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. This recipe is made dairy-free and vegan.
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 and it has become one of my favorite recipes. The first time I had it I was skeptical, but it was a great recipe find.
The peanut flavor is mild but helps balance the vegetable flavor. It’s a great recipe that helps making eating your vegetables tasty!
Why You Need This Recipe
- This recipe as written is vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Each serving is chock full of nutrition.
- You can serve this peanut stew plain or with cooked white rice. To add protein and make it a full meal such as for dinner recipes, you could stir in a lean protein source such as cubed tofu or shredded cooked chicken (for non-vegan diets).
- This is a great way to use up the extra vegetables in your refrigerator. Blend them up with the peanut sauce and enjoy.
Key Ingredients
Sweet potatoes thicken and naturally sweeten the soup. They’re also an excellent source of vitamins including beta-carotene (be sure to use the orange-fleshed variety of sweet potato).
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!
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Steps
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 with the vegetables that you use, 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 in large soup pot or large saucepan over medium heat.
Step Four
After the ingredients are cooked, then it’s nice to use a hand immersion blender to get a smooth consistency. You can also use a food processor or blender to blend the soup (always be cautious when blending hot liquids).
The last step is to stir in the peanut butter, coconut aminos, and maple syrup or date syrup (the added sweetness is great for those of us with a sweet tooth).
You can also squeeze in some fresh lime for extra brightness and a pop of flavor. Or, season with salt and black pepper (or red pepper flakes).
I hope the next time you want a hearty soup you try this yummy recipe.
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.
- The ingredients are flexible. Feel free to use whatever veggies you have in your kitchen including bell peppers, green onions, cloves or garlic, or other types of root vegetables. If you want a creamier soup, feel free to substitute half the vegetable stock with coconut milk.
- To make spicy peanut soup, feel free to add a teaspoon of chili powder or red curry paste and serve with a drizzle of sriracha or hot sauce.
- 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.
Recipe FAQs
It’s delicious all by itself but you can serve it with white rice, cauliflower rice, cooked quinoa, crusty bread, or brown rice.
One cup of peanut butter is about 240 grams.
Yes! Combine all the ingredients except the peanut butter, maple syrup, and coconut aminos and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Then, follow the directions for blending and finishing the soup.
You can sauté the vegetables first in olive oil or a sustainable red palm oil, but you don’t have to.
More Healthy Soup Recipes You Might Like
- Chilled Strawberry-Cucumber Soup
- Coconut Lentil Curry
- Dairy-Free Cream of Tomato Soup
- Instant Pot Carrot Ginger Soup
- Instant Pot Vegetable Stew
What to Serve with Peanut Butter Soup
Peanut Butter Soup (Vegan)
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. This recipe is made dairy-free and vegan.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes (from about 3 medium sweet potatoes)
- 1 zucchini squash, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 13.5–ounce 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
- 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.
- Lock on the lid and set the cooking time to 10 minutes at high pressure.
- 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.
- Carefully remove the lid and 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, with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, if desired.
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop or pressure cooker
- Cuisine: African-inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Keywords: vegan peanut butter soup west african, peanut butter garbanzo soup, vegetable peanut butter soup
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My family enjoyed this soup very much! I made some rice to serve it over to stretch it out some. My husband asked me to add it to the regular rotation. We enjoyed the different flavor profile.
★★★★★
Super flavorful and comforting.
★★★★★