If you love hearty comfort food recipe that’s secretly healthy, you’re going to fall hard for this Vegan Gambian Peanut Stew, a plant-based spin on various West African peanut stews. It will keep you satiated for hours, and it’s packed with aromatics and spices so it’ll satisfy your taste buds and comfort food cravings. But it’s also made with wholesome and nourishing ingredients, and is vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and plant-forward.
Please note: I originally titled this recipe Vegan West African Peanut Stew, but after doing more research on the various differences across West African peanut stews, I came to identify my particular recipe as being most influenced by Gambian Peanut Stew, aka domoda.
This post is sponsored by ALDI USA. Thank you for supporting the brands who help make my work possible!
This peanut stew is made with some of my favorite ingredients from the plant world—sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, white beans, kale, and peanut butter (obviously)—and you can find it all at your local ALDI grocery store! Not only can you find these plant-based staples at ALDI, you’ll also find them at crazy good prices!
What’s in a West African Peanut Stew?
Peanut stews are common in West African countries, including in The Gambia as well as Senegal and Ghana, with variations abounding throughout the regions and across ethnic groups. Before the introduction of peanuts from the New World, this stew was made with groundnuts that are native to West Africa.
Some versions of peanut stew are soupier, others are thick stews served over grains such as millet, rice, or couscous; this recipe falls into the latter camp. Some versions contain okra or hot chilies or tomatoes.
In The Gambia, the dish is called domoda (it’s the national dish). You’ll find both vegetarian and meat versions, though the vegetarian version is more popular because meat is quite expensive. It usually contains peanut butter or peanut paste, tomatoes and/or tomato paste, chili peppers, and a vegetable such as sweet potatoes, carrots, or pumpkin.
In Senegal, the dish is called mafe. It is made with tomatoes, is spicy, and often served over rice. It’s typically made with meat or chicken, but for obvious reasons, my version does not contain meat or chicken.
While peanut butter might sound like an unusual ingredient in a stew, I promise you it blends effortlessly with the spices and aromatics and lends a creamy richness you’ll adore. If you want to learn more about groundnut soups from West Africa, check out this blog post from The Canadian African. You can also learn more about West African Peanut Stews here.
Ingredient Rundown
Domoda is a type of West African Peanut Stew, so we obviously have to add some peanut butter!
And I love the Simply Nature Organic Creamy Peanut Butter from ALDI! It’s made with just peanuts and sea salt (no added oils or sugar). It’s also organic, non-GMO, and incredibly affordable (it’s also one of 80 Simply Nature products that earned the Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved Emblem. Did I mention it’s super creamy, just how I like my PB (sorry, crunchy PB fans)?
LOOOVE peanut butter? Then you have to try my No-Bake Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars, the ultimate easy treat for peanut butter addicts.
White Beans
As mentioned above, domoda may contain meat or not. While many Westernized versions of this recipe are vegetarian, most of the latter do not contain a primary source of protein. I chose to include white beans for a few reasons. They bring additional protein and make this peanut stew super hearty. Plus, beans (and cannellini beans in particular) lend a creaminess in a healthy way yet satisfying way.
Aromatics
Starting this recipe with sautéing aromatics (onions, garlic, ginger, and jalapeño peppers) helps build layers of flavors. Often, West African peanut stews are made with habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, but I find those to be too spicy for most of my readers, so I opted for jalapeño peppers here.
Coconut Oil
I sautéing the aromatics in coconut oil for a subtle buttery richness that a neutral oil can’t offer. And even better, I found *organic, cold-pressed* coconut oil at ALDI for just $4.89. Of course, the price may vary depending on where you live, but I’ve never seen that price anywhere else in NYC!
Sweet Potatoes
The sweet potatoes are key in this dish, as they help balance the spices and acidity in this stew. And the longer you cook the stew, the more the sweet potatoes will fall apart and virtually melt into the stew.
Note: Just be sure to dice your sweet potatoes pretty finely; if too large, they won’t cook down as quickly and it’ll take longer to finish the stew.
