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.
Hi Kate, I made this recipe for the first time today, using the version in your cookbook. It is scrumptious! Thank you for creating a recipe that uses the full containers of broth and tomato paste, so I don’t have to figure out what to do with the leftovers!
Could you substitute spinach for the collard greens?
Yes, as long as you like spinach in soups!
Do you think it would change the feel of this recipe drastically if I blended all the ingredients after adding in the collards? My kiddos will blanch at the greens but i know they will like it if they can’t see it!
Hi Ali, that’s a good question. The color will definitely turn a less appetizing shade—probably more brownish-green than red. The final texture will be smooth and probably thicker. Hope this offers some insight!
Has anyone tried using a slow cooker/crock pot to warm up this soup? I am thinking of taking it to work but would need the slow cooker.
This was very tasty! I added a sweet potato to the boil and mashed it up with the back of my spoon when the boil was finished. I loved the way all the flavors came together.
This was superb over brown rice! Reheats very well. Thank you!
I made this for the second time this week!!! I am THAT obsessed. Loove that the recipe is simple, healthy, delicious, and easy/fast to make!!! That is such a rare combination.
I have so much leftover. Is this something I can freeze to have later? I ask bc I worry about the peanut butter in the soup.
Yes, it should freeze well!
This recipe is part of my standard rotation. It’s a crowd-pleaser for dinner, and it keeps well in the fridge or freezer. I pack away leftovers in tupperware containers, over rice, and use it for lunches.
Fantastic! Thank you, Greg for providing a comment! I love hearing how others use it for leftovers.
I honestly can’t stand Siracha but I still want to try this recipe, have you used chili paste before or crushed red pepper?
Either of those will work great! Just add to taste.
Can you use a regular whisk or does it need to be electric?
I always use a regular whisk! I would specify and electric mixer or blender if it required an electronic.
Absolutely divine! Subbed kale as the greens and added a can of chickpeas with 15 minutes to go. One of my favorite local sandwich places serves a spicy peanut soup with tofu, so I also added in a batch of your baked tofu (sans tamari) for that extra protein and texture. I’M IN LOVE. Thank you for such a hearty and delicious meal, Kate! All the best x
Sounds wonderful! Thank you, Christine for sharing. I would appreciate a star review, if you wouldn’t mind :)
Love this soup! I’m allergic to peanuts, but subbed cashew-butter instead and it turned out divine! Just keep an eye on the sodium, make sure to use a salt-free natural nut butter and low-sodium stock, otherwise this can get pretty salty pretty fast!
Thanks, Mia for your comment! If you would want to leave a star review since you loved it so much, that would be great!
I made this tonight and we ate the whole pot!
That’s great! Now you need to make another batch for leftovers right :)
I really like this recipe (so easy, but so flavorful), and it is super with or without sweet potato. And while I like it with rice, I think my absolute favorite is the soup made with no sweet potato, but a generous helping served over a baked sweet potato. So good and so filling (oh my goodness, I’ll be full through tomorrow!), and reminiscent of what I had when I was in West Africa (spicy stews served over all sorts of starchy roots)!
Thank you, Kathryn! I appreciate the review.
This soup is just fantastic. We loved it! Mixing the peanut butter with the tomato paste and the soup stock was terrific. I added a can of muir glen tomatoes for a bit more tomato. Thanks for yet ANOTHER family favorite!
You are welcome!
Made this tonight. To be honest, I was concerned with mixing tomato paste and peanut butter but wanted to try. I’ve eaten 1/2 the batch already, I’m stuffed as it’s so filling but I know I’ll be having another bowl soon. I did use chick peas because a few reviews said it was good, and I sub’d chili flakes for hot sauce. SPECTACULAR recipe – absolutely my favorite ever. I’ve already posted to Facebook for others to try as well.
Well, I am happy you gave it a shot and liked it! Thank you for trying it and for your review, Brenda.
Replacing green curry as my go-to weeknight veggie option, to the cheers of my long-suffering partner.
Thank you, Dom for your review!
OMGosh Kate, this African peanut soup is to die for! Never heard of African soup before and it’s now one of our favourite go-to recipes! Cooking it right now for Christmas eve supper because that’s just how we roll ;) Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes! We love you.
You’re sweet, Cheryl! Thank you for your review.
Yum! This is so easy to make.
Thank you!
I made this soup for my husband and I, and it was a HUGE hit with both of us. He’s a gluten-free vegan and I’m an omnivore and it pleased both of us 100%. It was hearty, warming, and cozy. I loved every bite and it kept getting better every day that it sat in the fridge (although, it only made it three days before disappearing). This will be added to our favorites and will be made again, and again. Thank you!
