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.
The recipe looks lovely, but just a question.. 0.5 cup of tomato paste, does that really equal 8 tablespoons? And 0.75 cup peanut butter equals 12 tablespoons? It does sound like a lot to me.
Hi Jesper! You will want to use measuring cups here. You can always find a conversion online if you don’t have cups available.
Yes 1/2 cup = 8tbsp and helpfully 1tbsp tomato paste = 15g so 1/2 cup is 8x15g = 120g. As for peanut butter 3/4 cup = 188g (1 cup = 250g for most people, but some say it’s 260g). I disagree you need cups. You just need to find a real person’s baking/cooking blog that includes both ups and grams measurements (rather than google’s random converter website that’s hard to ensure it’s correct information)
Delicious! 10/10
Thank you, Maha.
Wowwww this recipe is so good. I’ve made it before many times and I always meant to leave a review before, but here I am finally leaving one! I’ve previously made it ‘as written,’ but this last time I did put some small cubed sweet potato in along with the onions and garlic at the beginning. It turned out perfectly and added that little extra I wanted! This soup is perfect over rice or eaten just on its own.
Absolutely loved this! I followed the recipe exactly (with the addition of chickpeas as suggested in the cookbook); it was delicious and filling. I seriously can’t wait to make this again, and will double it next time!
This is still my favorite soup and I’ve made it at least a dozen times! Always with chickpeas, with kale instead of collards since that’s what I have in the garden, and occasionally with powdered ginger when I don’t have fresh ginger on hand. We haven’t tried it over rice, but my husband loves it over some plain, cooked ramen noodles. Thank you again for a fantastic recipe! I wish our winters in AZ were longer so I could enjoy this more often!
I’m glad this soup is a favorite, Alyssa!
This is one of my favorites!! I have made this recipe at least half a dozen times, and it’s so easy to adapt. I always do it a little different, and it always turns out well. I’ve used fresh and frozen collards as well as chard. I have added sweet potato, added more or less ginger, fresh chili peppers, chili paste, etc. Perfect vegan recipe!
Wonderful, Jade! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Wow, this is delicious (and an incredibly versatile recipe)!
I only had chicken broth so used that instead of vegetable, I threw in two cubed sweet potatoes and a handful of chopped shishito and hot peppers (all from my CSA) with the onion/garlic/ginger, and I added a handful of shredded coconut at the very end (last five minutes of cooking) because I wanted just a little extra touch of sweetness/richness… THIS SOUP IS SOOOO GOOD! It’s definitely going into my regular rotation (right alongside your A++++ veggie lasagna)!
I have made many of your recipes, but ooh boy. This is the best by far! Thank you so much!
Yay! Thank you, Em. :)
Hello. About to try this delicious sounding soup. I want to double it and freeze for the holidays. Do you think it will freeze well?
Thanks.
Hi! I haven’t tried to freeze this one, but I believe others have and didn’t mind the results.
I love this recipe! It’s referred to as simply “the SOUP” by my friends who I make it for. It’s on regular rotation in my dinners. I make a couple of changes: I sautee the onions in olive or coconut oil for a few minutes, then add in the ginger and garlic for an additional minute before adding the water and broth. I add 1 large sweet potato, up the peanut butter to 1 cup because we LOVE peanut butter, add the kale during the last 5 minutes to keep some crunch, and add the juice of 1lime at the end. It’s such a good balance of flavor!
I love this soup. I make it regularly and never get tired of it! Big comfort food for me.
A squeeze of fresh lime on top takes this to a whole different level!
What is the reason to mix the peanut butter and tomato paste separately? It seems like an unnecessary step.
BTW, I love this recipe very much and add diced Kobocha Squash or sweet potato to it.
Hi! It helps to incorporate it to make it creamy in the soup. I hope that helps!
This soup is awesome. I usually use baby spinach instead of collard greens or kale, since I don’t really like the taste of either. The soup is great without any additional greens, too.
Even my daughter, who doesn’t like peanuts all that much, likes this soup. Thank you for this great (and fast, easy to make) recipe.
Wow, this was delicious! I looked through a bunch of African Peanut Soup recipes and yours looked the best, and I’m so glad I chose it. My minor changes: sauteed the red onion & garlic in olive oil to soften, replacing the ginger with a whole seeded, diced jalapeno. Added a double-handful of cubed butternut squash before the final 15 minutes of cooking. Instead of the greens I added fresh baby spinach right before serving. So delicious over hot brown rice, with a drizzle of sriracha! Thanks for a great recipe.
Dying to make this. Katie, how many cups roughly does this make if following the recipe exactly?
I’m hoping that each serving gives me at least 1.5 cups to smother over some chopped veges. Also, has anyone tried this with ground turkey?
Hi! A serving is roughly 1.5-2 cups.
