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African Pineapple Peanut Stew

March 7, 2006 By Susan Voisin 64 Comments
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African Pineapple Peanut Stew

(Updated July 2014) Several years ago, my husband and I were thumbing through Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home when my husband stopped at this recipe and said, “Let’s try this one.” I looked at it. . . and then I looked at him like he was insane. Pineapple, onions, and kale? And peanut butter? What kind of crazy combination is that?

That was before I learned something that D. already knew: Unusual combinations often make the best dishes. We tried this mixture of peanut butter and pineapple, and it was terrific. And it was the first time I really loved kale.

Since then, this dish has become a family favorite, though its higher fat content puts it into the category of “special occasions” for me. I have adapted the recipe to remove the oil in the original, which is really unnecessary for sautéing. And I’ve increased the kale and replaced the cilantro with parsley (because I can’t eat cilantro).

I’ve also managed to reduce the peanut butter on occasion by replacing some or all of it with peanut butter powder. And as of 2014, the most recent change I’ve made is to add chickpeas to make it more filling as my daughter has grown from a child to a young woman. (The original recipe is here, if you’re interested.)

African Pineapple Peanut Stew

Original Photo without Chickpeas

African Pineapple Peanut Stew
5 from 5 votes
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African Pineapple Peanut Stew

Gluten Free
Soy Free
The combination of kale, pineapple, and peanut butter sounds unusual, but you will be amazed at how rich and delicious this dish is. 
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Author Susan Voisin

Ingredients

  • 1-2 bunches kale or 4-8 cups sliced
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
  • 1 20-ounce can undrained canned crushed pineapple in juice or about 2 cups with juice
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas optional, rinsed and drained
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter or 1/3 cup peanut butter powder and 1/3 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce --I actually use about 3 tablespoons of a favorite Louisiana hot sauce that isn’t as spicy as Tabasco
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley optional
  • salt to taste
  • crushed skinless peanuts optional
  • chopped scallions optional
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Instructions

  • Prepare the kale by washing it and removing the large center stem from each leaf. Stack the leaves on a cutting board and slice them into one-inch thick slices.
  • In a large, covered wok or Dutch oven (non-stick preferred), sauté the onions for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic, and stir for another minute.
  • Add the pineapple and its juice to the onions and bring to a simmer. Stir in the kale and the chickpeas if you’re using them, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until just tender. Mix in the peanut butter, Tabasco, and parsley and simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, and serve topped with crushed peanuts and scallions, over rice or other grain. (This makes about 4 servings without chickpeas or 6 servings with.)

Notes

Nutrition (per 1/4 of recipe without chickpeas): 330 calories, 143 calories from fat, 17.1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 53.5mg sodium, 881.8mg potassium, 39.5g carbohydrates, 5.6g fiber, 22.3g sugar, 12.5g protein.
Nutrition (per 1/6th of recipe with chickpeas): 286 calories, 105 calories from fat, 12.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 101.1mg sodium, 587.9mg potassium, 37.8g carbohydrates, 5.4g fiber, 17.1g sugar, 12.1g protein.
Nutritional values below are for 1/4th of the recipe with 1/3 cup peanut powder instead of peanut butter and added chickpeas, no optional ingredients.
Nutrition Facts
African Pineapple Peanut Stew
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 241 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Sodium 294mg13%
Carbohydrates 44g15%
Fiber 10.7g45%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 12.5g25%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutritional info is approximate.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Vegan
Keyword african stew
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African Pineapple Peanut Stew: Pineapple, peanut butter, kale, and chickpeas? You will be amazed at how delicious such an odd-sounding combination can be! Vegan and naturally gluten-free. #vegan #wfpb

Filed Under: Family Favorites, Main Dishes, Stews and Chilies Tagged With: African, Chickpea Recipes, Gluten-free, Greens, Higher-fat

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Anonymous

    December 28, 2009 at 6:30 pm

    This recipe sounds delicious and I can't wait to try it. Susan, can the peanut butter be replaced with almond butter or a different nut butter?
    I love your blog!

