Melanie Ng This savory stew is inspired by the delicious peanut and tomato West African Maafe dish. The heat from the ginger and red pepper is balanced out by the sweetness of the peanut butter.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion (any type), chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 teaspoons jarred minced garlic)
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1 can (15 ounce) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 5 cups vegetable broth, low or 33% less sodium
- 3 small sweet potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 1 can (15 ounce) diced tomatoes, no salt added, with liquid
- 1/4 pound (1 large bunch, or 4-6 cups) kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
- 3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat.
- Saute the onion for about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, ginger and chickpeas in the last minute.
- In a 6-quart slow cooker, add the chickpea mixture. Season with crushed red pepper, cumin, and chili powder.
- Pour the vegetable broth in and add the sweet potatoes. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Remove some of the sweet potatoes and mash with a fork. Add mashed sweet potatoes back into the slow cooker and stir the tomatoes, kale, peanut butter, and raisins into the soup during the last 20 minutes of cooking.
Notes
- Save time by purchasing sweet potatoes already cubed, using jarred minced garlic (1 teaspoon for every tablespoon of fresh garlic), and substituting the fresh ginger with ground ginger (1/4 teaspoon ground ginger for every tablespoon of fresh ginger).
- Try substituting chickpeas with any canned bean (we love Great Northern Beans in this dish!) or chicken.
- Chopped collards or spinach can be substituted for the kale. Allow adequate cook time if including the stems of any greens.
