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    Home » MAINS » VEGAN

    West African Vegan Peanut Stew with Butternut Squash

    Published: February 22, 2021 · Updated: June 5, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    A recipe for peanut butter lovers! But this time, it’s not a sweet treat! It is our favourite West African Peanut Stew. We cooked butternut squash, pepper and spinach in spiced peanut butter stock to create a rich, creamy and satisfying stew for cold winter evenings!

    Take Me To:
    • What Is This African Peanut Curry All About?
    • Method
    • Side Dishes for African Peanut Stew
    • Other Comfort Food Ideas
    • Recipe Card

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    What Is This African Peanut Curry All About?

    This recipe is the first West African dish that I have ever made. But after eating it for the first time, I knew I needed more West African Cuisine in my life! Made with copious amounts of peanut butter, it is so incredibly rich and creamy, that it makes a perfect cold winter day dish. We served it with simple brown rice and garnished it with some extra herbs and spices!

    African Peanut Stew garnished with red chilli in a blue bowl with a bowl of rice on the side.

    The African Peanut Butter Stew itself is spiced with ground cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper and ginger. It is kind of like Indian curry, but with lots of peanut butter (which in my books is a great thing)!

    Not only 100% plant-based, but this Vegan African Peanut Stew is also gluten-free, and suitable for celiacs! What is more, this recipe is open to so many variations based on your preferences, availability of ingredients and time. We’ve made it with sweet potatoes, kale, green lentils… Or you can make it with chicken instead of butternut squash!

    Method

    First, get all of your ingredients ready, weighed and chopped.

    All the vegetables and spices for the vegan african stew.

    Cook brown rice following packet instructions. Once cooked, keep warm in a pan covered with a lid. Mix hot vegetable stock and smooth peanut butter.

    Heat a large non-stick frying pan with 2 tablespoon of oil. Tip in the onions and fry for 5 minutes to soften. Add the ginger, cayenne, ground coriander, cumin, chillies (save some for garnish) and some black pepper. Add the butternut squash and pepper and cook, stirring, for approx. 2 mins.

    Add the peanut butter stock, stir, cover with a lid and cook on low-medium heat for 10-15 min or until butternut squash is soft and tender.

    Once the butternut is cooked, add the spinach and half of the coriander and stir until wilted.

    West African Vegan Stew served in a blue bowl with rice, chilli, lime and a wooden spoon around it.

    Serve this Vegan Peanut Stew on a bed of brown rice. Sprinkle with the reserved coriander, chilli and lime wedges for squeezing over, if using.

    Side Dishes for African Peanut Stew

    West African Peanut Stew is typically served with rice. We personally prefer brown rice with this dish, as it has a nutty flavour that complements peanut butter very well. Alternatively, try it with coriander and lime rice. It also goes well with millet, quinoa or couscous!

    Since this is a vegan dish, it is full of vegetables as is, but if you want to add a couple of extra side vegetable dishes, serve it with a light slaw or raw courgette ribbon salad.

    Other Comfort Food Ideas

    Looking for more comfort food ideas. We have you covered! Here are some of our favourite recipes:

    • Asian-Style Satay Jackfruit Burger with Sesame Wedges (Vegan)
    • Poutine with Chicken and Garlicky Greens
    • Spicy Bean Stew with Cheesy Dumplings (Vegetarian)

    Recipe Card

    West African Cuisine inspired Vegan Peanut stew in a pale pink bowl held by two hands.

    West African Vegan Peanut Stew

    A recipe for peanut butter lovers! But this time, it's not a sweet treat! It is our favourite West African Peanut Stew. We cooked butternut squash, pepper and spinach in a spiced peanut butter sauce to create a rich, creamy and satisfying stew for cold winter evenings!
    5 from 12 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 40 mins
    Course Dinner, Main Course
    Cuisine West African
    Servings 2 portions
    Calories 766 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 140 g brown rice
    • 1 brown onion finely chopped
    • 180 g butternut squash cut into 1 cm cubes
    • 1 pepper cut into bite size pieces
    • 50 g spinach
    • 100 g smooth peanut butter
    • 300 ml vegetable stock
    • 1 red chilli finely chopped
    • 10 g root ginger finely chopped or minced
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
    • 10 g fresh coriander finely chopped, including stalks
    • ½ lime, cut into wedges optional

