African Peanut Soup — a West African classic blending natural peanut butter with sweet potato and tomato into a creamy, rich, uniquely flavoured dinner soup.
Peanut soup (Mafé or Maafé) is a West African classic, especially beloved in Senegal and Mali.
It brings together peanut butter with sweet potato and tomato — creamy, rich, sweet-savoury — utterly unique. Deeply nourishing.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add the onion and stir for 6 minutes until golden.
Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and chilli and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and stir for 2 minutes until it turns deep red and the flavour blooms.
Add the sweet potato cubes and toss with the spice mixture for 2 minutes to coat.
In a separate bowl, whisk the peanut butter with 200 ml of hot stock until fully dissolved. Add this mixture to the pot along with the remaining stock.
Stir well, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 25–30 minutes over low heat, stirring every 10 minutes (peanut butter can catch on the bottom).
The sweet potato should be completely tender (easily pierced with a fork). The soup will have thickened and taken on a rich golden-red colour.
Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into deep bowls, scatter fresh coriander and roasted peanuts on top, and serve with white rice or couscous.
The glycemic index (GI) measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar, while the glycemic load (GL) measures how much a full serving raises it. Together they give the complete picture.
A low value (≤55) means a gradual rise in blood sugar — the most suitable range for diabetes and insulin resistance.
Glycemic load reflects the impact of the full serving. To lower it: take half a serving, or pair the recipe with a source of protein and fiber.
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet per FDA food-label reference values — your daily needs may be higher or lower. Values are derived from the recipe's ingredients via the USDA database.
The most common problems when preparing African Peanut Soup, and how to fix them:
The peanut butter was not dissolved in stock before adding. Always whisk it into a cup of hot stock first.
The heat is too high. Very low heat with frequent stirring is the secret.
It needs acidity. Add 20 ml of lemon juice just before serving.
The peanut butter has absorbed the liquid. Add 200 ml of hot water and stir through.
4 days in an airtight container. The flavours deepen and improve by the next day.
Up to 3 months. The texture remains excellent after thawing.
Ideal — very filling, providing two hours of satiety.
| Original Ingredient | Tested Substitute | Ratio | Flavor Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet potato | Butternut squash (pumpkin) | 1:1 | A different sweetness |
| Peanut butter | Cashew butter | 1:1 | For peanut allergy |
| Vegetable stock | Chicken stock | 1:1 | Deeper flavour |
| Red chilli | Sweet paprika | 1:2 | If you prefer no heat |
| Ingredient | 6 servings | 4 servings | 12 servings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural peanut butter | 150 g | 100 g | 300 g |
| Sweet potato | 400 g | 270 g | 800 g |
| Vegetable stock | 1.2 L | 800 ml | 2.4 L |
Use natural peanut butter (ingredients: peanuts and salt only). Commercially sweetened varieties containing hydrogenated vegetable oil do not dissolve well and alter the flavour.
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