Vegan Sweet Potato Peanut Soup
Filling and hearty, spicy gluten free and vegan sweet potato peanut soup with kale is the perfect way to warm up from the cold. Combining classic West African and Thai flavors, this soup is anything but boring.
Oh, hey, It’s still winter. It’s still cold. We had a nice little break with a 60 degree temperature increase for a day… and now we’re back into below freezing winter weather.
So basically, what I’m saying is… it’s soup weather. The ultimate soup weather.
I touched a little on my feelings on soup in this recipe post for vegetarian mushroom and wild rice soup. Basically, I’m not really a huge soup fan, which is ironic given that I joined a soup group this year.
My soup requirements are as such: thick and hearty, full of delicious “things,” cook for long enough that said delicious things are soft and creamy, and no chicken.
Once again, this spicy vegan sweet potato peanut soup (with kale, but seriously, that is a long recipe name) nails all my basic soup requirements.
And again, half the people in our soup group were no shows, and I was a-okay with eating this for lunch every single day during the week. (I think this means I have to revoke my membership in the anti-soup club!)
What is Sweet Potato Peanut Soup?
The inspiration for this recipe comes from my ultimate science-food writing crush, Kenji López-Alt, over at Serious Eats.
In his version of Peanut, Sweet Potato, and Kale Soup With CoconutPeanut, Sweet Potato, and Kale Soup With Coconut, he takes the West African groundnut soup of his childhood and mixes it with southeast Asian Thai flavors.
As a sucker for a good culinary mashup, I knew I had to try it.
Of course, I’ve changed things up in my own version, but Kenji totally nailed the flavor combination on the head. Spicy jalapenos, creamy peanut butter, and thick and hearty sweet potatoes… paired with coconut milk?
Yes, and yes again! And the best part is this soup is naturally vegan and gluten free — no substitutions necessary, and so good, you won’t want to sub in any chicken broth.
Spicy peppers. Thick and hearty sweet potatoes, simmered until they practically fall apart. Rich and nutty peanut butter (and a sprinkle of peanuts for crunch). Sweet coconut milk. Earthy kale. A squeeze of bright lime juice. Delicious.
Can You Freeze Sweet Potato Peanut Soup?
Another reason why this soup is so perfect? You can’t overcook it, and you can make a giant batch and save more for another day.
This doubled perfectly for our soup group, and held up really well simmering on the stove for an extra 2 hours waiting for people to come pick up their share.
The longer it sat on low heat, the thicker the soup got, as the sweet potatoes continued to break down. (I think I liked it even more after the extra simmering time!).
It reheated well in the microwave at work, and the rest of our leftovers went into the freezer for a later day.
To freeze, make sure the soup is thoroughly cold in the refrigerator. Transfer to a plastic freezer bag or a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
To thaw, either transfer the soup to the refrigerator overnight or use the ‘defrost’ setting on the microwave. Reheat on a pan on the stovetop or a bowl in the microwave.
(Oh, and did I mention this is toddler friendly, too?? ↓↓↓)
So make yourself a giant batch of vegan sweet potato peanut soup and enjoy lunch all week, or an easy dinner from the freezer. Winter is sticking around for a while – you may as well make the most of it.
More Vegan Dinners:
- Sweet Potato Kale Chickpea Bowl
- Coconut Braised Chickpeas and Spinach
- Eggplant Curry with Coconut Milk
- Thai Peanut Noodle Stir Fry
- All Dinner Recipes »
Vegan Sweet Potato Peanut Soup
Filling and hearty, spicy gluten free and vegan sweet potato peanut soup with kale is the perfect way to warm up from the cold.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and diced
- 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (14-ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
- 2 cups kale, stems removed, chopped
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, serrano or jalapeno pepper, garlic, and ginger. Saute until soft and fragrant.
- Add in the cubed sweet potatoes, followed by the tomato paste, coconut milks, water, salt, and turmeric. Simmer for at least 30 minutes, until sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add peanut butter and peanuts and stir until peanut butter is well combined in to the soup. Add the kale and simmer an additional 15 minutes to an hour, until soup reaches desired thickness and sweet potatoes are broken down to taste preference. Stir in the lime juice before serving. Top with additional peanuts.
Notes
Recipe inspired from Serious Eats.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 484Total Fat: 39gCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 12g
This looks incredible! :-0 I love soup on a cold day. We’ve been getting some cold fronts here in Florida and I think I need to make this ASAP!
I know it wasnt vegan when I added the roasted chicken to it, but the soup was wonderful and made a great dinner for my husband! He LOVED it! I kind of think the peanuts sealed the deal… they were such an interesting texture in the soup!
Can’t agree more with you when you say winter is sticking around for a little longer. I so badly needed more soup inspiration and found this at just the right time! I have everything in my kitchen to make it and I am going to try it tonight with spinach instead of kale because that’s what I have in my fridge right now.
Thanks for sharing
I’m looking at your soup and drooling. With all those delicious flavors going on I certainly wouldn’t miss the meat. And your spices are just the type that we love — HOT!
This looks like a hearty and tasty soup!
Oh my gosh, this soup looks pretty much amazing! I love all the fun flavors/ingredients! Totally making this!
When I think soup, I think chicken like most people, but this soup has so much going for it that I’m going to forget the chicken for once! Looks so hearty and nourishing.
Much like you, I’m a sucker for a good culinary mashup. Everything in this soup sounds amazing and it totally checks my boxes for a perfect recipe! Can’t wait to try it!
Ahh…The minute I saw this potato peanut soup, I knew the color reminded me of a hearty potato pottage recipe we have in Nigeria (although ours replaces the olive oil with palm oil), which some add peanuts to. So when I saw the West African influence you mentioned I knew you were in our backyard! Lol! I couldn’t agree more on the hearty taste and great flavors of this soup!
This is amazing! I had some butternut squash to use up so I added that. Along with a little curry (which I tend to add to everything) this hit the spot. Yes, my toddler approves too. Thanks for the great recipe, will be adding this to the soup rotation regularly…looking forward to more!
I’m definitely a soup girl and could eat it all day, everyday! This recipe looks fantastic! Just curious…what is a soup group?
I love this African/Thai fusion! I’m also not vegan but do eat a lot of vegan meals – defintely going to make this.
The flavour profile of this soup sounds amazing. I love it. All the things cooked to creaminess. Delicious!
What a gorgeous bowl of soup! I can’t wait to make your recipe!
I was looking for meals to spice up the dinner rotation and this hit the spot! My jalapeno was a dud spice wise, but the soup was still amazing. Even my preschooler and husband who both despise all things coconut (weirdos) enjoyed this.
Glad you all liked this – even the little one! My kids are big fans, too – it’s always such a relief to find something EVERYONE can enjoy.