    Instructions
     

    • First, cook brown rice following packet instructions. Once cooked, keep warm in a pan covered with a lid.
    • Mix hot vegetable stock and smooth peanut butter.
    • Heat a large non-stick frying pan with 2 tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and fry 5 mins to soften. Add the ginger, cayenne, ground coriander, cumin, chillies (save some for garnish) and some black pepper. Add the butternut squash and pepper and cook, stirring, for approx. 2 mins.
    • Add the peanut butter stock, stir, cover with a lid and cook on low-medium heat for 10-15 min or until butternut squash is cooked.
    • Once the butternut is cooked, add the spinach and half of the coriander and stir until wilted.
    • Serve African Peanut Stew on a bed of brown rice. Sprinkle with the reserved coriander, chilli and lime wedges for squeezing over, if using.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 766kcalCarbohydrates: 84gProtein: 27gFat: 41gSaturated Fat: 8gSodium: 883mgPotassium: 1390mgFiber: 12gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 11643IUVitamin C: 134mgCalcium: 160mgIron: 6mg
    Keyword African recipes, African Stew, Butternut Squash Stew, Stew with peanut butter, Vegan Butternut Suqash Stew, Vegan Peanut Butter Stew, Vegetable Stew with Peanut Butter, Vegetarian Recipes, Vegetarian West African Stew, West AFrican Peanut Butter Stew, West African Recipes, West African Stew, West African Stew Recipe, West African Vegetable Stew
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    Pin for Pinterest.

    More VEGAN

    • Easy Pea And Mint Soup (5-Ingredient Recipe)
    • Vegan Pineapple Stir Fry with Curried Coconut Sauce
    • Moroccan Couscous Salad (Vegan)
    • Beetroot Falafel (Vegan)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      March 01, 2021 at 11:22 am

      5 stars
      I love using peanut butter in curries. This one is so creamy and comforting and really filled me up.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        March 02, 2021 at 9:34 am

        Thanks, Amanda! This definitely a creamy and filling one! 🙂

        Reply
    2. kushigalu

      March 09, 2021 at 6:39 pm

      5 stars
      Love the combination of flavors in this stew recipe. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
    3. Natalie

      November 20, 2021 at 6:00 pm

      5 stars
      My kids will eat everything with peanut butter inside, lol. Great recipe, we loved it, thanks!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        November 20, 2021 at 9:35 pm

        That’s great, Natalie! Glad you all liked it 🙂

        Reply
    4. Anjali

      February 11, 2022 at 6:32 pm

      5 stars
      This stew was so hearty and satisfying! Made it for dinner tonight and my whole family loved it!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        February 11, 2022 at 8:37 pm

        Thanks for the feedback, Anjali! So nice to know the whole family enjoyed it 🙂

        Reply
    5. Dannii

      April 11, 2022 at 9:32 am

      5 stars
      The flavours in this were amazing. So hearty and comforting.

      Reply
      • Ieva

        April 11, 2022 at 9:11 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this recipe – it’s very close to our hearts! 💗

        Reply
    6. Katherine

      September 03, 2022 at 5:55 pm

      5 stars
      I love peanut stew and this version is great!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        September 03, 2022 at 6:32 pm

        Thanks 💗

        Reply
    7. Chenée

      October 22, 2022 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      Savory peanut dishes are my favorite, so I know I’ll love this one!

      Reply
    8. Tara

      November 01, 2022 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      Such a comforting stew! Definitely perfect for our weather this week. It sounds so good with the addition of the butternut squash.

      Reply
    9. Vidya Narayan

      November 30, 2022 at 12:28 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious, comforting and flavorful – We loved it!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        November 30, 2022 at 6:27 pm

        So glad!

        Reply
    10. imsen

      January 03, 2023 at 12:27 pm

      5 stars
      love the combination of spices in the recipe! def gonna try it soon!

      Reply
    11. Farah Abumaizar

      March 05, 2023 at 8:37 am

      5 stars
      Omg this looks so comforting and amazing! Never knew that peanut would compliment squash and spinach so well, but can’t wait to try this out. Thanks for the delicious recipe!

      Reply

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    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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