What’s for Dinner? Groundnut Stew

Groundnut Stew is not only vegetarian and gluten-free, it is also AMAZINGLY delicious!

Fun Fact: Groundnuts = peanuts. Other aliases include monkey nuts, earthnuts, and goobers.

The Occasion: Cook a big pot of Groundnut Stew on the weekend and ride the Leftovers Train for a few lunches and dinners during the week. This stew tastes even better when it sits a while. 

We featured the Groundnut Stew as the vegetarian entrée on our holiday party menu a few weeks ago. This dish is actually vegan and gluten-free, but the omnivores at your table (like me) might not even notice there's anything "missing." ​

The Recipe: Did you ever watch the TV show Top Chef? I followed along religiously during the earlier seasons and one of my favorite contestants was Carla Hall, the tall, vivacious runner-up in Season 5. This is her recipe for Groundnut Stew. Wow, if the rest of her recipes are this good I’ll soon become a regular visitor to her website – check it out!

Spices, a little heat, and peanutty goodness -- it's hard not to like this dish!

What Makes it Special? This dish rings the bell for several reasons.

A) It’s always nice to have a few gluten-free and vegan-friendly recipes in your hip pocket.

B) It is AMAZINGLY delicious. No, seriously, everyone who has taken a bite has declared “OMG this is so good!” With their mouths full. Gross but flattering in a weird way. What can I say. 
​
C) You can make it a couple days ahead of time. Super handy at party time or when planning around your family’s busy schedules.

Kitchen Tips:

• There are a LOT of ingredients to prep in advance for this recipe. Definitely assemble your mise en place in advance.
• The quantity as written seems a bit skimpy. You may have to double or triple the recipe based on how many at your table and what else will be served.
• In Carla’s original recipe the dish is more soup-like. I wanted a firmer stew that could be served on a plate vs a bowl. Both approaches have merit and taste delicious.
• Obviously, this is a nutty dish. There are nuts involved. Peanut butter in the stew itself and chopped peanuts as a garnish on top. They are central to the endeavor. No reasonable substitute can be made.
• IMO the garnishes are a MUST for this dish. Do not skip them! Chopped herbs, chopped peanuts, and a little splash of lime. Mmmmm.

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Verdict: This is not the prettiest dish, and my photos do not do justice to the stew either. Please take my word for it that this is a truly delicious and healthy meal. Kids love it, adults love it, carnivores devour it quite happily, and vegetarians/vegans are usually pretty thankful to find such a satisfying dish on the menu. Give it a try yourself and let me know what you think!

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Groundnut Stew
Recipe source: Carla Hall, From Cooking With Love: Comfort Food that Hugs You
 
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1 14.5-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
• 1 quart vegetable stock
• 1 fresh or dried bay leaf
• 1/4 habanero chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced, plus more if you like
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 15-ounce can small red beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons creamy natural peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup roasted, salted peanuts, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

 
DIRECTIONS:

• Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion has lightly browned and caramelized a little, about 3 minutes. 
• Add the bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Don’t let the mix burn!
• Add the tomatoes, stock, bay leaf, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the habanero. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Stir in the sweet potato and raise the heat to medium. Cook until tender, about 15 minutes, then stir in the beans. 
• Transfer 1/2 cup liquid from the pan to a small bowl. Stir in the peanut butter until smooth, then add the peanut butter mixture back into the pan. Resist the urge to just throw the peanut butter straight into the soup; it doesn’t work!
• Stir in the pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste.
• At this point, the soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; otherwise, return the soup to a simmer, then remove and discard the bay leaf. When ready to serve, garnish with the peanuts, parsley, and mint. Serve with the lime wedges.