African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

I loved this. I used 1 15oz can of diced tomatoes, and 1 24oz can (I think) of canned sweet potatoes instead of the fresh versions, just to speed things up. The only problem I had was finding a saucepan big enough to fit all the ingredients in! I ended up only adding half of the "water" (I used veggie broth instead) at first and not adding the other half until the end when the peanut butter was added. I used crunchy peanut butter rather than peanut butter + peanuts. Cilantro on top was great! I pureed about half of the soup and left the other half chunky. I served it over brown rice in a bowl. A great meal!

This soup is very good. It has such a unique combination of flavors. I love peanut butter so I doubled the amount called for and it turned out great. The leftovers actually tasted better the next day so I think next time I'll make it ahead of time, since it is fairly time consuming to make.

This recipe is inexpensive, easy, quick to make and was a HUGE hit at the party at which I served it. There was only one total vegetarian there, but the omnivores gobbled it down, even though there was another pot of soup (which also got rave reviews) and other food there. This soup was the hit of the night. It has an exotic taste (much like Indian food, as you can imagine from the spices, plus I used garam masala instead of the cinnamon and cloves), but that nice, nutty peanut butter flavour is there as well. The only other thing I did different than the recipe was omit usage of the blender. I just smashed it all together with a potato masher.

I have made this about four times and have it down to a science. It is my favorite recipe that I have made from AllRecipes so far. Flavorful, interesting and easy. The only shortcuts I take are canned tomatoes and chunky peanut butter. The cilantro on top really completes this soup. Highly recommend!

I loved this recipe! I used a 900 ml carton of vegetable broth instead of the water and added a 19 oz can of chickpeas. I used 2 medium-sized yams, rather than sweet potatoes, and I don't know how much they weighed. I only pureed about half of the recipe and then added 1/4c of dried black currants at the end and let it cook for another 5 minutes to plump the currants. Adding the fruit made this recipe similar to the Delicious Chickpea Curry (also on this site), but this was so much better with the peanut butter and chopped peanuts. Really good combination of flavours.

This is a really good vegetarian soup. If it is served with rice you get a complete protein. When I made it I substituted vege stock for the water, cooked it longer and blended it less. I think if i was making it for company I would blend it thoroughly and top it with a little fresh tomato along with the cilantro. It is a beautiful color.

As is, I give it a 4 star. I actually used 4 cups of vegetable broth, 2 cups of chicken broth, 2 loaded tsps of cumin and coriander, 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne, about 4 tbls of peanut butter, and added half of a jalepeno pepper. I omitted the peanuts and used chunky peanut butter instead. With the revisions, it came out much more flavorful and delicious. We paired this with a simple tuna melt which was divine.

I made this soup as a filling meal following my husband's dental surgery (he must eat soft foods). Wonderful, comforting, interesting rich flavor; my husband loved it. Like others, I used canned sweet potatoes, canned tomatoes and crunchy peanut butter. The fresh chopped cilantro really set off the flavor. Will definitely make again!

Excellent recipe!! I added a little extra cayenne pepper because I like it spicy, but other than that it was perfect.

mmmm. only blended half the soup for some wonderful chunks. also, if you are looking for lower fat, skip the peanut butter and its still yummy

This was really tasty and addictive. Like many others, I also doubled the peanut butter and used crunchy. For anyone who thinks they don't need the cilantro, it really adds another dimension to the flavors of this soup. Don't skip out on it!

This smells amazing while it is cooking ... However, I was very disappointed when I "tried" eating it. I was not particularly fond of the "raw peanut" taste ... maybe I should have used the unsalted dry-roasted peanuts as a garnish instead of actually putting them in the soup. I followed this recipe exactly as written and had high hopes considering the reviews I read. I love the idea of this soup ... but I do not think I will be making this again. Sorry :(

I REALLY liked this soup! I ate it almost everyday for a week! The combination of sweet potato and peanut is delicious. It was soooo "creamy" but it has no dairy in it! I will make this again.

I saved this interesting recipe a few years ago but never made until a few days ago. Made it a day ahead to let the flavors meld and served it to my quilting mini-group for lunch -- without telling them the ingredients. It as a monster hit! Don't forget the fresh chopped cilantro sprinkled on top: it makes the dish.