Kale
I love finishing stews, soups and curries with kale. Just toss it in towards the end of cooking until they’re wilted. It’s an easy way to eat more greens that won’t make you feel like you’re eating yet another kale salad (all the chewing!). And you can find organic, pre-chopped kale at ALDI to save you time!
Love the idea of a hearty yet healthy soup that sneaks in those greens? You’ll want to also try this Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale.
How to make this recipe (step-by-step photos)
Gather and prep your ingredients (chop the aromatics, dice the sweet potatoes, etc.).
Heat up the coconut oil in a Dutch oven or deep sauté pan (affiliate links).
Saute the diced onions in coconut oil until just starting to brown.
Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeños and cook for 2 minutes.
Add in the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and pepper.
Incorporate the tomato paste and spices into the onions and stir frequently for 2 minutes.
Deglaze the pan with the vegetable broth. Add the white beans, crushed tomatoes, thyme, sweet potatoes, and peanut butter.
Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer for 20-25 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.
Add the kale and cook for 3-5 minutes until wilted.
Finish the stew with cilantro and lemon juice and season to taste.
Substitutes for this peanut stew
Peanut Butter. If you’re entirely nut-free, the best substitute would be sunflower seed butter (unsweetened variety), though of course it will change the taste somewhat. If you have a peanut allergy but can have other nuts, cashew butter or almond butter would work too (again, different flavor but same consistency) and unsweetened versions are easier to find than sunflower butter.
Spicy peppers. Many traditional West African peanut stews are made with Scotch bonnet peppers. Those rank pretty highly on the Scoville Scale (a scale ranking the spiciness of peppers), so I opted for jalapeño peppers to keep this family-friendly. If you like things spicier, you can try a serrano pepper or cayenne pepper. Or, if you love spicy food, try a Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper!
Kale. The kale cooks down so it softens and isn’t tough, but if you’re not a fan of kale, you can try another sturdy green, like thinly sliced collard greens, mustard greens, or Swiss chard. Personally, I don’t like using spinach, as it wilts too much and I like the body and texture from a sturdier green, but that’s also an option.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you serve West African peanut stews?
This stew is hearty enough on its own, but to stretch out your meal (and budget) and make it heartier, you can serve it over your favorite grain. Options include white rice, brown rice, millet, quinoa, or your favorite grain. If you have access to fonio (a type of millet from West Africa), you can try that too!
Can I make this recipe in the Instant Pot?
I actually have a version of this recipe in my cookbook, The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook (it’s a reader favorite!).
How long does this stew last? Can you freeze this stew?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5-6 days. I prefer to store the stew without any rice/grains – the rice tends to harden. The stew also freezes well – you can freeze it for 3 to 4 months. Defrost in the fridge before warming up.
How do you reheat this stew?
I prefer to reheat most leftovers on the stove in a saucepan, but the microwave also works fine.
More Nourishing Vegan Stews
- Braised Indian Chickpea Stew
- Vegan Italian White Bean and Pasta Stew
- Vegan Tagine with Chickpeas
- Creamy Mushroom and Black Beluga Lentil Stew
That’s all you need to know about making this vegan, gluten-free Vegan Gambian Peanut Stew (Domoda). I hope you head to your local ALDI to stock up on all these wholesome vegan staples and get to cooking! If you try the recipe, be sure to drop me a note below with your review and rating!
Vegan Gambian Peanut Stew (Domoda)
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoons Simply Nature Organic Coconut Oil
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers, diced**
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
- 4 cups (945 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 small handful of fresh thyme sprigs**
- 1 pound (454g) sweet potatoes, peeled and finely diced***
- ½ cup (128g) Simply Nature Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) can of cannellini beans (or other white beans such as navy beans)
- 1 (28-ounce/800g) can crushed tomatoes
- 5 cups (90-100g) chopped organic kale
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (or lime juice)
- ½ cup (8g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
For serving (optional)
- white rice, brown rice, millet, quinoa, or fonia
Instructions
- Heat a large, deep nonstick pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the coconut oil, and once it's shimmering, add the onions with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook until the onions are just starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and jalapeño peppers. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add in the tomato paste, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir frequently and vigorously for 2 minutes, incorporating the tomato paste and spices into the onions. Add a few splashes of water to prevent the spices from drying out or burning.
