Spicy Peanut Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
Updated Jul 14, 2021, Published Jan 29, 2021
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With lots of flavorful ingredients, protein and vegetables, this African-inspired soup is the perfect winter warm-up! Best of all, Spicy Peanut Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potatoes is both hearty and healthy!
“Amazing and so full of flavor!! My girls and I loved it!! ❤“
Why This Recipe is a Keeper!
With January in the rearview mirror, winter isn’t showing any signs of letting up. When winter drags on, I crave food from the warm, sunny climates of the world like this African-inspired soup.
Spicy Peanut Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potatoes hits all the flavor notes with hearty, healthy protein-packed goodness sure to chase away your winter blues!
This spicy peanut soup recipe is:
- Easy to make!
- Freezer-friendly.
- Make-ahead.
- Hits all the flavor notes with spicy, sweet and nutty undertones.
- Sure to warm you down to your toes!
- Both hearty and healthy!
How to make Spicy Peanut Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potatoes:
Recipe Ingredients:
Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make this Spicy Peanut Soup recipe. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:
- Ginger: There’s no substitute for fresh ginger. Anything in tubes of squeeze bottles just won’t have the same “oomph.”
- Chicken Broth: Use chicken broth or stock.
- Peanut Butter: If you have a peanut allergy, substitute another nut butter or sunflower butter.
- Coriander / Cilantro: Cilantro and coriander spice come from the same plant but have different flavor profiles. (Cilantro is called coriander in some cultures.) Cilantro is the leaves and stems while coriander spice comes from the dried seeds. They’re not interchangeable and you’ll need both for this recipe.
Step-By-Step Instructions:
- Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy soup pot.
- Cook the onions, celery, carrot and red bell pepper until nice and melty soft.
- Add the sweet potatoes, ginger, garlic, chiles and coriander.
- Cook and stir a bit until the ginger, garlic and coriander are fragrant.
- Add the broth, tomatoes and peanut butter.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the sweet potatoes are tender.
- Add the chicken, lime juice and cilantro. Season with salt and black pepper.
That’s it!
Spicy Peanut Soup has lots of good-for-you things kicked up with coriander, hot chiles, lime juice, ginger and garlic!
The peanut butter gives the soup a creamy silky texture without cream!
Top with chopped peanuts for some crunch, cilantro, sliced jalapeno or serrano chiles and lime wedges.
Chef Tip:
- Because of how fresh ginger is sold, chances are good you’ll buy more than you need for this recipe. It will last in your refrigerator for a while. If you want to get it all prepped for your next recipe, peel it, coarsely chop it and place it in a mini food processor or blender with a small amount of water. Process it into a paste and place it in snack-size zipper-top bags and place it in the freezer.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Also known as groundnut soup (or stew), African Peanut Soup is a staple in West African cuisine–mainly Ghana and Sierra Leone. In Nigeria, yams are often added so the classic “groundnut” soup (or stew) varies from country to country, region to region and cook to cook.
Absolutely! As with most soups and stews, they’re often better the next day. Cool completely then refrigerate. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
Yes! Cool completely then store in airtight containers in the volume desired. Thaw in the refrigerator or microwave then reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
Variations:
- Leave out the chicken and use vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
- Use tofu or chickpeas in place of the chicken.
- Add kale or okra for even more vegetable goodness!
More hearty soups you’ll love:
- Sausage Lentil Soup
- Cold-Fighting Chicken Soup with Kale and Orzo
- Old-Fashioned Potato Cabbage and Kielbasa Soup
- Chorizo Sweet Potato Stew with Kale
- Southwestern Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Chicken Bouillabaisse
Get all my soup and stew recipes at Soup and Stew Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen
Spicy Peanut Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/3-inch cubes
- 2 serrano or jalapeno peppers, seeded if desired, finely chopped plus sliced chiles for garnish
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 heaping tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (15-ounce) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
- 1-2 tablespoons lime juice, to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
- Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Chopped peanuts, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they begin softening.
- Add the carrots and celery. Cook 3-4 minutes.
- Add the red bell pepper. Cook 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sweet potatoes, serrano or jalapeno peppers, garlic, ginger and coriander. Cook 2-3 minutes or until garlic, ginger and coriander are fragrant.
- Stir in broth, tomatoes and peanut butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Add the chicken and simmer on low for another 5 minutes.
- Add lime juice to taste, cilantro, cayenne if using and salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve garnished with chopped peanuts, cilantro, fresh serranos or jalapenos and lime wedges.
Notes
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs will yield approximately 2 cups cooked and shredded.
- You can add raw chicken directly to the soup, but add it when adding the chicken broth to ensure the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
- Can be made 1-2 days ahead. Refrigerate until needed.
- Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Cool and place in airtight containers in the number of servings as desired. Freeze 1-2 months.
- Thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
We made this tonight! It was a bit time consuming, but it tasted wonderful! It also made enough for leftovers, and I’m always a fan of that. Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi, Lindy, Thanks so very much and happy you enjoyed! I’m all about having leftovers, too. This soup also freezes very well. Thanks again!
Made the Spicy Chicken, Sweet Potato and Peanut soup. It was amazing and so full of flavor!! My girls and I loved it!! ❤
Hi, Kelly, Thanks so very much! So glad you and the kids enjoyed it!
I left a review in the comment section. Amazing and great flavor!!! We loved it!