Delicious! I added an extra Tbsp of peanut butter (or two) and substituted one cup of chicken broth for one of the cups of water. I also added about a Tbsp of honey to bring out the flavors.

I would double the cayenne, but my husband liked it as is. To me the flavor in general seemed a bit weak, although it smelled nice. Perhaps best if served alongside a red pepper flake shaker, so that each may adjust the heat.

I don't know what all the fuss is about with this dish. Just like a few other people said my husband and I found it bland, bland, BLAND. I used chicken stock in place of water, tried adding extra peanut butter and cayenne pepper. Nothing helped. We didn't care for it.

I work at a farmer's market and was given some extra sweet potatoes to go home with. This soup was so simple - I had all I needed already at the house. Chicken stock instead of water is a must and canned tomatoes work fine. I didn't have fresh peanuts at the house, but the soup was fantastic with the mild peanut taste from just the peanut butter - I probably used about a tablespoon or more extra. This soup tastes good with heat. I was out of cayenne and substituted a carrot-based hot sauce (would not used vinegar based tobasco type) this worked so good I'm taking out cayenne altogether and sticking with the sweet hot sauce. My guy's mother is a fabulous cook - but she also chronically adds salt, cream, pepper, or whatever else is around to EVERYTHING I cook. This soup - however - made her rave. Yes! One big point for me.

This soup is wonderful if you wait a day before having so the flavors have some time to come together. I make over the weekend and have for lunch at work and it saves wonderfully.

This soup is so good! The first bite is yummy and the flavors keep building as you go through the bowl. I will be making this one again and again!

This is quite different from anything I've had before. It tasted pretty good but it made my husband's stomach hurt every time he ate it. Considering that, it isn't good enough that I will make it again.

Loaded with lots of flavour, this hearty soup really satisfies! I used natural peanut butter to replace both the crushed peanuts and pb.... turned out wonderfully.

Its very good. Don't skip the cilantro. I put diced pickles jalapenos in it and it was even better for those of you who like things spicy.

I thought this soup was delicious, but my family really didn't like it, they didn't even finish their bowl.. so I compromised and gave it 4 stars. I followed the directions exactly.

We honestly didn't care for this at all. I am giving 3 stars only because I'm hoping it's just that we're not familiar with the flavor combination... and it looks gorgeous.

very nutty, next time add the cilantro

This is the best soup I have had in a long time. I am already planning a second batch for a dinner party this weekend.

EXCELLENT! I used 2 pounds of sweet potato, subbed vegetable broth for the water, simmered uncovered, used 6 TBSP peanut butter (put it right in there in the food processor while I pureed the soup) and used a half TSP of cayenne - we like it spicy! I'll make this again and again.

This soup was very thick and rich. It smelled very good while cooking, my husband thought I was making Indian muligatawny soup. It didn't taste bad, but was so filling that I could barely eat half a bowl. I will not make again.

Yum! I trimmed this down to serve 2. I doubled the peanut butter and added more cumin and coriander. I used Kraft natural peanut butter, which has a wonderfully strong peanuty taste. The soup was fantastic! Peanut-y and rich, with a delicious, complex flavour. Wonderful! Both of us really enjoyed it & I will certainly make it again.

Lovely Flavour! i used some cilantro in the soup when cooking as well as when it was served. I would have used 200ml extra water, because i found it a little thick.

LOVE this. It's part of my regular rotation of recipes -- I make it for company (it always makes an impression!), or I make a ton of it and pack the left-overs for school or work lunches. It's even better reheated! I don't make any changes except substituting a generous amount of garam masala for the cumin - cloves. It's a comparable mix of spices with a little something extra.

Great soup! 1. Changed water to chicken broth and used only 2 cups. 2. Used a can of tomatoes instead of fresh (that's life). 3. Used about 4 tbls of crunchy peanut butter and cut out peanuts. 4. Added more cayenne; it needed a little kick. YUM! Healthful too!

I made this last night. Very good - although I ended up adding more of the listed spices as it was initially bland -also I plan on making w/ vegetable broth next to make it more savory.

Yum! I love peanut soup and this was just what I was looking for. I used chicken broth instead of water as I don't like making my soups with water and I added a little bit of curry powder.

