African-Inspired Peanut Stew from Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson

African-Inspired Peanut Stew from Robin Robertson's new cookbook Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker is the perfect cold weather meal. Pop all of the ingredients in your crock pot in the morning, and you'll have a delicious meal waiting for you at dinner time. This easy recipe is vegan and gluten-free.

The Vegan Slow Cooker

I actually first bought a Crock Pot way back in 2010 or 2011 because a publisher sent me a vegan slow cooker cookbook to review. It was the early days of my blog, and it was the first time someone had given me a free book. I was over the moon. Free stuff for blogging? Why hadn't I started doing this earlier? Of course, It wasn't really free, because I had to by the slow cooker to make any of the recipes!

Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker

Robin Robertson is queen of slow cooking, and she's back with another crock pot cookbook! Her new Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker is chock-full of vegan slow cooker recipes, including appetizers, soups and stews, hearty main dishes, and even desserts.

Robin says:

"Slow cookers aren’t just for cooking bean soup and chili – you can use them to cook everything from scalloped potatoes, to berry cobbler, to orange marmalade.

"Virtually any kind of stew tastes better when cooked in a slow cooker.  That’s because the extended gentle cooking gives the flavors of the ingredients a chance to mingle.  Once the cooking is done, you can serve it right from the cooker. The stew recipes in Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker include international flavors such as an all-American Farmer’s Market Stew, Moroccan tagine, an Indian curry, a Mexican posole, and this African-Inspired Peanut Stew."

Peanut Stew from Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker

I'm a sucker for savory dishes with peanut butter, so the first recipe I made was African-Inspired Peanut Stew. It's made with sweet potatoes, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, spinach, warming spices, and of course, peanut butter. It really hits the spot on chilly days. I like to serve it with brown rice, but it's just as good on its own.

How to make African-Inspired Peanut Stew

This recipe couldn't be easier to make!

• First you sauté the onion in a little oil for about 5 minutes.
• Then you add the garlic and cook for another minute.
• Next you stir in the ginger and spices.
• Now you place the onion mixture in your slow cooker along with the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, beans, and tomatoes and their juices.
• Then you ladle about ½ cup of the broth into a small bowl and whisk in the peanut butter, then scrape the mixture into the slow cooker along with the remaining broth. You season your stew to taste with salt and pepper. Then you cover your slower cooker and cook the stew on low for 5 hours.
• Finally, you stir in the chopped spinach, cover  the slow cooker again, and continue cooking for 1 hour.

Recipe: African-Inspired Peanut Stew

Robin Robertson

This colorful stew has a deep, rich flavor owing to the peanut butter and spices, and it's so easy to make. Cruncy peanut butter works especially well in this dish, adding an extra layer of texture. Serve over rice, couscous or quinoa.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 minutes mins

Course Soup

Cuisine African

Servings 6 servings

Calories 301 kcal

Equipment

• Slow Cooker

Ingredients

  

• 2 teaspoons olive oil optional
• 1 medium-size yellow onion minced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger optional
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 medium-size sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 green bell pepper seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
• 3 cups cooked kidney beans or two 15-ounce cans beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, with their juices
• ⅓ cup peanut butter preferably crunchy
• 1½ cups vegetable broth
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach or Swiss chard

Instructions

 

• For the best flavor, heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer, then stir in the ginger (if using), coriander, cumin, curry powder, and cayenne. Alternatively, omit the oil and sauté these ingredients in a few tablespoons of water or combine them in a microwave-safe bowl with a little water, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes.
• Transfer the onion mixture to the slow cooker. Stir in the sweet potatoes, bell pepper, beans, and tomatoes and their juices.
• Ladle about ½ cup of the broth into a small bowl and whisk in the peanut butter, then scrape the mixture into the slow cooker along with the remaining broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours.
• Stir in the chopped spinach, then cover and continue cooking for 1 hour. Alternatively, place the spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes, then add the spinach to the stew just before serving time.

Notes

Recipe © 2012 by Robin Robertson and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press.

Other delicious recipes from Robin Robertson include:

• Roasted Cauliflower Piccata
• Chickpea Piccata
• Coconut Curry Noodles
• Happy New Year Chili