Hooray!! Thank you for sharing. It’s great to know it was satisfying to two different likes/needs. I appreciate the review, Rebekah.
One if our favorite meals now, so delicious! I’ve also picked up Local Bounty since trying this and it’s now one of my favorite cook books:) along side yours of course…:)
So great to hear, Joey! Thanks for the review and comment.
This soup is insane!!!! I don’t know that I’ve tasted anything this good in a long time. I made your lentil soup last night, and it was the best lentil soup I’ve ever had; I did puree some of it since my kids prefer pureed soups… they loved it too! I cannot wait to try more of your recipes, thank you!
Made my day! Thank you, Selma. The leftovers are even better. That is, if you have any left!
Yum what a tasty recipe! I haven’t cooked with collards very much so I was excited to try something new. I have had African peanut soup before and this version is really good! I did add 2 medium, diced sweet potatoes in with the collards for some more oomph :)
Thank you, Elizabeth for your review!
This soup is soooo good! I am so surprised and it is going to added to my main go to meals. Great reheated for lunch, too. Thank you for introducing me to this wonder!
Thank you, Deedee! You’re very welcome.
Hi Kate (and Cookie)! I just made this version from your cookbook and it is one of the best vegan soups I’ve ever tried. It’s amazing how creamy the peanut butter make it and it is just such a satisfying bowl of warmth and deliciousness. I followed your cookbook recipe for this, but I used kale instead of collard greens and added extra chopped peanuts as a garnish because I LOVE the crunch! I will be making this again many many times!
Thanks for stopping on the blog to share, Kelly! I love to hear from you. Truly appreciate the review!
I thought it was delicious! We added the hot sauce to our bowls individually so it wasn’t too spicy for the kids. Next time though, I’ll cut the greens smaller. We thought 1” strips were a little too big.
I can see that with kiddos! Thank you, Jane for sharing.
Sad to say, we cannot find the Muir Glen products here where we live, in Canada! But I used to be able to find them before the local brands were put in their place, and I agree that Muir Glen products are by far the most delicious products I’ve ever tried! Nothing else even comes close!
This recipe looks and sounds wonderful, and I can’t wait to try it!
Bummer! They are pretty good. But, you should still be able to make a delicious recipe without them. Let me know what you think, Donna.
Got your cookbook for Christmas and I’ve been making a bunch of recipes out of it. I didn’t realize the cook book version was different than the blog (and I hadn’t heard of your blog until I was given cookbook). The recipes are different and I picked up everything from the blog recipe (because I was able to pull it up in the grocery store). What do you think the difference in taste is between the two? What do you think if I added chickpeas to this version since it’s in the cookbook?
Hi! I’m so glad you found my book and blog, and I’m sorry for the confusion with the peanut soup. The cookbook recipe has a thicker texture and more complex flavor, but everyone loves the blog version as is, so I think you’ll be happy with either. Feel free to stir in chickpeas—they are a nice addition!
This soup was so good! I just made this tonight. I only had 4.5 cups of vegetable broth on me so I added 1.5 cups of water to make it 6 cups of broth as the recipe suggested. I just added more salt. I also used kale instead of collards. Thank you Kate!
You’re welcome! Thank you for sharing and for your review. Way to improvise to still make a great soup!
So good!
I loved this! I did add the sweet potatoes and also made it with PB fit and coconut milk (that’s what I had on hand)
Served over quinoa with the peanuts, shredded coconut, and chopped green onions. SO so good!
Thanks for your review!
I made this tonight and it is absolutely delicious! Not too involved either. Thanks!
You’re welcome! Thank you, Kat.
Do you think this would freeze well?
It should!
I made this earlier in the week and just reheated some for lunch – and it actually gets better the longer it sits. The peanut flavor becomes more intense and the spices mellow in the best way.
Yes, I agree! I almost like most soups the next day more. I appreciate the review, Randi.
This recipe was awesome! My friends who are long-time staff members at the Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn hold a yearly SoupFest contest. This soup was the first ever Vegan winner!!
I made a few modifications to the recipe (basically added bell peppers and sweet potato) and it came out great!
Thanks for this great recipe!
Winning! Congrats. Thanks for the review, Daniel!
I have made this recipe a bunch of times at this point – it is just too good! I have also shared the recipe and everyone who has made it also loves it. An inexpensive recipe as well – thank you!