This soup was a lot of work and the end result was nothing that my husband would even touch because of the smell. I followed the directions completely and can see where it would be easier to use canned sweet potatoes and tomatoes...but I had fresh so I used them up. I thought it was okay, not something I would make or order again if I had it in a restaurant. Even though I love all of the ingredients seperately they just didn't mesh well for me.

Fantastic. Only alterations were that I mashed the soup instead of making it a puree, as others have suggested. I also replaced the cumin and coriander with chili powder which gave it great flavor and a bit of a kick. This recipe is a keeper, and is inexpensive to make too!

Love Love this. We added 2 TBS of heavy cream and it did round the taste together.

This soup really grew on me.

Oh god, I love this recipe. I wouldn't change a thing. It doesn't need the cilantro if you don't want it, cause it has plenty of flavor on it's own. Just make sure you spice it to taste. Mmmmmm.

Delicious! I'm surprised other people thought this was bland - I thought the amount of spices called for was perfect. I'll definitely make this many times in the future!

Yummy! I loved everything about this soup! It was easy and tasted even better the next day, (most soups do, I think). Adding some fresh cilantro over the top before saving really brought it all together. My hubby didn't love this recipe, he said it was a "texture thing" but I will definitely be making this again for myself in the future! Thank you!

This soup is great, a little too sweet for me. Not sure what the sweetness is coming from but will try to reduce the peanut butter to see if it makes a difference.

I love this recipe. Its easy and can be made in a flash. I tend to use canned tomatoes and sometimes canned sweet potatoes if I dont have fresh on hand. I skip the blending stage and instead of using smooth peanut butter and roasted peanuts I kill two birds with one stone and use natural crunchy peanut butter. Cilantro IS a wonderful compliment to the soup but not necesssary.

What a delicious and very healthy soup. My husband and I loved drinking it from a mug!

I used the veggie broth instead of water and added 2 extra cloves of garlic. The soup was exceptional. It had a subtle, yet exotic flavor that reminded me of Indian food. Worth the work.

This is heavenly smelling as it cooks. My girl and I enjoyed it and will make it again.

Delicious. My friend likes it when I leave half chunky and half blended, more like a stew over rice.

YUM! Need I say more. This one will go in my recipe box for sure. Perfect just as it was submitted, without any adjustments.

My husband, who is a native Moroccan, really enjoyed this soup. I found it to be quite "different" and sweet potatoes out of the context of "sweet" was new for me. I most enjoyed dipping bread in it. ;)

this soup was amazing. the slight touch of peanut butter paired with the rich, creamy flavor of the tubers, followed by the bite of cayenne... was overwhelmingly wonderful. i made a few changes though... i used half sweet potatoes, half yams, then threw in some leftover butternut squash i had. i most definitely used FRESH tomatoes. i also used about 3/5 of water from veggie broth. i served it over millet for myself, while my boyfriend ate it with sourdough bread. we both loved it. besides the pain of food processing hte soup, it was all very easy to assemble and had an authentic taste. i will use this forever more!

This soup was really good. My kids loved it!

Delicious ! an unusual wedding of hearty tastes on your palast ! It will defnitively be a treat again for some cold evenings or spicy lunches. The orange/green/red colours in the pan were looking so joyful that I serve this soup without blending it... A great success indeed ! thank you very much.

I made this recipe almost exactly as is, with the addition of one red bell pepper, 1/2 tsp of salt and an extra tablespoon of peanut butter. This smelled wonderful and maybe with some tweaking could taste that way too, but as is it is way too watery. Next time I will use only 2 cups of liquid and I will use chicken broth, and more cumin because I love that stuff. Unfortunately, I have to throw this batch away... hence the 3 stars.

This was an excellent, creamy soup. I made it as directed, but I look forward to playing with it.

Made this for a rainy day lunch. Delicious. I made two small changes to the recipe. First, I didn't add any cloves, and secondly I used natural crunchy peanut butter rather than bothering with chopping nuts. A very good mix of flavors. I wouldn't mind adding a little more cheyenne pepper, but I wasn't missing anything just the way it was. Certainly recommended.

Now I really love this soup, but not as it is in the recipe exactly. I added a lot more peanuts and peanut butter and a tonne more spice. But the finished product is amazing.

Great soup! I used a 14oz. can of tomatoes, chicken broth instead of water. Also added some sriracha for flavour. I think that was exactly what was missing!

