This Slow Cooker Peanut Stew is a hearty dish made with chickpeas, sweet potatoes and peanut butter. It's also gluten-free and vegan!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – or any other neutral cooking oil like avocado, grapeseed or canola oil.
- Garlic – I like using fresh minced garlic, but the jarred variety works as well.
- Yellow onions – white onions would work in a pinch.
- Sweet potatoes – butternut or acorn squash are great alternatives.
- Curry powder – make your own blend using cumin, coriander, chili, turmeric and pepper.
- Cumin – chili powder, paprika or more curry powder are good substitutes here.
- Chili powder – use a combination of paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and cayenne.
- Vegetable broth – chicken broth is a good non-vegan substitute.
- Peanut butter – try another kind of nut or seed butter like almond butter or tahini.
- Crushed tomatoes – you could try passata (jarred strained tomatoes).
- Chickpeas – lentils or kidney beans would work in a pinch.
- Red pepper – or any other bell pepper of your choice like orange or yellow.
- Spinach – use any type of leafy green like chard or kale.
- Cilantro – parsley would be the next best option but has a different taste.
- Crushed peanuts – leave these out altogether if you don’t like or are allergic to peanuts.
- Basmati rice – use any rice variety of your choice like jasmine or brown rice.
- Salt – to taste.
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How to make slow cooker peanut stew
- Add everything but the spinach, cilantro, peanuts and rice to the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for four hours or low for eight hours.
- Stir in the spinach.
- Top with peanuts and cilantro.
- Serve over basmati rice and enjoy!
Stovetop and Instant Pot instructions
You can also easily make this recipe on the stove! Here's how to do it:
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over med-high heat, then saute onions, garlic and spices for 2-3 minutes until softened.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot except for spinach, cilantro, peanuts and rice.
- Bring to a boil, then cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When ready to serve, stir in spinach. Top each bowl with peanuts and cilantro and serve with basmati rice.
You can even make this recipe in the Instant Pot! Here's how:
- Dump everything into the Instant Pot in order that it appears listed above except for red pepper, spinach, cilantro, peanuts and rice.
- Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes and then do a quick release of the pressure.
- Remove lid, then stir in red pepper and spinach. Top each bowl with peanuts and serve with basmati rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can cook this stew on high for four hours or on low for eight hours. It’s a great hands-off meal option – let it simmer all day before enjoying in the evening. You can also make this peanut stew on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot if you’re looking for a faster cook time.
I like to serve this peanut stew with basmati or jasmine rice, but you could also serve it with quinoa, wild rice, crusty bread, a side salad, soba noodles or rice noodles.
This recipe is super thick and delicious – but if you accidentally add in too much vegetable broth, you can add a little potato starch, cornstarch or chickpea flour to thicken it up.
Storing and reheating peanut stew
This peanut stew will last as leftovers in the fridge up to 5 days. Store in a large container or in individual portion sizes in glass meal prep bowls so all you have to do is reheat for 2-3 minutes in the microwave. It's super easy and the leftovers taste just as good as a fresh serving!
Freezing peanut stew
You can also freeze this cooked peanut stew. Freeze in individual servings in glass bowls with lids and you can reheat right from frozen for 6-7 minutes in the microwave, stirring halfway through the reheat time. Garnish with fresh cilantro and peanuts and it's as good as new!
More slow cooker faves
- One Pot Butternut Squash Chicken Curry
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Lentil Chili
- Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Dal Red Lentils
Meal prep tools
- Get your Instant Pot here!
- Get your Slow Cooker here!
- I also love these glass meal prep bowls for reheating this peanut stew in individual portions
Slow Cooker Peanut Stew {Gluten-Free + Vegan}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 small yellow onions, diced
- 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, cubed
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1 (796mL) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (for garnish)
- 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
- 3 cups cooked basmati rice (optional side)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to slow cooker except for spinach, cilantro, peanuts and rice. Cook on high for 4 hours, or low for 8 hours.
- When ready to serve, stir in spinach. Top each bowl with peanuts and cilantro and serve with basmati rice.
- INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS: Dump everything into the Instant Pot in order that it appears listed above except for red pepper, spinach, cilantro, peanuts and rice. Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes and then do a quick release of the pressure. Remove lid, then stir in red pepper and spinach. Top each bowl with peanuts and serve with basmati rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Comments & Reviews
Sarah says
Hi! It doesn’t say what size can of chickpeas. Please clarify, thanks!
Taylor Stinson says
540mL