Thank you! I made it and yup came up to about that much per serving. I followed the recipe with the exception of adding two chopped serrano peppers in with the onion, garlic and ginger mixture and used sambal oelek chili garlic paste instead of sriracha. Turned out yummy, thank you for the recipe! Next time I’ll up the PB to 1 cup because I love that stuff.
I know I’m late to the thread, but it yielded a total of 6 cups for me (fit exactly in a 6 cups/1.5 L Tupperware).
We all loved it! Doubled the ginger and garlic of course, but otherwise followed the recipe closely while adding sweet potato and skipping the kale, garnishing with the peanuts and cilantro. Yummm!
Sounds delicious, Lois! Thank you for sharing.
It was so delicious! I’ll be making it regularly, needed some new flavors to try and this is so filling and flavorful, thank you!
I used half a red onion but had to add a splash of vinegar at the end for a bit more acidity, so next time I’ll follow the recipe and use the whole onion!
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing, Lc.
This was so good! Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome, Tina!
Tonight I made the version in your cookbook that has the addition of sweet potato and chickpeas, as well as sautéing the onions an sweet potatoes in olive oil.
As soon as I finished eating I came right here. It is delicious, and very filling. I did serve with a side of brown rice instead of mixing the rice in so that I could taste the stew on its own. Yum!
I need to pick which one of the cookbook recipes I’ll make next.
Thanks for a delicious recipe with clear instructions.
Thank you for sharing, Ellen! I’m excited you have my cookbook and are enjoying it.
I love this recipe. One question: does this freeze well?
Hi Ivy! I’m glad you love it. I believe others have enjoyed it frozen.
I’ve been making West African Peanut Stew for years and was excited to try this recipe. I was not disappointed. It’s delicious! I always serve it over rice with bowls of toppings. Guests can add toppings of their choice, which include raisins, banana slices, coconut, chopped bell pepper, apples, toasted sunflower seeds, pineapple, or whatever I have on hand. The toppings make it really something special. I can’t wait to make this recipe for friends, when I start having friends over again.
Another winner-delicious! Thank you for your recipes – I have been adding more veggie dishes to my diet over the last couple of years and your blog/recipes have helped me do so!
Can you use regular peanut butter or does it need to be natural?
I find natural works best. You should be able to use what you have one hand, Alyssa.
This was very easy to make and tastes great! Maybe it’s not authentic but it’s still a great dish.
I wasn’t sure exactly how much tomato paste came out to by weight but a 6oz can seemed to work pretty well. I had it together with the peanut butter in a measuring cup and it seemed to be a smidge over 1/2 cup but not extremely so and the soup came out fine.
I’m happy you enjoyed it, DK.
This is the perfect snow storm soup! Hearty, warming and spicy (I even had to put a dollop of plain yogurt on top of mine), the perfect soup before or after shoveling snow (we had both). If it weren’t for my PB loving husband, I would’ve never made this soup but I am glad I did. I made your cookbook recipe with 1 full cup PB, minus the sweet potato and served with brown rice. It’s my husband’s new favorite soup and another one of your go-to’s for cold winter days. We enjoyed it over 2 days during a Nor’easter.
My husband and I are having a cooking challenge this winter to have some fun. I made this recipe and it was great! He said it was a “bold choice” and we both loved it. This is definitely outside his normal comfort zone. We will make it again.
Is it crucial to have unsalted peanut butter?
I like it best, but if you don’t then I would adjust the added salt as it may be too salty.
Gosh, this soup is SO good! The sriracha is such a nice compliment, too. Already looking forward to having leftovers tomorrow. Thank you!
This is better than expected!! Like a few other commenters, I also sautéed onions, garlic, ginger, and some scotch bonnets (all I could find) first, then added tomato paste followed by broth. I threw in a large sized, cubed sweet potato and then blended the cooked veggies a bit before adding back into the brothy part. It was about 30 minutes start to finish, mostly hands off time/ My partner will add grilled chicken to his but I don’t think it need a thing.
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing how you made it, Jen.
Curious how long this soup will last in the refrigerator?
Hi Jillian, it should last 3-4 days.
Omg omg omg – I love this soup. I made it last night and now I have to go buy more kale so I can make it again tomorrow. The splash of lime in it at the end really added a nice sweetness to it.
Any suggestions of a good side dish to go with it (I was thinking of a couscous dish but need gluten free)
Hi! I think a simple side salad would be delicious.
This was one of the first recipes I ever cooked on my own, and it is THE recipe that made me really love cooking! It was unique, healthy, simple, delicious. I was hooked – on cooking and on this blog!
Thank you, Amanda! I’m delighted you are enjoying it.
Excellent tasting recipe. To get more veggies into my son, I made this into a stew by decreasing the water by 1/2 cup and adding carrots and sweet potatoes with the greens. I served with rice.
