This flavorful Peanut Butter Soup with Vegetables can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop. It’s full of nourishing ingredients with a slightly sweet natural peanut butter flavor. Vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and dairy-free. 

peanut butter soup served in a black bowl

If you love peanut butter, then you will definitely want to make this Peanut Butter Soup recipe! I’ve included instructions for making it both in the Instant Pot pressure cooker and on the stovetop.

I first had this type of soup at one of my favorite vegan restaurants many years ago. They called it West African Peanut Soup.

This recipe as written is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Each serving is chock full of nutrition, with:

  • 250 calories,
  • 27 grams of carbs, 
  • 5 grams of fiber,
  • and 8 grams of plant-based protein.

I often serve this soup with cooked white rice. You can mix in shredded chicken to help increase the protein content (vegans could stir in cubed tofu, if desired).

Key Ingredients

ingredients for peanut butter soup

Sweet potatoes thicken and naturally sweetens the soup. They’re also an excellent source of Manganese and Vitamin A.

Zucchini and onion cook and blend up nicely plus they have a mild and savory flavor that goes well with the sweeter elements. I used a medium zucchini and a medium onion.

Tomatoes add sweetness and acidity. They pair with the vegetable broth and peanut butter to give a sweet and savory flavor to this peanut soup.

Garbanzo beans add protein and texture.

Vegetable broth adds lots of flavor with only one ingredient. It’s the liquid base that cooks up all the vegetables. You can also use chicken broth if that’s what you have on hand (but then your soup won’t be vegan or vegetarian).

Natural peanut butter is essential here for its nutty flavor and creamy texture. Peanut butter usually contains added oils and sugar which is why this recipe calls for natural peanut butter. Natural peanut butter only contains peanuts and salt. Not only is it better for you but it tastes better in this soup!

Recipe Steps

how to make peanut butter soup in the instant pot

This is an easy soup recipe to make, and it’s full of veggies! 

Step One

The first, and most time-consuming step is to chop your vegetables. You can feel free to get creative, but I do highly recommend using sweet potatoes in this soup to help give it extra body and natural sweetness.

Step Two

The next step is to combine the chopped vegetables with chopped tomatoes and vegetable broth into the base of an Instant Pot. Or, you can also add the ingredients to a big pot if you prefer to make this soup on the stovetop.

Step Three

I also like to add some spices to the Peanut Butter Soup including ground ginger, thyme, and turmeric. Next, cook the soup for 10 minutes in a pressure cooker or 30 minutes on the stovetop.

Step Four

After the ingredients are cooked, then it’s nice to use a hand immersion blender to get a smooth consistency. 

peanut butter soup in instant pot

Step Five

The last step is to stir in the peanut butter, coconut aminos, and maple syrup or date syrup. You can also squeeze in some fresh lime for extra brightness and a pop of flavor.

peanut butter soup with fresh lime

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat before serving.
  • I like to serve this soup with cooked white rice. For extra protein, stir in cooked shredded chicken (not vegan) or chopped tofu before serving.
  • To make spicy peanut soup, feel free to add a teaspoon of chili powder and serve with a drizzle of sriracha.
  • STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: Combine the sweet potatoes, zucchini, onion, chopped tomatoes, garbanzo beans, vegetable broth, ginger, garlic, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and let the pot simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Use a hand immersion blender to blend the ingredients until you get a fairly smooth texture. Stir in the peanut butter, coconut aminos, and maple syrup. Serve hot.

FAQs

What can I serve with peanut butter soup?

It’s delicious all by itself but you can serve it with white rice, cauliflower rice, cooked quinoa, crusty bread, or brown rice.

Can I use regular peanut butter?

If you don’t like or have natural peanut butter you can use regular peanut butter. The taste will come out slightly different than it would with natural but it will still be delicious.

How many grams are in one cup of peanut butter?

One cup of peanut butter is about 240 grams.

two bowls of peanut butter soup

Other Healthy Soup Recipes You Might Like

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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peanut butter soup in black bowl

Peanut Butter Soup with Vegetables

This flavorful Peanut Butter Soup with Vegetables can be made in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop. It’s full of nourishing ingredients with a slightly sweet natural peanut butter flavor. Vegan-friendly, gluten-free, and dairy-free. 

  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 3 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (from about 3 medium sweet potatoes)
  • 1 zucchini squash, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 13.5ounce can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 13-5 ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 garlic cloves, minced)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or reduced-sodium tamari
  • 2 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 lime, juiced (optional, for topping)

Instructions

  1. In the base of a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot, combine the sweet potatoes, zucchini, onion, chopped tomatoes, garbanzo beans, vegetable broth, ginger, garlic, and salt.
  2. Lock on the lid and set the cooking time to 10 minutes at high pressure.
  3. Once the cooking time is complete, let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes. Then, use the quick release to get rid of any remaining pressure.
  4. Carefully remove the lid and use a hand immersion blender to blend the ingredients until you get a fairly smooth texture.
  5. Stir in the peanut butter, coconut aminos, and maple syrup.
  6. Serve hot, with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, if desired.

Notes

  1. Store any leftovers in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat before serving.
  2. I like to serve this soup with cooked white rice. For extra protein, stir in cooked shredded chicken (not vegan) or chopped tofu before serving.
  3. STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS: Combine the sweet potatoes, zucchini, onion, chopped tomatoes, garbanzo beans, vegetable broth, ginger, garlic, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce the heat, and let the pot simmer for 30 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender. Use a hand immersion blender to blend the ingredients until you get a fairly smooth texture. Stir in the peanut butter, coconut aminos, and maple syrup. Serve hot.
  • Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop or pressure cooker
  • Cuisine: African
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: vegan peanut butter soup west african, peanut butter garbanzo soup, vegetable peanut butter soup

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