    Reply
  2. Rawket Food

    January 6, 2010 at 10:14 pm

    I just made this and it was amazingly fantastic! This will be a keeper in my house for years to come. Even my 6 year old loved it. My husband said it was delicious. No left overs tonight!

    Reply
  3. D&J

    January 26, 2010 at 5:58 pm

    We've made this twice in 2 weeks. It's delish and is a great way to eat Kale, which can be a little too firm and robust for some people.
    We DID find it a little too sweet for our palates the first time around, so tonight we included the pineapple WITHOUT the juice and added the juice and half the tomatoes from a can of diced. Success! Grrreat, and no leftovers again.
    Thanks for the blog, it's a huge help for our recent transition to vegan.

    Reply
  4. Andrea Boddam

    April 28, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    Well everytime I try to explain this dish to people, I always get a raised brow “Peanutbutter with pineapple… And kale?!” (Okay… a lot of the people I know don’t even know what kale is to be honest… but still)
    But both times I’ve made this it has gone over exceptionally well! I tend to add more than the tbsp of hot sauce, but we like things spicy!

    Great recipe and site!

    Reply
  5. Jessica

    June 17, 2010 at 6:40 pm

    This dish is amazing. I put it over whole wheat cous cous. Fantastic , thank you.

    Reply
    • Jessica

      September 18, 2012 at 7:48 pm

      2 Years later and I still love this recipe. Added in some beet greens and azuki beans and chopped jalapenos and put it over millet tonight. Glorious.

      Reply
  6. elizabeth

    August 25, 2010 at 5:43 pm

    You need healthy fat in order to provide satiety as well as to allow necessary nutrients to be absorbed but you know this.

    Reply
  7. Jen

    August 25, 2010 at 5:48 pm

    Thanks for posting this! I used to make this recipe years ago and had lost the printout of the recipe (which listed its origins too). We’ll be having it soon.

    Reply
  8. Alex

    August 25, 2010 at 9:09 pm

    My boyfriend will love this! I like to use him as an excuse to cook, this look so delicious 😀

    Reply
  9. Originaldave

    September 4, 2010 at 6:48 pm

    I was just going to print off this recipe and make it but see there is no link (that I see) for the usual printer friendly version!

    Reply
    • SusanV

      September 4, 2010 at 7:22 pm

      Hi Dave–Sorry about that! This was posted before I started doing the printer-friendly versions, but I’ve just made one. Click here for the new printer-friendly page.

      Reply
  10. Angela

    October 3, 2010 at 8:27 pm

    Does this recipe freeze well?

    Reply
    • SusanV

      October 3, 2010 at 8:48 pm

      I’m sorry. I haven’t frozen it, so I just don’t know.

      Reply
  11. janet

    November 8, 2010 at 5:27 am

    I really liked this unusual stew! I threw in tons of kale and it wilted down nicely. The peanut butter doesn’t make this an every day meal, but it is great if anyone has gotten into a cooking rut!

    I wrote about it here: http://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/11/08/african-pineapple-kale-peanut-stew/

    Reply
  12. Kim

    December 16, 2010 at 4:12 am

    Hi Susan,
    I am wanting to try this recipe, however I’m from Australia and Kale is not widely known here, what do you suggest I can use for a sub?

    PS What an amazing site you have here, I rely on it and you are quite an inspiration and I must say I am very thankful for all of your lovely healthy fat free recipes.

    Reply
    • SusanV

      December 16, 2010 at 7:56 am

      Thanks for your kind words, Kim! I think any leafy green could be used instead of the kale. If you can get Swiss Chard (silverbeet?), that would probably make the best substitution.

      Reply
      • Kim

        December 17, 2010 at 3:58 am

        Many thanks for your response Susan! I will try silverbeet.
        Tonight I am making your Spinach & Mushroom Lasanga with Tofu.
        Thanks again.

