West African Peanut Soup
Updated Mar 14, 2026
West African Peanut Soup recipe with peanut butter, tomato paste, onions, and sweet potatoes. Inspired by the version I grew up eating in Sierra Leone.
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My Version of West African-Style Peanut Soup is Soo Good!
I lived in Sierra Leone, West Africa for about 11 years growing up, and peanut soup is one of the dishes I remember the most from that time. It’s a really common meal there and something we ate often.
The version I make now is based on one my mom and grandma learned while we were living there. Like a lot of traditional dishes, there are many different ways to make this West African peanut soup depending on the country or the family. Over time I’ve adjusted ours a little by using olive oil instead of palm oil and adding sweet potatoes, which not everyone does.
What I like about this peanut soup is that the ingredients are pretty basic. Peanut butter, tomato paste, onions, and a few other things come together to make a really rich soup that’s usually served over rice.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
West African Peanut Soup Ingredients
- Peanut butter. Use smooth, creamy peanut butter so the soup stays smooth. Crunchy peanut butter isn’t recommended because the peanut pieces stay chunky. Natural peanut butter works, just stir it well before measuring.
- Aromatics. Olive oil, onions, and fresh ginger. I usually use yellow or white onions and chop them finely so they cook down evenly. Fresh ginger is optional, but it adds nice flavor to the soup. If you don’t have fresh ginger, you can substitute ¼ teaspoon ground ginger for every 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger.
- Tomato base. Tomato paste. Cooking the tomato paste with the onions for a minute or two before adding liquid helps it blend into the soup more smoothly.
- Sweet potatoes. Cut the sweet potatoes into evenly sized pieces so they cook at the same rate. You can peel them or leave the skins on, but I usually peel them for a smoother soup. See my tips on how to cut sweet potatoes. Some versions of West African peanut soup don’t include sweet potatoes, so they can be left out.
- Liquid. Water or vegetable broth both work. If using broth, you may want to reduce the salt slightly depending on how salty it is.
- Seasoning. Salt and cayenne pepper. The cayenne is optional and can be adjusted depending on how spicy you want the soup.
- Optional additions. Baby spinach and shredded chicken can be stirred in at the end. The soup works well either vegetarian or with chicken added.
- For serving. Peanut soup is usually served over white rice, basmati rice is my favorite. It is also good on top of brown rice, quinoa and even farro. Crushed peanuts can be sprinkled on top if you like.
How to Make West African Peanut Soup
Recipe Video Tutorial
West African Peanut Soup Recipe
Easy West African Peanut Soup made with peanut butter, tomato paste, onions, sweet potatoes, and broth, often served over rice.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 2 large onions finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger optional
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 1 sweet potato chopped
- 6 cups water or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup baby spinach optional
- 8 oz shredded chicken optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot. Add onions and ginger, and cook for 5-10 minutes until the onions are very soft and translucent, but not browned.
- Add tomato paste and mix with the onions until they are well coated. Add the sweet potatoes to the pot, season with salt and cayenne pepper, and mix with the onion and tomato paste mixture.
- Pour the vegetable broth or water into the pot and bring mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are cooked. Stir in the peanut butter until it’s well blended with the mixture. Add spinach and/or chicken, if desired, and stir to combine.
- Serve over white rice with crushed peanuts, if desired.
Notes
My Top Tip: Don’t over-cook your sweet potatoes! If you let your sweet potatoes simmer for too long, they’ll become soft and change the soup’s consistency. Make sure to chop them into small pieces, and check on them after 20 minutes of simmering.
Storage: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. When you’re ready to eat, just simmer your soup on the stovetop or pop it in the microwave.
Freezing: Once your soup has cooled, you can place it in a sealable container in the freezer for up to 3 months. To re-heat, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then microwave it when you’re ready to eat.
Nutrition
Calories: 385kcal, Carbohydrates: 19g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 28mg, Sodium: 755mg, Potassium: 670mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 3915IU, Vitamin C: 8.2mg, Calcium: 55mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
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Recipe Tips
- Use natural peanut butter. Whether you opt for chunky or creamy is up to you, just make sure the peanut butter you use doesn’t contain oil, sugar, or any other additives. We want to maximize the peanut flavor.
- Adjust the thickness at the end. Peanut soup thickens as it cooks and even more as it sits. If it becomes too thick, stir in a splash of hot water or broth before serving.
Serving Ideas
- Add bread! I always want to sop up the bottom of this West African Peanut Soup with some homemade pita, naan, or yogurt flatbread.
- Make a side salad. While there are some good veggies in this soup, it’s nice to have something fresh on the side, like my fattoush salad, fresh garden salad, or mixed greens salad
Comments
Ngl… I’m actually surprised that it was a little bland seeing as I’ve had this before… maybe I just need spice.
Hi! Did you use fresh ginger? It really helps with the flavor, but it is a pretty mellow dish and a lot of the flavor is in the peanut butter and the spice, which 1 teaspoon should be plenty spicy! (for me at least lol)
An interesting and unusual taste and texture, an acquired taste I suspect. Personally, I like it and will add some chicken tomorrow and ask a friend’s opinion.
Glad you like it, Nigel! Thank you!
Delicious! I’ve wanted to try making this soup for years and your recipe was fab. I added shrimp that I sautéed in oil from the peanut butter jar (I saw it in another woman’s IG video about her peanut soup) as well as the shredded chicken. I did dial up the cayenne and ginger and added a dash of lime juice and brown sugar to brighten it, as it was very rich and I wanted to round it out a bit. I will definitely be making this again!
Yum, love that you added shrimp sautéed in peanut oil! That’s a great tip!! So happy you enjoyed the recipe, Angie. Thank you so much!!
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