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West African Peanut Lentil Soup

December 26, 2015 By Richa 57 Comments

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West African Inspired Peanut Lentil Soup. with lentils and veggies, Harissa Spice, peanut  butter, Sweet potato. Serves 3 to 4. Lentils make this one filling meal. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Recipe

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African Peanut Lentil Soup. African Peanut Stew with lentils and veggies. | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #stew #recipe

African inspired Peanut Stew is one of the favorite recipes on the interwebs, with many variations and interpretations. A creamy peanutty stew with spices and veggies is definitely needed after all the loaded holiday meals and desserts. Many countries in West Africa have their versions of Peanut stew which can include different vegetables such as okra, eggplants etc, spices, and meats.

My version of the soup has red lentils along with the vegetables. Red lentils make the stew thick and filling and you can reduce the peanut butter/nut butter. It makes a great one bowl meal. Use vegetables of choice like sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, zucchini, eggplant, etc. Top with toasted peanuts of other nuts, cilantro or other herbs a dash of lemon. Serve as is or with crackers or flatbread.

This Christmas we had a no gift policy. We just wanted Chewie to be better and he is. We made a jar of things we want for the next year, mostly things or events we would love to accomplish the next year. That jar will be opened next year to see if everyone got their wishes. Hope you had a fun and love filled Christmas!

Try this African Peanut Stew with Lentils with spices to keep you warm through the snowy cold front.

African Peanut Lentil Soup. African Peanut Stew with lentils and veggies. | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #stew #recipe

African Peanut Lentil Soup. African Peanut Stew with lentils and veggies. | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #stew #recipe

More stews and soups from the blog. Glutenfree GF, Soyfree SF

  • Peanut Carrot Soup GF
  • Creamy Spinach soup GF SF
  • Chickpea Mushroom Soup GF SF
  • 1 pot Chickpea Sweet Potato Spinach Stew. GF SF
  • Roasted Asparagus Basil soup.  GF SF
  • Chipotle corn Chowder GF
  • Moroccan lentil soup SF GF
  • Cream of Mushroom Soup GF

African Peanut Lentil Soup. African Peanut Stew with lentils and veggies. | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #stew #recipe

Cook this soup in a saucepan or in a pressure cooker. Soup in the pictures was cooked in a stove top pressure cooker.

African Peanut Lentil Soup. African Peanut Stew with lentils and veggies. | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #stew #recipe

VIDEO:

Print Recipe
4.88 from 16 votes

West African Peanut Lentil Soup

West African Inspired Peanut Lentil Soup. African Peanut Stew with lentils and veggies., Harissa Spice, peanut butter, Sweet potato. Serves 3 to 4 or more.
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: stew
Cuisine: African Inspired
Servings: 3
Calories: 411kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1/2 (0.5 ) medium onion
  • 2 juicy tomatoes
  • 4-5 (4 ) garlic cloves
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1 tbsp sambal oelek or asian chili sauce or other hot chile sauce to taste
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 to 1.5 tsp Harissa Spice Blend
  • 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) black pepper
  • 1/4 cup (62.5 g) nut butter like peanut butter or almond butter
  • 2 tbsp peanuts
  • 1/2 cup (90 g) red lentils
  • 2 cups (364 g) veggies chopped small or thin slices - zucchini, sweet potato or potato, carrots, eggplant, broccoflower etc
  • 2.5 cups (587.5 ml) vegetable stock or water
  • 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) to 1 salt
  • 1 tsp or more lime or lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup (15 g) packed baby spinach or other baby greens.

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. 5 minutes
  • Meanwhile, blend the tomatoes, garlic, ginger, chili sauce, tomato paste, spices until pureed. Add to the saucepan. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
  • Add peanut butter, half of the nuts, lentils, veggies, stock, salt and lemon juice. Mix, cover and cook.
  • Stir at 15 minutes.Taste and adjust salt, heat and check if the veggies are al-dente. Add in the baby spinach. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the veggies and lentils are cooked through. Add more water if needed.
  • Garnish with rest of the peanuts, cilantro, more lemon juice. Serve with flatbread, crackers or as is.

