This African-Inspired Chickpea Peanut Stew is the perfect antidote for cold, dreary autumn days.
The beginning of autumn is just a few days away. It’s my favorite season, and my thoughts are turning to warm mugs of tea, snuggly sweaters, and crunchy leaves. One of my favorite things to do in the fall is to cook a big pot of stew that we can eat for lunches and dinners throughout the week. I love hearty stews made with chickpeas and veggies, and nut butters are often my secret weapon for giving them a little boost of flavor.
I created this recipe several months ago for a Rouxbe project, but it was the middle of summer– definitely not stew season! This dish goes great with a bowl of cooked brown rice, but it’s a hearty meal all on its own too. If you happen to have berbere on hand, add a pinch or two for a little extra flavor.

African-Inspired Chickpea Peanut Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 green chili minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger grated or minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ cup tomato paste
- 2 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 1 cup coconut milk
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 2 cups or a 15 ounce can chickpeas
- 2 cups or a 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups 1 large sweet potato, diced
- 1 bunch collard greens stems removed and coarsely chopped
- ¼ cup peanuts chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- Sea salt
- Cooked brown rice optional, for serving
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and cook it for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. It should be fragrant and golden.
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Add garlic, green chili, ginger, cumin, cayenne, coriander, and tomato paste to the pot and stir everything together. Cook for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is fragrant.
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While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together the vegetable stock, coconut milk and peanut butter. Add the mixture to the pot along with the chickpeas, tomatoes, sweet potato and collard greens. Turn the heat up to medium-high.
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Bring the stew up to a quick boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Give it a good stir every so often.
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The stew is done when the sweet potatoes are tender and the liquid has thickened.
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Serve over brown rice, if desired, and top with the chopped peanuts and cilantro.
Looks amazing! I came over from Zsu’s blog! Glad I did! Great place you have here!
Thank you!