The number of peanut-based soups and stews I've made for this project is probably more than the number I've made in my life. There are many African countries that have very similar "national dishes" that involve a peanut stew. Peanut stew is incredibly popular throughout Western Africa especially, and Guinea-Bissau is no different. Sometimes it's difficult for me to find unique dishes in areas where the cuisine is so similar to neighboring countries. This dish is a little different from the other peanut-based African dishes I've made--it's more of a liquid soup rather than a stew with peanut mixed with a tomato base. Other stews I've made generally include more vegetables like okra, squash/sweet potato, or finely chopped greens. With this dish, the peanut butter is definitely the star.
I started by sautéing onion and green bell pepper in some red palm oil.
Then added some spices like crushed red pepper to give it a little heat.
Next, broth and a bit of stewed tomato to form the base.
I then mixed some crunchy peanut butter and some peanut butter powder with some water to make it easier for it to be mixed in with the broth in the soup.
Once added, I simmered the soup for a bit to thicken up. I would probably normally make something like this a little thicker, but it was kind of nice to have something a bit different. I served it with some brown rice and topped it with chopped herbs, peanuts, and scallions. This would likely be served with some kind of meat, like chicken in the recipe I used as my inspiration, or beef like in a recipe I recently made for Mali (post to come in the future!) I didn't make it super spicy but it still had a great flavor.
Recipes Used: Spicy Peanut Soup
Comments