I’m glad you have made it so many times! Thank you for sharing and for your review.
This is absolutely delicious! My husband (who is very skeptical of vegetarian dishes) loved it, and so did I. It was also so easy to make!
I love when that happens! Winning over a skeptic is the best. Thanks so much for the review.
Kate, would this recipe work with a slow cooker?
I haven’t tried this one in a crockpot. Sorry I can’t help!
I actually made this in my rice cooker/crock pot since it’s the only thing I have that’s big enough. It turned out great but the cooking process was goofy. For the part where you’re supposed to boil the broth, I used the “flash rice” setting until it boiled. Then for the medium heat and simmering portions I used the “slow cook” setting, but turned the cooker off entirely every few minutes to stop it from boiling too much. Like I said though, still turned out well! Hope this helps.
I’ve made this twice in 3 weeks and we love it. This week I used rice noodles (like thin Asian style rice noodles). It was a hit! My son, who’s 2, likes them so we gave it a shot. It was perfect! I also add chickpeas, again, because he likes beans and is more likely to eat when I add those things in. So, in my house is it West African… maybe not, but West African influenced.. yes.
Thanks for sharing, Tara! I appreciate the review.
Hi Kate, thank you very much for sharing your lovely and delicious dish. I found it on Pinterest. It is easy to make and so tasty. I am however not familiar with the measurements like cups and ounces. Is it possible to have some in grams? Thank you ever so much. I have really enjoyed making and eating this soup.
Kind regards,
MIKA
Yes, you can convert these measurements using an online tool. Cups is a U.S. measurement. Hope this helps!
My sister had made this soup and her Instagram looked mouthwatering good – so I gave it a try… and I LOVE it! Even my husband, who is a little suspicious when it comes to vegetarian foods asked me to make sure I never lost the recipe.
Hooray! That’s wonderful.
Wow this is delicious!! I’ve also never made any African dishes before so it was exciting. I went hard on the spices, substituted the collard greens for frozen mustard greens I had on hand, and added tofu. Thanks for posting this recipe :)
Hi Kate-
I took delivery of two copies of your cookbook last Friday. This was the first of many recipes that I made on Sunday. It is absolutely delicious! Thank you.
Hi and hello! I stumbled upon your recipe looking for an African Peanut soup to make for a dinner party tomorrow. I’ll be using this recipe! Just a question? Would this soup taste better made right before the party or can I make it today and reheat it tomorrow? Thank you!
Lucas
I don’t usually comment on Internet stuff but I LOVE this soup. I used kale and spontaneously added some kidney beans & a squeeze of lime at the end. I feel like you could literally add anything to this soup. Easy and yummy!
Hi, Audrey! I’m glad you loved it enough to comment. Thank you for the star review!
So this was one of the best recipes that I have ever cooked. Instead of 6 cups vegetable stock, I used 5 cups and then added a can of coconut milk. Also, we added one large, cubed sweet potato. Thank you for this.
I’m going to add chick peas and water blended in the blender first and add it to the soup for extra protein and fiber. Some time I might add TVP Chunks as a chicken substitute.
How did that turnout for you, Adam?
I made the “revamped” version of this from your cookbook for dinner last night. Loved it!! Used a bag of chopped kale to save time. We like heat (as in spice) too, so also added a generous spoonful of sambal oelek chili paste. The sriracha bottle still went on the table, though ;)
Wonderful! That’s heat, but I’m glad you were able to get it to your liking. Thank you, Joy for your review.
The smell is unfair good!
I had to make this in advance for people and am suffering waiting to eat it! I may have sneaked a taste, really good.
I think you should sneak a taste! It’s the cook’s right. :) What did you think, Pete?
It came out great! My daughter is a kale fan already so that was easy. Extra authenticity points for you, I have a friend from Africa who said this looks familiar.
I have made this a bunch of times – it’s definitely a staple recipe for me. It’s starting to cool down where I live (Australia), so this dish is perfect right now. I’ve modified the recipe slightly to suit my needs:
– I use two Massel veggie stock cubes and about four cups of water
– I only use 1/2 cup peanut butter
– I add some spices to taste (paprika, and cumin, usually)
– I puree a tin of chickpeas for extra protein and viscosity
Love it! Thank you for the inspiration!
ps: my version serves six (usually with baked sweet potato and quinoa). The nutritional info for the stew per serve is 243.6 calories (11.9g fat, 24.5g carbs 11.8g protein).
Well hello, Jes! Thanks for sharing. I appreciate it and your review!