West African Peanut Stew
BEST VEGAN RECIPE EVER
Back in 2013, when Stephen and I were newlyweds living in New Jersey, we made a trip up to Keene, New Hampshire where our good friend Caity lived. We admired the pumpkins (Keene is the pumpkin capital of the world, I guess??) and took some hikes… and then Caity made us the most wonderful dinner.
It’s such a delicious recipe that we’ve been eating ever since! I love the taste— a really unique combo of some ingredients I usually don’t eat together, specifically ginger, peanut butter, and tomato paste. But it all comes together perfectly!
I’ve changed the original recipe (from Cookie+Kate) to include some chicken, as we’re not vegetarian (without this protein boost, I’ve found myself hungry again in a couple of hours!) But of course, you can totally leave it out if you want a vegan meal!
Here’s my kiddo’s plate— I usually tear the kale into smaller pieces to make it easier for him to eat, but otherwise I leave it the same. (Separating the individual ingredients as I did can be helpful for kids who struggle with mixed foods, but no need to go to the extra effort otherwise!) He has really enjoyed this meal, especially the saucy, peanut-y broth!
West African Peanut Stew (adapted from the Vegetarian Peanut Soup recipe from Cookie + Kate)
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 6
For Dietary Restrictions
Gluten free: this dish is gluten-free
Dairy free: this dish is dairy-free
Kids Can Help
Peel carrots & ginger, wash and tear kale, measure peanut butter
Ingredients
2-3 chicken breasts
2 Tbsp olive or canola oil
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup peanut butter
1 6-oz can tomato paste
Fresh ginger - a golf ball-sized piece (or ginger paste– add in step 5)
4-5 garlic cloves
1 large red onion
1 pound carrots (approx 6-8 large carrots, or more if you want!)
1 large bunch of kale
Salt to taste (about ½-1 tsp)
2 cups uncooked brown rice
Directions
Step 1
Cook rice according to package directions.
Step 2
Cut chicken breasts into 1-inch chunks.
Step 3
While rice is cooking, heat oil in a large soup pot. Cook the chicken over medium heat. Sprinkle with salt and allow to brown before stirring.
Step 4
While chicken is cooking, peel and mince garlic, onion, and ginger; peel and cut carrots into ½ inch pieces. Add all vegetables to pot with chicken and lower heat; cover and cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir often to keep from sticking.
Step 5
Add broth, peanut butter, and tomato paste to pot; cover and bring to an active simmer.
Step 6
While everything is simmering, wash and tear (or chop) kale into bite-size pieces.
Step 7
Once carrots are tender, turn off heat, add kale to the soup pot and cover for a few minutes so kale can wilt slightly.
Step 8
Serve the peanut stew over the rice.
Note: For little eaters, try pulling out some chicken, carrots, and small pieces of kale for them on the side; you can serve the broth as a dipping sauce! The rice should be fairly sticky and easy to pinch together into clumps for them to pick up; otherwise, you can mix it with peanut sauce and help them eat it with a spoon.