- Pour in the vegetable broth or water, stirring with a spatula to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the thyme sprigs, sweet potatoes, peanut butter, white beans, and crushed tomatoes. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low or medium-low to maintain a rapid simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sweet potato is soft and tender, stirring occasionally.
- Optional step: The stew should be quite thick by now, but if you want it to be even thicker and creamier, run an immersion blender through half of the stew (don’t blend it all – you want to retain some texture).
- Add the chopped kale and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until wilted. If desired, use a fork to smash the sweet potatoes to further thicken the stew.
- Stir in the lemon or lime juice and cilantro. Season to taste, adding more salt as needed. Serve plain, or on top your favorite grain.
Notes
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I am wondering if you may take an educated guess about what napa cabbage would taste like instead of the collards….and chiplotes in adobo sauce (maybe without some of the sauce) instead of the jalapenos. im thinking of serving it to a friend for our thanksgiving—but i no longer have greens or jalepenos and am done with the store. i also have smoked tabasco. or plain potatoes….thanks in advance. im not a great cook so like to follow recipes as close as i can but this looks delicious. we both love spicy food.
Hi Danielle! Napa cabbage would be lovely here instead of the leafy greens. If you want it to get to really soft and melt into the stew, I’d add the sliced cabbage after sauteing the onions and saute the cabbage for 3-4 minutes (instead of adding it at the end, like you do with the chopped kale).
I think I’d skip the chipotles in adobo since it will add a smoky flavor. That could be tasty, but since I haven’t tried it myself, I don’t want to say yes (because it could also be weird with peanut butter). If you want to add some heat, I would add ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes with the other spices and toast them in the oil.
Amazing Stew bursting with Flavor and Nutrition!!
My friend Ruchi made this for a tennis luncheon recently and everyone ranted about how tasty it was. We all asked for the recipe. I successfully made it last night and received more rave reviews. It is simple, straight forward, excellent notes and your instructions are perfectly laid out and understandable. Thank you for the recipe and thank Ruchi for sharing it with us.
It’s awesome to hear how well-loved this recipe is, and shoutout to Ruchi for sharing it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, we hope you’ll get the chance to try some of the other delicious recipes on the blog, Vicki! :)
I love this dish and made it for my best mate who is a meat eater. She likes vegetarian food but really dubious about vegan food. I was very determined to cook a vegan dish that she would like so have cooked this on two recent occasions that she has travelled to visit. She loved it so much that she cooked it for her family when she went home!!! They also loved it!
What a story, Wren! That’s so awesome to hear, thank you for sharing the recipe!
Absolutely delicious. Thank you Nisha and Rainbow Plant Life for this beautiful, wholesome dish. I used what I had on hand so the substitutions I made were regular potatoes instead of sweet potato, chickpeas and lentils instead of cannellini beans. I love the way you create the spices into the dish. I’ve also made you lentil curry and that is YUM.
We appreciate your feedback and support, Kitt. Thank you for leaving a review!
I have made this many times. It is one of our favourite meals. I usually make some changes, using only 2.5 cups of broth, adding 1/2 cup of dried red lentils instead of the white beans and leaving out the kale. I also add a variety of veggies such as white potatoes, squash, carrots and even some frozen peas.
We’re over the moon to hear you enjoy the recipe, Valarie. Thanks for your kind words and for sharing your preferred additions and substitutions!
Ah-mazing dish. 🙌 Your recipes consistently blow my taste buds into another realm.
Thank you for providing recipes online so I may enjoy food I did not grow up eating. My new comfort food recipes pretty much come from your kitchen. 💜
We’re so happy this recipe turned out well for you, Vicki! I’m excited to try this recipe myself tonight :) Thanks for leaving a review!
Hello ! Is the nutritional information given for 100g or for the whole recipe result?
Hi Kimberley, the nutritional information given is for one serving, which is 1/6 of the total recipe yield. Hope that helped!
Nisha does it again! This is SO GOOD. It might just be my new favorite soup. I saved one of the jalapenos to chop up as a topping so I could adjust the spice level for different preferences. Next time I make this I’ll also do at least two cans of beans.