I've never tasted anything like this before. Loved the mix of sweet potato, ginger and peanut butter!

Turned out very rich--we ended up using it as a dip for bread as opposed to a straight soup. With a little more heat, it would be delicious over noodles. Great flavor.

I was slightly disappointed at first, but like others have commented, the soup definitely improves overnight, and I was quite happy with it the next day. I used slightly more chunky peanut butter than called for and omitted the chopped peanuts.

Such a fabulous soup! I didn't cream the soup, just left it cooked as-is, and it was still so tasty! Rich, filling, and easy to prepare.

I didn't even have all the ingredients and this soup is still great! I left out the peanuts, ginger and coriander. It was still very yummy, like something you'd get at an ethnic gourmet restaraunt!

This soup is marvelous. When it came time to puree it, I ran into some problems - my food processor wouldn't turn on, our blender started to smoke when I plugged it in, and I ended up *trying* to use a hand held mixer. I got most of the sweet potatos pureed, but there were some carrot and mushroom (I added them because I love them) chunks still. I don't recommend using this method - it got pretty messy. However, this did not affect the taste in anyway. I took some advice and used the reduced-fat super chunky peanut butter, and added a lot more spices than the recipe calls for. It tastes great.

This was fantastic! It came out thick enough to make a hearty soup but not too heavy to eat as one (I've seen many peanut "soup" recipes that would be better served as a sauce). I made this with vegetable broth instead of water, without the cayenne (spicy is not popular in our house), and with 3 tbsp. of peanut butter and it was absolutely perfect - the cilantro on top is a must to accentuate and complement the flavors.

This is truly one of those warm happy soups -- especially if you like peanuts (which I do!). I've made it three times and gotten rave reviews each time. As one reviewer suggested, I used 4.5 cups vegetable stock (bouillion cubes work well, too) instead of water. I've also replaced the sweet potatoes with yams and had similarly pleasant results, and since I don't have a blender, I've always served it with the veggies whole. It's lovely with basmati rice or brown bread, and the cilantro garnish isn't necessary unless you're serving it to guests. It's definitely become one of my favorite meals - well worth the hour or so of preparation. Yum!

Other than using yams, I followed this recipe exactly. I served it to some guests and everyone raved! What a great recipe using simple ingredients. I will definitely be making this again.

This was good. I cut down the liquid by about half based on other reviewers recommendations, then replaced half of that with heavy cream to make it thicker. I also cooked it for a good while to soften up the potato chunks. Finally, I added rice to it and cooked until the rice was done, which helped offset the grainy texture. It doesn't look too appetizing on its own (kind of looks like baby food) but in a nice bowl with Garnish it's nice. If you reduce the liquid even more you could probably also serve it as a tasty version of mashed sweet potatos.

Great recipe! I used fresh jalapeno and chile peppers in place of the dried cayenne--very spicy! I pureed only half of the recipe and left the rest chunky. I also added 1 can of pureed garbanzo beans for extra protein. Because I added pureed garbanzo beans, I added extra fat-free chicken broth to thin it out.

This soup is FANTASTIC. I don't usually use cilantro when it's called for in recipes, but it was the perfect compliment to this soup. We had some of the leftover soup two nights later and it was even better. Thank you for sharing, we'll be having this one often!

interesting flavor....I had to double up on the red pepper though. I could smell the peanut bytter, but couldn't taste it. The cilantro is a nice touch! ...my dinner party loved it...left out the peanuts (actually forgot them)..added more peanut butter and red pepper...just used two large sweet potatoes

SOUL SATISFYING! Especially in the winter. This is the recipe that has made me register with this site. I didn't have coriander by itself, so I substituted that, the cinnamon and cumin with a pre-mixed CURRY spice powder. Worked fine. Also, if you like your soup with a lot of chunks in it....just blend about 3 cups of it. I'M DROOLING NOW.

This is really good stuff! I used my pb loco sun dried tomato peanut butter instead of regular peanut butter. It turned out wonderful!

Made this into a backpacking recipe using instant mashed sweet potatoes, chunky peanut butter, and tofu. Delicious. A big hit with my 4 hungry male friends. I'm excited to follow the actual recipe now!

We've made this many times and it is great. We like to freeze the left overs for a quick meal later on!

