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5 from 1 vote

African Peanut Soup (Maafe)

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: dinner, lunch
Cuisine: African
Keyword: bell pepper, boneless chicken, broth, carrots, garlic, ginger, onion, peanut butter, peanuts, tomatoes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: GFchow @ gfchow.com

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion peeled and cut into wedges, cut and discard root after cutting into wedges
  • 1 large tomato cut into wedges
  • 1 piece fresh ginger 1-2 inches, peeled, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic rough chopped
  • 6 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  • 3/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces, (breast meat can be used, See NOTES section below)
  • 1/2 large bell pepper (any color) seeded and chopped
  • 3/4 cups carrots peeled and ends trimmed, sliced into rounds
  • ¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • chopped peanuts, cilantro leaves, and/or hot pepper flakes optional garnishes

Instructions

  • Place onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and peanut butter in the blender. Cover and purée until smooth.
  • Add the peanut butter purée to a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Then stir in the broth, chicken, pepper, carrots, crushed red pepper and salt. Bring to a soft boil.
  • Continue to simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, over medium to medium-low heat (adjust heat as needed) until the chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
  • Taste, then season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve as is, or with a side of rice to enjoy as a stew.

Notes

Breast meat can be used in place of thighs if you prefer white meat. Add breast meat after 10 minutes of the soup simmering to avoid over-cooking and drying out the chicken.
Substituting diced tofu or sweet potato for the chicken, makes for a great vegetarian soup or stew. Just make sure to use vegetable instead of chicken broth.