African chicken soup is certainly something different, full of spices and thickened with peanut butter. I’ve had it at restaurants and cafes a few times over the years, but none have been as good as this homemade version. It calls for cooked chicken, which makes it great when you have leftover roasted chicken around the house. I made it a few weeks back the night after we had roasted a chicken. We saved the breasts for the soup pot, and I used the remaining chicken parts to make a ton of broth, most of which we froze and have used for other things.
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African Chicken Peanut Soup
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 servings 1x
Description
This delicious African chicken soup is rich with spices and thickened with creamy peanut butter, offering a unique and comforting flavor experience.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tbsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp. ground coriander
- 5 cups (1.2 L) chicken broth
- 16 oz or 2 cups (480 ml) tomato puree or sauce (canned or homemade)
- 16 oz or 2 cups (480 ml) crushed tomatoes (canned or homemade)
- 1/2 cup (130 g) peanut butter, preferably natural
- 1 lb. (450 g) cooked chicken or turkey, roughly chopped or shredded into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup (240 ml) scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
- 1 large handful cilantro, stems and leaves roughly chopped, for serving
- 1 cup (145 g) peanuts (toast first, if raw), chopped, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large, heavy soup or stock pot over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and sweat the diced onion until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Taste and salt as needed.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the curry powder, cayenne pepper, and ground coriander, cooking for another 1-2 minutes to toast the spices.
- Pour in the chicken broth and tomato puree, stirring to combine. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Add the peanut butter, stirring until fully incorporated into the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Stir in the shredded cooked chicken and heat through, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.
- Serve hot, garnished with chopped peanuts and lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- This soup is perfect for using up leftover roasted chicken.
- You can make your own chicken broth for added flavor.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper to your heat preference.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Cuisine: African
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 750
- Fat: 20
- Carbohydrates: 18
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 50
If You Liked This Recipe, You’ll Love These
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- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Peanut Noodles with Chicken
- Thai Peanut Chicken Stir-Fry
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this soup work well with leftover roasted chicken?
Yes — the article describes this as one of the soup’s best features: the author made it the night after roasting a chicken, using the saved breast meat and turning the carcass into broth (most of which was frozen for later use). The recipe calls for 1 lb (450 g) of pre-cooked chicken or turkey, roughly chopped or shredded, added toward the end of the simmer.
Why does the recipe specify natural peanut butter?
The ingredient list says “½ cup (130 g) peanut butter, preferably natural.” Natural peanut butter has no added sugar or hydrogenated oils, so it blends into the broth more cleanly and lets the 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp cayenne, and 2 tsp coriander come through without a sweet undertone from commercial peanut butter. 
Can I freeze this soup for later?
Yes — the notes say leftovers keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or can be frozen for longer storage. The peanut butter-thickened broth freezes well; just reheat gently on the stovetop and stir to re-emulsify if any separation occurs.
That really does look delicious, absolutely my sort of food and I’m not even African!
Excited to make this. Love peanut soup!