Video

Notes

Pressure Cook: Follow steps 1 and 2 in a pressure cooker over medium heat. Add peanut butter, lentils, half of the peanuts, veggies, stock, salt and lemon juice, mix, close the lid and bring to high pressure. Cook for 5 minutes * (Manual setting for 5 minutes for IP). Let the pressure release naturally. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Fold in the spinach and let it sit for 2 minutes in the hot stew before serving.
* Depending on your pressure cooker, lentils and your preference of consistency, you might need to cook for less or more time.
Nutritional values based on one serving

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
West African Peanut Lentil Soup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 411 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Sodium 599mg26%
Potassium 1087mg31%
Carbohydrates 50g17%
Fiber 18g75%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 7420IU148%
Vitamin C 33.2mg40%
Calcium 122mg12%
Iron 5.8mg32%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Filed Under: Instant Pot, lentil, main course, One Pot Meals, popular Tagged With: vegan, video



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  1. Sue says

    December 27, 2015 at 5:57 am

    Riicha, this recipe sounds lovely. I think I will pressure cook a double batch this afternoon. Glad to hear that Chewie is better. And I love your idea of the jar. Maybe my hubs will do a jar of hopes and desires for the new year. I wish all your dreams and hopes come true in a healthy and happy 2016! Thanks for everything you share with us. I’m giving you five stars as a general opinion of your entire blog!! 🙂 But the star function isn’t letting me do it. 🙁

    Reply
    • Sue says

      October 13, 2019 at 7:21 am

      Hi Richa. Just wondering if you are still doing your jar of hopes and plans. I love that idea so I’m wondering how it worked out. Thanks. I love your blog, the way you share yourself with us, and all of your winning recipes, which I can always count on.

      Reply
      • Richa says

        October 13, 2019 at 11:41 am

        Yes we open it every christmas! our friends who visit around the time added their plans as well and we open and check. We also had a gratitude jar going for per day, which we now try to do every week or every other week. That was a nice one to pause to think of the good things that have happened.

        Reply
  2. Cassie says

    December 27, 2015 at 5:17 pm

    Peanuts and lentil soup seem SO unlikely together, but this is actually a fantastic idea!

    Reply
  3. Vanitha Sujith says

    December 27, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for lunch today and it tasted great. I had to do without the tomato paste and I’m not sure if that altered the taste but it still tasted fantastic. We had this with Turkish Pide. It’s a simple recipe and will definitely be one of my go to recipes. Thanks Richa.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 27, 2015 at 6:25 pm

      Awesome! you can add more lemon for the tangy profile that the tomato paste will add.

      Reply
  4. Amelia Littlejohn says

    December 28, 2015 at 1:22 am

    This sounds and looks wonderful! The flavours sound dreamy.

    Nourishing Amelia | Food, Health and Lifestyle Blogger

    Reply
  5. Steph @ The Grateful Grazer says

    December 28, 2015 at 8:49 am

    This sounds so warm and comforting. I’m all for anything that combines harissa + peanut sauce…can’t wait to try! 🙂

    Reply
  6. Linda says

    December 29, 2015 at 12:14 pm

    My husband made this soup yesterday, following instructions exactly. It took an hour, which included cleaning up as he went, and that’s good for us! This is right up there with the best soups I have ever had. It might be THE best. Vegan Richa now joins Angela Liddon as my vegan cooking guru(s) and I just purchased her book. Delicious, rich in flavor and texture. For us, it’s 4-5 servings.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 29, 2015 at 12:28 pm

      Awesome!! Thank you for making it and loving the soup! <3 Thank you for buying my book!

