Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew is the ultimate, cold weather comfort food. Bold, creamy, and perfectly spiced, this dish warms you from the inside out.
This post was made in partnership with the Produce For Better Health Foundation. All opinions expressed are our own.
Fall has FINALLY arrived in the Sierras! After a long, dry, (and smoky) summer that went on and on, we were at last graced with some clear skies and cooler weather!🙌 Living in a warm and sunny climate, we live for the fall, which reminds us that there are in fact more seasons than...hot. 😂 If for no other reason than to make cold weather favorites like this Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew! Warming spices, creamy coconut milk, and sweet potatoes are blended together with a luscious swirl of peanut butter. This stew keeps you warm and cozy on even the coldest days!
Nutrition Notes
This stew incorporates a host of nutrition all-stars including sweet potatoes, carrots, canned black beans, turmeric, black pepper, garlic, onions, and curry paste. The benefits associated with these foods range from supporting heart health (beans, sweet potatoes, garlic, onions) to fighting free radicals, cell oxidation, and inflammation (garlic, onion, curry spices, and turmeric), as well as the powerhouse phytochemicals carotenoids (carrots, sweet potatoes) and anthocyanins (black beans). It is also rich in plant-based protein and dietary fiber to keep you full for hours. The best part is, it tastes amazing too!
When the weather cools, opting for a variety of colorful, nutrient-rich foods is the way to go! We stock up on a variety of fresh, frozen, canned, and dried produce for quick and convenient anytime meals. One way to increase nutrient exposure is to mix up your picks each week. For example, swapping kidney beans for cannellini or arugula for romaine. While it may not seem like a big leap, each and every different fruit and vegetable offers a unique nutrient profile of vitamins, minerals, and protective phytochemicals for your body! This is one way we can support our bodies and immune systems year round! Pretty cool, right?
Recipe Tips
Sweet Potatoes - Pureed sweet potatoes have SO many culinary uses and we find ourselves tossing them into everything from soups to smoothies. To save time and hassle, we roast and puree several pounds at a time and freeze them in ice cube trays. That way, when a recipe calls for creamy sweet potatoes, we've already got it ready to go. Approximately 8 "cubes" = 1 cup.
Curry Powder vs Paste? - We use curry paste in this recipe, but, in a pinch you can use curry powder. Now, we would be lying if we told you a curry paste and powder were equally interchangeable. Despite their names, there are some big differences between the two, namely ingredients, flavors, and aromas. Not too much, right!? That said, curry paste is not always as easy to find and obtain as a powder, and, you may not have a use for a large container of fresh paste. In applications like this stew however, you will still get a good level of the flavors we're looking for.
Black Pepper + Turmeric - For centuries, turmeric has been recognized as a beneficial spice, most notably, as an anti-inflammatory compound with antioxidant effects. The compound responsible for these benefits is called curcumin, however, it exists in very small amounts in turmeric. Fortunately, research has found that black pepper increases the absorption of curcumin significantly when paired together at a meal. That is why whenever we add turmeric to a meal, we also include pepper, to get the most benefit possible.
Freezer-Friendly - This stew is a perfect make-ahead meal that can be frozen for future meals. It also make a perfect dish for meal trains for new parents! If freezing, we prefer to fully puree all the potatoes, as we've found cubed potatoes have a tendency to get slightly mealy once defrosted.
Spicy Sweet Potato & Peanut Stew
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or other oil of choice)
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic finely minced
- 5-6 medium carrots peeled and chopped into 2" pieces
- 4 medium sweet potatoes roughly 2 ½-3 cups puréed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3-4 tablespoon yellow curry paste
- 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne powder optional
- 3 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
- 13.5 oz canned coconut milk lite or regular
- 3 cups chicken or veggie broth
- 1 cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Wash and prep your garlic, onion, carrots, and sweet potatoes; set aside.
- Heat oil in a large soup pot on medium. Add garlic, onions, salt, and pepper and sauté until onions are translucent, roughly 3-4 minutes. Add curry paste and stir until well mixed. If using a dryer paste (like ours) you can add a few splashes of broth to keep mixture from burning.
- Next, add your turmeric, cayenne (if using) and continue sautéing for one more minute. Next, add your coconut milk and broth and increase heat to high (any small 'chunks' of coconut milk will begin to melt into a smooth, golden broth).
- Once broth begins to boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Add carrots and sweet potatoes and cover with a lid for 12-14 minutes or until vegetables are tender but not mushy. Remove lid and add peanut butter, stir well to incorporate well.
- To make your soup extra thick and creamy, scoop out half of the sweet potatoes, remove skins, and blend. Add blended potatoes back to your soup pot and stir until well combined.
- Remove soup from heat. Add in black beans and additional splashes of milk or broth, as desired, to thin. Serve with a sriracha drizzle for heat or crushed peanuts for some added crunch.
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