Groundnut Soup (West African Peanut Stew)

“Every spoonful remembers what the slave ships tried to forget.”

Groundnut Soup

This isn’t “peanut butter soup.” This is Groundnut Soup. Thick, spiced, smoky, rich with history. A West African dish that traveled across the Atlantic not by choice—but by survival. It’s made with peanuts, yes—but also with chili, tomato, onion, and fire. Eat it with fufu, rice, or just your hands—that’s the way it was meant to be.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp red palm oil (or substitute peanut oil if needed)
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp grated ginger
  • 2–3 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 cup canned)
  • 1–2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 chili pepper, chopped (scotch bonnet if you’re brave, serrano if you’re not)
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
  • 1½ lbs chicken thighs, bone-in, skin removed (or use lamb or smoked fish)
  • ½ cup unsweetened peanut butter (stirred well—no additives)
  • 4–5 cups broth or water
  • Salt to taste
  • Chopped greens (spinach, collards, or kale), optional but welcome


How The Alchemy Happens


Heat oil in a large pot. Sauté onion until golden. Add garlic, ginger, chili, paprika, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Cook until thick and fragrant.

Add chicken, salt, and just enough water or broth to cover. Simmer until meat is tender—about 30–40 minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix peanut butter with a ladle of hot broth to thin it. Stir into the pot. Simmer gently until thick and luscious—about 15 more minutes.

Add chopped greens if using. Simmer a few more minutes.

Adjust seasoning. Serve hot with rice, fufu, or whatever connects you to the land.

🔙 Back to the Kitchen

“What they called primitive fed a people for centuries.”