My husband made this for supper. We loved it. Even four year old picky eater liked it. Used salted roasted peanuts and reg smooth peanut butter instead(all we had). Not too salty. Will definately make again. Thank you.

I was unimpressed by this time-consuming and expensive dish.

One of my favourites. I love this soup. Used a can of diced tomates and lots and lots of ginger and garlic. I'm not stingy with the spices. Everyone loved this soup. I make it all the time and freeze it.

This recipe was delicious, but it took me two and a half hours to make! However, it was well worth the work and wait.

Even with all the spices and peanut butter, I found this soup to be very bland. Not a keeper.

Beautiful, decadent tasting soup with no cream. Use the immersion blender but keep a few larger chunks of the soup for interest.

for those who like peanuts and earthly flavors, this soup is awesome. i absolutely loved all the different flavors, my boyfriend not so much, but then he is more the traditional type. i'll make this again for sure!

This soup is absolutely delicious, nice warm flavors and very filling. Mmmm...

Absolutely delicious. I love this soup and have made it many, many times. Changes I made: 1) Use only 1 tsp on very, very finely minced fresh ginger 2) I add ground chili peppers along with the cayenne 3) I don't use the ground peanuts (don't care for the texture) 4) I don't bother with the cilantro - it has so much flavor as it is

Perfect, just like the african soup I tasted in Hawaii. I loved it!!!! Didn't change a thing.

Awful. Just awful. I'm a sweet potato FANATIC, I love them in any form, so I was really excited about this recipe... but I was not happy with this soup at all. It wasn't smooth enough, even though I pureed it, and I just wasn't thrilled about the taste. It was more like a sauce than a soup.

Excellent! Made the recipe just as is and served with a brown/wild rice combination. Very filling, very good. I was a little heavy-handed with the red pepper so I'll tone that down a little and bring up the cinnamon/spice notes more, but on the whole, healthy and good!

Maybe some peanuts for crunch, but really nice, mellow flavor and lots of veggies. Like that it didn't have cream or butter! Would probably be good chilled, too.

Great recipe. Each ingredient added to the overall flavor which was delicate and complex. :o) I would note that the veggies may take more than 30 minutes to cook completely. Also, I made some small changes: left out ginger, used 1 can diced tomates in place of fresh, and used veggie broth instead of water. Really a nice meal.

Even my 4 and 1 year old kids loved it!

I really wanted to like this, but I thought it was bland or something was missing. Probably used have used others suggestions to improve, but unfortunately, it was too much time and effort to try this one again.

Absolutely amazing! I used vegetable broth instead of water the 2nd time I made it and I think it makes a huge difference. My BF said it's the best soup he's ever had!

This was fantastic! We used crunchy peanut butter and lightly salted crushed peanuts(plastic bag and hammer). We did add a little extra hots with crushed red pepper at the very beginning and extra cayenne pepper. We also used chicken stock instead of plain water. Next time we are going to shred the cilantro and add into the soup as well use it for presentation.

Sooo good!

Pretty good soup, I liked the blended airy texture. Not quite as good as the other African peanut soup recipe on this site though, in my opinion. Still good though. I garnished mine with freeze dried cilantro and served it with whole wheat bread.

The is outstanding if someone likes a bit of different flavors and peanuts. Some of family loved it but some did not. It is easy and flavorful but not for everyone.

This was one of those recipes that I really wanted to like but just didn't. After following the recipe I thought it was bland, and it still was even after I dumped in more spices at the end. Also, I didn't like the gritty texture from the peanuts and it was a chore to finish off the leftovers. This soup has potential, but next time I'd try a recipe with more spices and more peanut butter.

I thought this recipe was fun to try, but I probably wouldn't make it again. It had a good flavor, but I could only eat so much before I got sick of it. Instead of putting it in a blender, I used my hand mixer right in the pot I was cooking in. This worked really well and was much easier than transfering to a blender.

While it was cooking, I thought it was going to be really good. With all the spices, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes, I was really excited to try it. The smell helped too. I served it with home-made flatbread, and that was a good thing, because without the bread, I don't think we would have eaten a lot of it. Words used to describe this, were not the best: "Bland", "Glop", and even, "It's like baby food". I thought it was okay, but next time I make it, I'm going to change a lot.