown away, but with a little vinegar and some curry powder it turned out well. The guests said they liked it and they don’t stand on ceremony.
My husband and I are working our way through your cook book ❤ (ps we are not vegetarians but have found it easy to be primarily veggie friendly with your cook book) I made this soup this evening after finding out he had never had peanut soup and he loved it! I didnt have an Srirracha but Tobasco was pretty tasty!
Great to hear, Emily!
This recipe is SO delicious. I added a white sweet potato and next time I will also add carrots. Yum. Yum. Yum.
Thank you for your review, Katherine!
I just finished making this recipe. My roommates are fixing their second bowls! I added a few dashes of red pepper flakes instead of hot sauce (only because we didn’t have any in the house). I also used organic broth and organic tomato paste (incase anyone else was wondering how it would turn out with organic ingredients). My roommate is from Lebanon and has made her own version of this before. I got her stamp of approval after using this recipe! Thank you so much!
Hooray! Thanks for sharing, Breana.
Delicious. My new favorite soup.
I sauted 1/2 of the red onion, the garlic and ginger in some corn oil along with a chopped jalapeno pepper for heat, then followed the recipe. I didn’t have collard greens so I substituted 1 small bag of frozen chopped spinach. This turned out so good. Very quick and easy to prepare. Thank you!
Spinach works well, too! Thanks for sharing, Kim.
I admit that I changed this recipe and made it non-vegetarian, but I never could’ve done it without your recipe as the base. I’ve made it a number of times now and it’s one of my favorites! I leave out the onions because I don’t like them, use a 5oz bag of spinach (de-stemmed and slightly chopped) instead of the collard greens, add two cubed zucchini that I like to sear up in a separate pan, add shredded rotisserie chicken, increase the peanut butter to about 1 cup, and use the whole can of tomato paste. I used a chili-garlic paste last night and I think it worked better than sriracha or red pepper flakes (worked a little *too* well for me actually!). It’s absolutely delicious over brown rice–so wonderful on a cold day!
Thanks for sharing, April! I’m happy it inspired you to do your own variation.
I’ve got this on my list of meals for the month… but, having little familiarity with African cuisine, I have no idea what to serve it with? What would make for a good side? We’re a pretty adventurous and veggie-loving family, so don’t hold back! I love your recipes, by the way!!
Hi Jill! Great question. Honestly, this is great on it’s own (if you serve with rice). Or, serve with a simple salad of greens with one of my vinaigrette or roasted veggie!
Wow. I’ve wanted to try peanut soup for awhile and this did not disappoint. I used dino kale a mix of creamy and crunchy pb, veggie stock and 1 sweet potato, I did not add hot sauce. It is soooo good and will definitely make again and freeze for later. Next time I will make cornbread to go with it. Thank you for sharing this.
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you loved it, Tigra.
Thank you for this recipe!! My family loves it. I add garbanzo beans, sweet potato, and zucchini when I make it.
You’re welcome! I’m glad it’s a hit with your family.
I just made it and it is absolutely amazing!
Great to hear, Jennifer!
It’s almost winter here in Australia and we have been eating this once a week for the past month. Really delicious! I add carrots and one potato to fill it out a little. Tastes amazing!
Thanks for sharing, Stacey!
Five stars, always a winner! This is my second time making this stew for dinner and it’s been consistently great (even my burger-and-fries-loving boyfriend loves it and asks me to pack it for lunch the next day!) I love that it’s so versatile — I used ingredients I already had and it always turned out delicious! Subbed chickpeas and tofu for the sweet potatoes for protein, added carrots, bell pepper, and kale, as well as a pinch each of chili flakes, paprika, and cumin, topped with cilantro, crushed peanuts, and lime, and served with brown rice…mmm! So healthy, so protein/good carbs/good fat rich, so satisfying! Makes a big batch good for a few days — which is good, because I could eat it for a few days straight!
I’m glad you are loving it, Cleo! Thanks so much for your review.
So delicious! Made some homemade peanut butter to use by grinding up peanuts in my food processor beforehand. Ate it with rice and steamed vegetables. Let it simmer a little longer so it would be a bit thicker.
Thanks for sharing, Julia!
Was somewhat afraid to try this recipe (really? Peanut butter and tomatoes?) but I made the version from your cookbook this weekend with jalapeño and sweet potato and I couldn’t believe how good it was. I will definitely be making this again!!
I know, it sounds strange but it’s so good! I’m glad you made it. Thanks for stopping to comment, Hayley.
This was SO GOOD. It does taste a lot like indian makahni curry, but without the curry spices, somehow.
Thank you for your review, Rachel!
I was skeptical about trying this but I’m glad I did. It tastes so good! Thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Shwetha
You’re welcome, Shwetha!
Hello! This looks delicious, and I am excited to try it. One question: If I were to add the chick peas and sweet potato, at what point you you recommend doing that? It seems like at the same time I add the collared greens?
I would add the sweet potatoes with the onions, then add the chickpeas when you simmer. I have a version of this in my cookbook :)
Would you say the tomato paste is essential to the flavor? I can’t have tomato, but I use a pureed carrot/beet substitute for many recipes (and that has a similar texture). It’s fairly bland, so I’m thinking the other flavors will cover it.
It really does add to the flavor of the soup. I would be interested in what a carrot puree might do! If you try it, let me know.