Jamie, Thank you for your thoughtful review! We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed the stew.
I’ve just cooked it and it is delicious. Thank you so much for this lovely recipe
1st time with this one and it’s a winner! My daughter’s husband is from Karela India, and he really enjoyed this also. Excellent!! A favorite right next to the red curry lentil recipe! 😉 I added an extra can of beans.
Thanks for the fantastic review, Tiffany! I’m excited to try this one myself- I’ll have to add it to the list now!
Oh how I wish I wasnt allergic to peanuts 😭
Hi Demi, If you’re entirely nut-free, the best substitute would be sunflower seed butter (unsweetened variety), though of course it will change the taste somewhat. If you have a peanut allergy but can have other nuts, cashew butter or almond butter would work too (again, different flavor but same consistency) and unsweetened versions are easier to find than sunflower butter. :)
Hi! I found your recipe searching for vegetarian version for one of my favorite African stews. I’ll alter your recipe to make an Alkaline approved ingredients version. I’ll be using Walnut butter, Grapeseed oil, annatto oil, batata, burro bananas, scotch bonnet (kaani kaani) callaloo, mushroom powder, oyster/portobello mushrooms. I’ll let you know how it turned out. Bon appetite!
Hi Kimberly, we hope you enjoy the stew! We can’t wait to hear back!
I never leave reviews on online recipes, but this is my third time making this stew and it’s one of my all time favorite dinners (and definitely my favorite stew)! This is so comforting and warm and delicious, it makes me feel so cozy and happy inside. And it’s even better the second day, if there happens to be any leftovers. My family and I are not a fan of cooked kale, so I’ve been using a zucchini or two instead, and I add them midway through the simmering stage. Also, the jalapeños add just the right amount of flavor, they don’t make the stew too spicy. What’s even better about this recipe is how easy it is to make. 1 cutting board and 1 pot, and it takes only 20 minutes of prep work max. I LOVE THIS STEW!!!
Jacqueline, your kind words mean the world to us! Thank you for being a part of the RPL community.
Incredible dish! I doubled the recipe, used a whole (large) habanero pepper with seeds for extra heat, and subbed pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon & cloves. My daughter (a picky eater) loved it. She said “it’s a 10 out of 10, like something you’d get at a restaurant!”
Thanks for sharing that with us Terri, we’re delighted you enjoyed the recipe even with the modifications :)
I made this tonight for my boyfriend and I. We really enjoyed it! I made a few modifications to it, such as using red lentils in place of the sweet potato and used collared greens instead of kale. I’d said I was going to make it for the past few nights, but had been putting it off because I was a bit skeptical about it, but ended up really enjoying it. Since it’s just my love and I we’ll have plenty of leftovers for the next few nights. Thank you for sharing the great recipe!
We’re so happy to hear you finally got a chance to make the recipe and found it delicious, Malaya! Those words are music to our ears :) Thank you for the lovely review!
REALLY good. I’ll be making this again for sure. I swapped the kale for chard and doubled the amount to get some more greens in, plus I decided to be brave and go for a deseeded scotch bonnet. I really recommend doing that; the flavour is oustanding and yes it is quite hot but for somebody who enjoys their Indian food, totally bearable; I might even leave the seeds in next time!
Thank you for your lovely comment, Jack! It makes us happy to know that you enjoyed the stew.
My husband and I enjoyed this very much last night! Very quick and easy and tasty. Thank you. I’ve made your bolognaise many times and we love it.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Hilary! It makes us happy to know that you two enjoyed the recipe.
I’ve made made African peanut stew before with a different recipe, and enjoyed that one more unfortunately. I would exclude the cloves and cinnamon if I was going to try this again, it was too overpowering. I might reconsider the lemon too to make it less tangy.
Sorry to hear you weren’t a fan of the recipe, Justin. We’re grateful for your feedback nonetheless.
This was so good!! I will definitely be making this again, my whole family loved it!
Hi Alex, Thank you so much for such a fantastic review! Appreciate you taking the time!
Lovely stew but it’s not remotely close to what domoda is – traditional domoda has no ginger, nor any of the spices listed in this recipe.