Thank you for sharing how you made this one, T. I appreciate your review!
Really delicious and easy to make. Keeper!
Love this!!! This is a go-to soup for us. We do add the sweet potato, and it takes a lot longer to cook that way. I sometimes microwave the potato and then put it in. We like to serve this over wild rice. Thank you for posting!
Thank you for a great tasting recipe. It was easy to make & I had all ingredients except the collards & sriracha, subbed with spinach & sambal oelek.
Also used brown rice like your picture! Will make again!!
You’re welcome, Mary!
I’m in Texas and made a big pot of this just before the storm hit this week. It was wonderful! Luckily I had power so I could just reheat in the microwave whenever I wanted a bowl. It was flavorful and delicious. Will definitely be making again but think that I’ll double up on the collards next time. Thank you for a great recipe!
You’re welcome, Jana! Thank you for your review.
Update. I gave this recipe to my sister who wanted to make something vegan for her son who was visiting with her and was eating vegan for Lent. This recipe was the first thing that popped into my mind. She made it and now you have 4 new fans including her son who asked for the recipe so that he could make it when he got home. Flash forward to this past week when my sister had a friend visiting. She made the soup again and the friend is now raving about how delicious it was. This recipe is definitely a winner.
That’s great! Thank you for sharing, Janna.
This was just delightful and a combination of flavors I’ve never experienced at home before. SO GOOD, hearty and healthy. I added cubed sweet potatoes (roasted them some in the oven first to give them a head start) and a squeeze of lime toward the end. I did not hold back on the Frank’s red hot. Served it over wild rice but it was not essential and I would probably go without next time. YUM!
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Margaret! I appreciate your review.
Can I add tofu? What will happen if I cook silken tofu in this?
Hi! You could top it with tofu per serving if you like.
Scrumptious! I will be making this soup many more times. Delicious and nutritious! Thank you for this fantastic recipe.
I made this tonight, but followed the recipe in Love Real Food that includes sweet potato and chickpeas. It was so creamy and delicious and truly filling. I will definitely be making it again!
Wonderful to hear, Jillian! Thank you for your review.
This has become one of my staple recipes! It’s delicious, healthy, and very easy to make.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Peri!
This recipe is awesome! We are trying more vegetarian options, and my husband is a dedicated carnivore. He didn’t even miss animal protein! We added peppers and celery to the broth and cannellini beans with the collards. It was delicious over brown rice! Thanks!
You’re welcome, Kelly! I’m happy you love it.
This soup is SOOOO good! I love the flavor and the Sriracha adds just the right amount of heat. Excellent.
I forgot the tomato ingredient but added chopped celery, mushrooms, yellow&red peppers and, of course SWEET POTATOES.
I’m sorry you forgot an ingredient. I can guarantee you will enjoy it better with the tomato! Please be sure to let me know what you think next time.
Kate, I am a recent big fan of yours. In our house we are making almost everything in your book, Love Real Food. We made the West African Peanut Soup tonight. I loved the taste but did not love cooking with jalapeños (left my hands burning, and the air in the apartment was hard to breathe). I have some leftover chipotles in adobo from another of your recipes that I made. Have you ever tried the recipe with those peppers?
Hi David! I love that you have been cooking your way through my book. I haven’t tried those peppers in this recipe. I would suggest wearing gloves if you are sensitive to the oils on the jalapeño. It does seem to help!
How many calories does one bowl of this peanut butter soup have?
Hi! The nutrition information is below the notes section of the recipe. You will find it there. Enjoy!
Hi Katie, I’ve been a fan of your site for so long! I should have commented long ago. I wanted to write today to tell you that I’m making this soup as a freezer meal to prepare for the birth of our third baby. I’ve also made it and kept it stocked in the freezer for babes 1 and 2! So it’s tradition at this point. :) It’s such a comfort to have a soul-happy soup in the freezer (even in the dead of summer; I live in KC as well!). Thanks for your amazing recipes, hard work, and making my ore-baby freezer stash complete!
Congratulations! I’m delighted you enjoyed this soup. Thanks for sharing.
Im not sure what i did wrong, mines just super watery mess n 6 cups of water/broth and only 3/4 peanut butter? … i cant eat it (drink it) ..
I’m sorry to hear that! Did you measure the vegetables correctly?
I have been cooking a lot of stews/soups and needed to mix it up a little so decided to make this. I made a few modifications – I used a can of crushed tomatoes (didn’t have tomato paste), added some celery, used frozen spinach (didn’t have kale/collards), and added a jalapeno. Also following some of the reviews below, I sautéed the onion, ginger, celery and added the garlic about a minute before pouring the broth and water in. It def was not as thick but still very delicious! This blog continues to be my go to for recipes!
Awesome, and flavorful recipe! I will definitely be making this again!