Senegalese Soup is a healthy, meatless soup recipe that's chock-full of sweet potatoes, chickpeas, warming curry, and coconut milk.
“This soup is AMAZING! It’s my favorite! Interesting mix of ingredients (hello Peanut Butter), but seriously put on your soup to make this winter list!!!”
If it’s cooling down where you live, I’ve got a must-try soup recipe for you to make then hunker down with.
Senegalese Soup is chock-full of healthy ingredients like sweet potatoes and chickpeas, flavored with warming curry, coconut milk, PLUS a secret ingredient, and served over cooked white rice. Translation: it is irresistible!
I can’t take any credit for this delicious dish though because it was sent to me from IGE reader Trish.
Flavor Packed Vegetarian Soup
Senegalese Soup, Trish shared, is not only simple and comes together in 30 minutes, but meatless, naturally gluten-free, and easy to make vegetarian/vegan.
As I mentioned, the soup features sweet potato and chickpeas, is flavored with curry powder and coconut milk, and the secret ingredient? Peanut butter! The combination of peanut butter, curry powder, and coconut milk is giving serious panang curry vibes. DELISH!
Now, I thought Senegalese Soup might hail from the country Senegal in west Africa, where peanut stew is a popular dish, but after doing some research it turns out nobody really knows why this dish has the name it does, as it was most likely concocted here in the US. Regardless, I’m calling it soul-satisfying, healthy comfort food that you’ve got to try sooner rather than later.
Pair with Gluten Free Flatbread to sop up every delicious last drop!
Try Spicy Shrimp Soup
How to Make This Recipe
Start by heating extra virgin olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add chopped red bell pepper, shallot or onion, and minced jalapenos then season with salt and pepper and saute until the vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes. Add minced garlic then saute for another 30 seconds.
Two jalapenos give just the right amount of kick for me, but if you’re very sensitive to spice, stick with one.
Once the vegetables are tender add diced sweet potatoes, chicken broth, canned coconut milk, canned chickpeas that have been drained and rinsed, crushed tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and pepper, then turn the heat up to bring the soup to a boil.
FYI: if you want to make this dish vegetarian/vegan, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Once the soup is boiling, scoop some of the liquid into a small dish then stir in 3 Tablespoons peanut butter until smooth, and then stream back into the soup. The peanut butter pairs so well with the coconut milk, sweet potatoes, and curry powder!
Last step is to turn the heat down to medium then simmer the soup until the sweet potatoes have softened, another 8-10 minutes.
Just before serving, squeeze in fresh lime juice then scoop into bowls with plenty of cooked white rice and chopped fresh cilantro.
The weather may be cold, but this soup will warm your heart and soul. Thanks again, Trish, for this awesome recipe – I hope you all enjoy as much as I did!
More Veggie-Packed Soups
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- Pastina Soup
- Vegetable Soup
- Hamburger Soup
- Black Bean Soup
- Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 shallot or 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded then finely chopped
- 1 – 2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
- salt and pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 medium-sized sweet potato, peeled and diced small
- 4 cups gluten free chicken or vegetable broth
- 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 14 oz can coconut milk, lite or full fat
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 3 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
- juice of 1/2 lime
- For serving: cooked white rice, chopped cilantro
Directions
- Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallot or onion, red bell pepper, and jalapenos, season with salt and pepper, then saute until vegetables are tender, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic then saute for 30 more seconds or until very fragrant.
- Add sweet potatoes, chicken broth, chickpeas, coconut milk, crushed tomatoes, curry powder, salt, and pepper, then turn heat up to high to bring soup to a boil. Once boiling, scoop some of the liquid into a small dish with the peanut butter then stir until smooth. Stream back into the soup then stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium then simmer until sweet potatoes are tender, 8-10 minutes.
- Remove soup from heat then stir in lime juice. Taste then add more salt, pepper, and/or lime juice if necessary.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Made this last night and we’re LOVING it. Thank you! Its a great lunch to warm up for lunches the next day too!
YAY! So glad you guys loved it, Bridget! :)
I made this over the weekend for my family and we all loved it! You were totally right- peanut butter wasn’t weird at all. Thanks so much for sharing!
Glad you took a risk, Sarah!! I just finished up my last bowl from the pot and am missing it already!
Made this for dinner tonight! Absolutely delish! Thanks again for another great recipe! ??
So glad you enjoyed as much as I did, Heather! Thanks for the feedback!
Soul warming soup!! DELISH
Whoa, that looks so delicious I’m definitely trying this weekend! Although I have to admit my vegan pasta is pretty fulfilling too :p
This looks so yummy! I love making soups with curry paste and coconut milk– it’s an unexpected comfort food
This made me smile! I grew up as a missionary kid in Senegal, West Africa, and we never ate a soup like this. :) However, Senegal is one of the world’s major producers/exporters of peanuts, and one of their most popular dishes, called “Mafe” (MAH-fay), is a tomato-and-peanut-butter sauce.
Based on my Pinterest observations (in other words : SUPER-scientific!), it seems like any sauce or soup that combines the two flavors is now dubbed “Senegalese” or “West African”. Authentic or not, it makes me happy to see my old home’s name pop up here and there. ;)
Thanks for a great blog. My family particularly LOVES your shawarma garlic sauce and Shrimp Boil Soup.
Have a happy Christmas season!
That is too cool, Coorie!! I hope you enjoy the soup if you try it, and happy Christmas to you too!
I just happened to have everything needed for this soup, lucky me. It’s a keeper! Just a couple adjustments: I used 2 sweet potatoes and only 1 jalapeño, which I didn’t deseed, leaving it plenty spicy (I tasted the jalapeno and it seemed quite powerful, which is why I only went with one. They seem to vary so much individually, you just don’t know until you cut it open.) Loved the bright, bold flavors. Super easy to throw together. Will definitely make again, perhaps garnished with peanuts next time!
LOVE when that happens!! I think I’m going to keep the seeds in next time, too. So glad you liked it, Lauren!
Thanks for sharing this recipe Kristen! I recently converted to going vegan almost 3 months ago, and this soup looks like a win, win, win dish!
This looks interesting. How spicy is it and how can you cut some of the spiciness?
With 1 jalapeño it’s maybe a 2/10 on the spicy scale.
Hey Iowa Girl,
This dish looks really delicious. Trish in France is awesome. My grandkids love chick peas & assertive flavors so I’m making a big batch for all of us. Substituting baby golds for the sweet potatoes because I’m not big on sweet pots. Cook’s privilege.
Absolutely! I added the lime juice and extra peanut butter because it’s fun to make it your own! Hope you enjoy, Charlie!
Oh my gosh, this soup looks amazing, Kristin! I’m dreading the snow we are supposed to get in Colorado this afternoon- I’m like you when it comes to winter. Yesterday I was wearing two wool sweaters at the same time and was still cold! My husband pokes fun at me every single day but I am so not made for cold weather.
Haha! I know the feeling!! Stay warm, Brianna!
I’m laughing about you trying to figure out the name thing, Kristin, since it’s just what we’ve christened this soup in our own household! Though I’ve long since forgotten what the original recipe might have been called, I’ve modified it so much that it’s now a different dish. Still, it contains lots of complementary flavors that are used in Senegalese cooking, so there you have it. Mystery solved. I’m so very happy that you liked it as much as we do!
Thank you again, Trish, this was such a treat! :)