      Reply
  7. Maureen says

    December 31, 2015 at 7:38 am

    5 stars
    Made this dish last night and it was wonderful! My daughter had seconds and wanted the leftovers for her lunch today. Next time will double the recipe so I can freeze some and take for my lunch. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      December 31, 2015 at 11:34 am

      Awesome!!

      Reply
  8. Elke says

    January 1, 2016 at 11:27 pm

    Didn’t have peanuts so I added some brown rice to this, it was delicious.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      January 2, 2016 at 12:11 am

      Great!

      Reply
  9. Maureen says

    January 5, 2016 at 4:36 pm

    5 stars
    This recipe was great.. I used Almonds instead of peanuts .. and roasted them.. so good !!!!

    Thanks for the yummy meal …

    Reply
    • Richa says

      January 5, 2016 at 5:43 pm

      Awesome!

      Reply
  10. Susan West says

    January 8, 2016 at 2:00 pm

    Made this soup today and it was delicious. I love the versatility of the different vegetable options. I used sweet potatoes and carrots as well as chopped Swiss chard for the baby greens.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      January 8, 2016 at 2:49 pm

      Awesome!

      Reply
    • Perri says

      February 4, 2016 at 11:00 am

      5 stars
      Made this last week and it was so delish! I used sweet potatoes, carrots and cauliflower for the veggies and it was perfect. Just got better with age too :). Going to make your lentils in peanut (almond) sauce this weekend with the leftover ingredients! Every recipe of yours I’ve made has been so delish. Thanks for your amazing easy recipes.

      Reply
      • Richa says

        February 4, 2016 at 1:05 pm

        Awesome!!

        Reply
  11. Meg says

    February 21, 2016 at 7:04 pm

    5 stars
    Amazing – coming from an avid meat eater! Will make again. A great vegan option and also super cheap for the grad student on a budget!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      February 21, 2016 at 7:14 pm

      Awesome!

      Reply
  12. pralinesloth says

    May 28, 2016 at 3:38 pm

    4 stars
    another fabulous recipe – thanks Richa! have made this several times, each time a bit different depending on what we have on hand, but as long as we have sambal oelek and peanut butter in the house, we’re good to go:)

    Reply
    • Richa says

      May 28, 2016 at 4:00 pm

      Awesome! thats what i do too! add different spice blends like berbere, cajun etc.

      Reply
  13. Linnéa says

    August 24, 2016 at 7:29 am

    Can I use green lentils? 🙂

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 24, 2016 at 10:38 am

      Sure. they will take longer to cook. Add more water and cook for another 20 minutes.

      Reply
  14. Kerri says

    January 8, 2017 at 2:34 pm

    5 stars
    This was delicious! Made a double batch using broccoli and cauliflower for the veggies since that was what I had on hand. I will definitely be making this again!

    Reply
  15. Janie says

    March 30, 2017 at 1:58 pm

    Could this be cooked in a slow cooker, after sweating the onions and paste first? Love your recipes and am always telling people to find you. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 30, 2017 at 3:28 pm

      Thank you Janie! I am sure you can cook it in a slow cooker. If there is a setting or time for red lentils, use that.

      Reply
  16. Amy Lyons says

    March 31, 2017 at 5:48 pm

    Loving this! I need to make it soon, it sounds wonderful!

    Reply
  17. Felicity says

    April 1, 2017 at 1:39 pm

    5 stars
    Your recipes are inspiring me to give up meat but I’m very low in iron and b12 just had two blood transfusions .any advice how to bump up my supplies without meat ?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      April 2, 2017 at 10:31 pm

      Hi Felicity, please see a doctor about the low iron and b12 to find why it is so low. There can be several reasons other than diet that might be causing it, and if so, dietary additions or changes might not help.

      Reply
  18. Anna says

    April 3, 2017 at 9:57 pm

    I have just made this and am eating it now. It is officially my new favourite dinner. Flavour is perfect! Perfect balance of spice, peanut flavours. Perfect consistency. Every mouthful is a flavour explosion. Soothing my soul! Love it
    Thank you!

