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Vegan West African Peanut Lentil Stew: The Comfort Food You Need

West African mafe AKA peanut lentil stew - in a bowl
PREP TIME
10 min
COOK TIME
35 min
YIELDS
12 servings

This hearty and flavourful stew, also known as mafe, is one of many delicious delicacies that hails from West African cuisine. Traditional West African peanut stew uses ground peanuts and contains beef, but my Can You Vegan It? spin uses natural peanut butter since it’s more accessible, as well as lentils for extra protein. However, the sweet potatoes in this quick 45-minute dish perfectly seal the deal.

Related: Best Vegan Soup and Stew Recipes You’ll Crave All Winter

Like Valerie’s vegan mafe? Try her healthy sriracha-honey oven-fried chicken or her spicy vegan cassoulet.

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Ingredients

2
Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3
shallots, chopped
2
cloves garlic, minced
2
Tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
2
tsp crushed red pepper (plus more to taste)
1
tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
½
tsp ground black pepper (plus more to taste)
2
tsp cumin (optional)
½
tsp cardamom (optional)
5
cups low-sodium vegetarian broth
1 ½
cups red lentils
2
medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
1
(16 oz) can crushed tomatoes, with liquid
1
cup natural raw peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
Fresh chopped parsley for topping (optional)
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Directions

West African mafe AKA peanut lentil stew ingredients on kitchen countertop
Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, garlic and ginger in the hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with the crushed red pepper, salt, pepper, as well as the cumin and cardamom (if using).

Step 2

Pour the broth over the mixture. Stir the lentils and sweet potatoes into the liquid and bring the mixture to a boil; reduce heat to low and cover the pot partially with a lid. Cook at a simmer for 15 minutes.

Step 3

Stir in the tomatoes and peanut butter. Turn up the heat slightly to medium-low. Cover the pot and continue cooking for another 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Top with chopped parsley and serve.

West African mafe AKA peanut lentil stew - in a bowl

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My rating for Vegan West African Peanut Lentil Stew: The Comfort Food You Need
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