This 1 pot Maafe recipe (also known as African Peanut Stew) is incredibly easy to make, full of plant-based protein and absolutely delicious. If you like peanut butter, you'll love this hearty stew!
This Maafe recipe was one of the first recipes I ever shared on the blog. I had recently been to West Africa where I was first introduced to Maafe and I knew that I needed to share this naturally vegan recipe with my readers. This African Peanut Stew is perfect for my family because we love to add peanut butter to anything and everything, from peanut butter swirl brownies to creamy peanut butter curry. If you love peanut butter, then I know you'll also love this vegan maafe, which, in addition to peanut butter, is full of hearty sweet potatoes, beans and greens.
Why You'll Love This Recipe!
- If you love peanut butter, then you'll love this senegalese peanut stew! Salty peanut butter combined with saucy tomatoes to make a delicious base for hearty potatoes, beans and greens.
- This maafe recipe uses a lot of pantry and freezer staples, making it the perfect recipe to whip up with you don't have a lot of fresh produce or time.
- While there are certain ingredients that are traditional to African Peanut Stew, this recipe is pretty versatile. If you don't have kidney beans, you can use a different variety. If you are out of fresh greens, use frozen. If you don't like sweet potatoes, chuck in some white potatoes. Really, the peanut butter and tomato base of this recipe will make anything you add to it amazing.
Ingredients
- Garlic - I love garlic! The more the better in my opinion, especially if it's fresh garlic. If you want to use more than 3 cloves, I'd definitely say go for it. If you don't have fresh garlic, you can use pre-minced garlic or garlic powder.
- Ginger - Fresh ginger is an ingredient I always have on hand and I find it rarely goes bad. I just store it in my vegetable drawer on it's own. You'll want to peel your ginger before mincing it or grating it on a zester.
- Canned Chopped Tomatoes - If you don't have chopped tomatoes on hand, you can use whole canned tomatoes and just chop them up a bit.
- Peanut Butter - Make sure you use natural peanut butter. You don't want to add any extra thickeners or sugars to this maafe recipe. I almost always use my homemade peanut butter.
- Vegetable Broth - Use whatever brand of vegetable broth you like best. You can either use broth from a carton or add water to a veggie stock cube.
- Sweet Potatoes - If you don't mind potato skin, then feel free to leave the skin on your potatoes. Either way, you'll want to cut your potatoes into similar sized cubes so they cook evenly.
- Canned Kidney Beans - Kidney beans are traditionally used in African peanut stew and they add some extra protein to this recipe.
- Frozen Peas - Frozen peas are a vegetable that I always have stocked in my freezer. They add a nice burst of color to this maafe recipe and some extra protein as well.
- Kale - I love using hearty kale in this recipe. Be sure to remove the stems from your kale and chop it up before adding it to this stew.
See recipe card for complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
- Sweet Potatoes - If you don't have or like sweet potatoes, feel free to use regular white potatoes.
- Kidney Beans - The kidney beans could be replaced by whatever beans you like best or already have in your pantry.
- Kale - Any leafy greens will work in this recipe! Whenever I don't have fresh greens on hand, I just use frozen spinach.
How to Make Vegan Maafe
Step 1: Heat some olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent. Add in the minced garlic and ginger and cook a few more minutes.
Step 2: Add in the (optional) red pepper flakes, chopped tomatoes and peanut butter and stir until combined.
Step 3: Next stir in the vegetable broth and chopped sweet potato and bring the mixture to a simmer. Allow the stew to simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender, but not mushy.
Step 4: Lastly stir in the kidney beans, frozen peas and kale and allow the beans to warm through and the greens to wilt. Taste and add more salt and black pepper if needed.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to chop your sweet potatoes into similar-sized cubes so that they cook evenly. You want to avoid some of the potatoes being al dente and others being mushy.
- I always love adding some citrus to my soups and stews, so I highly recommend squeezing some lime juice over this vegetable maafe before digging in. Some fresh cilantro would also go a long way in elevating this simple peanut stew.
Recipe FAQs
Another common name for African Peanut Stew is Maafe or ground nut stew. It's a staple meal throughout West Africa, especially Senegal. As the name suggests, it's made up of a base of ground peanuts which create a thick stew or sauce. I was inspired by a trip to Nigeria to recreate this African peanut stew and now everyone seems to have realized how easy, delicious and hearty this meal is!
Maafe is pronounced "ma" (as in mama) and "fay" (as in Fayetteville). It's also called African peanut stew or ground nut stew.
Traditional maafe often contains meat and meat broth. However, because the broth is naturally vegan, it's easy to make the entire recipe vegan by substituting the meat and meat broth for a plant-based protein source and vegetable broth.
This maafe should last in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. I think it tastes better the longer it sit in the fridge as the flavors have more time to meld!
More Vegan 1 Pot Soups and Stews!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.
📖 Recipe
Maafe (African Peanut Stew)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 29 ounces chopped tomatoes 2 cans
- ½ cup natural salted peanut butter
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 pound sweet potato 2 small, 1 large, peeled and chopped
- 1 can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas
- 2 large handfuls kale chopped*
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional Garnish: Cilantro lemon or lime wedges, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the chopped onion and sauté for a few minutes until translucent.
- Add in the minced garlic and ginger and cook a few more minutes.
- Add in the (optional) red pepper flakes, chopped tomatoes and peanut butter and stir to combine.
- Next stir in the vegetable broth and chopped sweet potato and bring the mixture to a simmer. Allow the stew to simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, but are not mushy.
- Lastly stir in the kidney beans, frozen peas and kale and allow the beans to warm through and the kale to wilt, about 5 more minutes. Taste and add more salt and black pepper if needed.
- Serve warm garnished with cilantro, lemon or lime wedges and more red pepper flakes!
Notes
- Try to cut your sweet potatoes into cubes the same size so that they cook evenly.
- Any dark leafy green (spinach, collage greens, etc.) will work.
- Leftovers will keep sealed in the fridge for a few days.
Paulette Levy says
***** 5 Stars! I made this with small changes. Used chick peas and 3/4 cup peanut butter and entire box if gf low fat chicken broth and more chopped kale tho not measured. (By eye- I’ve been cooking for 50 years ). The taste and texture was wonderful!
Faith VanderMolen says
Oh yay! Thanks so much for sharing Paulette! I'm so happy you enjoyed it!