    Reply
  19. Kate says

    May 24, 2017 at 8:16 pm

    4 stars
    I just made this soup, and the flavour is beautiful! Unfortunately my lentils burnt to the bottom, as I added them at the same time as the potato. I managed to save it by transferring do another pot. But next time I’ll add hthe lentils a bit later.
    Thanks Richa!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      May 29, 2017 at 7:10 pm

      Great! Add more water, cook at lower heat and stir occasionally. Maybe the stove runs hotter so they cooked faster.

      Reply
  20. Robby says

    June 20, 2017 at 2:56 am

    This is the first recipe I made of yours and it was amazing. Looking forward to trying more.

    Reply
  21. Maneesha says

    January 28, 2018 at 6:44 pm

    Hi Richa, can you use Berbere spice instead of harissa in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Richa says

      January 28, 2018 at 7:19 pm

      yes totally. berbere tastes so good with lentils

      Reply
      • Maneesha says

        January 29, 2018 at 8:29 am

        awesome! I can’t wait to try this! I’ll let you know how it turns out!

        Reply
  22. Sophie says

    March 5, 2018 at 10:36 am

    5 stars
    Made this today and wow Richa! Absolutely amazing! I have your Indian cookbook which I also have used a lot, you have amazing recipes! Really has been wonderful with your comforting recipes in this cold Norwegian winter this year!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      March 5, 2018 at 12:23 pm

      awesome!

      Reply
  23. Lynne Santos says

    October 14, 2018 at 2:01 pm

    5 stars
    Made this for lunch today and it was good! I think it took more time to prepare all the vegetables than it did to actually cook it. I bought peanuts and cilantro but otherwise used what we had on hand. For veggies I used a potato, a sweet potato and a carrot. I didn’t have the Harissa spice or asian chili sauce, but put in a couple “shakes” of Tabasco and it was spicy enough for us. When I got home I discovered my husband had eaten all the almond butter while I was shopping so I put some peanuts in a mini food processor and made peanut butter. Even with the short cook time it developed a rich flavor and the potato absorbed the flavor. The veggies and red lentils really do cook up in about 15 minutes, so don’t overcook it.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      October 14, 2018 at 8:29 pm

      awesome!

      Reply
  24. Sue says

    November 2, 2018 at 8:23 am

    5 stars
    Richa, I’ve been making this soup for almost 3 years, and still LOVING IT!! Your record are exceptional.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      November 2, 2018 at 9:49 am

      yay!

      Reply
  25. Kerri says

    August 12, 2019 at 6:13 pm

    5 stars
    I think this may be my absolute favorite recipe of all time! It never ceases to amaze me how delicious it is

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 12, 2019 at 11:43 pm

      Awesome!!Thanks!

      Reply
  26. Dori says

    April 4, 2020 at 4:33 am

    5 stars
    I make this ALL the time. I use your recipe as general guidance, but typically adjust quantities to my desired taste (more lentils, more peanut butter, more cumin, more veg). I’ve made this recipe at least once a month for the past 6 months alone. Simply fantastic.

    Reply
  27. Sam says

    July 31, 2020 at 10:31 am

    5 stars
    I’m going away over the weekend, and needed to use up some vegetables in my fridge. Richa, your recipes never fail to impress me. This was utterly delicious. I used a sweet potato, half a green pepper, a carrot, and a handful of spinach, and had me right from the first bite. Will definitely make again! (P.S. I also made your veggie and tofu ricotta lasagne for my non-vegan relatives last weekend, and they approved!)

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      August 1, 2020 at 12:22 pm

      more veggies the better – I say. That’s great, so happy everyone liked it, thank you

      Reply
  28. Rebecca says

    December 28, 2020 at 10:56 am

    5 stars
    So delicious!

    Reply

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Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options. Read more about me and the blog...

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