        Reply
  13. LisaGG

    January 1, 2011 at 11:07 pm

    The comments on this made me so curious that I made it tonight, with swiss chard instead of kale, served with coconut rice. It was actually surprisingly good and the flavors melded beautifully. Who would have thought?!

    Reply
  14. Chef Damien

    January 13, 2011 at 8:46 am

    Blog des régions

    Bonjour,

    Nous continuons le tour de France des blogueurs région par région.

    Nous aimerions que votre blog apparaisse sur ces portraits de régions.

    Pouvez vous nous contacter en précisant votre région.

    En vous remerciant par avance.

    Chef Damien

    Reply
  15. Megan

    February 25, 2011 at 11:19 pm

    We loved this! We kept the cilantro, because we love cilantro, but otherwise followed the changes in this recipe. I’ve never tasted anything quite like this before. The hot sauce is a must, and I’m a wimp about spice, but it gave it such a great flavor.

    Reply
  16. Dani

    April 28, 2011 at 8:37 pm

    I have been browsing your blog for a while, and was originally going to make your Mac N Cheese tonight, but unfortunately my local grocer was out of nutritional yeast- thank goodness for that though, or who knows how long I would have waited before I tried this! The flavors blend SO well- even when I substituted Cajun seasoning for the hot sauce. Thank you so much!

    Reply
    • SusanV

      April 28, 2011 at 9:13 pm

      You’re welcome! I’m so glad you liked it– one of my family’s favorites.

      Reply
  17. Julie & Marty

    June 20, 2011 at 9:04 pm

    African Pineapple Peanut Stew was the first recipe we tried off your Fat Free Vegan Kitchen website. I decided to go from A to Z in the Main Dishes. My husband is doing most of the cooking and doesn’t like tofu so we are skipping any of those recipes or any recipes where we can’t readily find the ingredients. This stew was FANTASIC! Wow! It is a keeper! I don’t like peanut butter, but it sure made this dish pop!

    Reply
  18. Lois Gowen

    August 16, 2011 at 4:35 pm

    Love this recipe. I’ve been making this with swiss chard. Never have tried kale, but will try it soon.

    Reply
  19. rachel

    August 27, 2011 at 5:51 am

    This was amazing! 3 big thumbs up from our house.

    Reply
  20. rozina

    November 4, 2011 at 2:37 pm

    Loved this recipe. I cook for 4-5 days together as I am away from home during the week. This recipe worked out perfectly and tasted great each day. Best recipe to get used to eating kale. I increased the tobasco sauce amount to 3 tblspoon to bring out the contrast.
    I added butternut squash too to make it a more hearty meal and eat it as is… without any grains.

    Reply
  21. Tash

    March 9, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    This looks really nice…. i have a question…. my partner is allergic to nuts, and peanuts are the worst as you would be aware, i myself don’t like the taste of peanuts bar in a satay, what could i use to replace the peanuts with…. i have had one thought because the smell and taste to me is quite like peanut butter, its the unhulled tahini paste i buy…..would this work as a substitution ????

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      March 9, 2012 at 9:47 pm

      I think tahini would be good, but I would probably reduce the amount to a couple of tablespoons.

      Reply
      • Tash

        March 9, 2012 at 10:11 pm

        Yes i made that mistake last night when making hummus, the tahini is quite strong….would using tahini instead of pent butter make this lower in fat or would it be about the same???? Sorry for what may sound like a stupid question but as I’m new to being vegan i must ask 🙂 <3

        Reply
        • Tash

          March 9, 2012 at 10:12 pm

          *peanut sorry keyboard is running slow

          Reply
  22. Lisa Herman

    April 16, 2012 at 12:19 pm

    WOW; this is such a fantastic dish! We loved it! I served it over rice with black
    beans and it was awesome!

    Reply
  23. Kara

    May 29, 2012 at 5:34 pm

    I love this recipe! Goes great over quinoa.

    Reply
  24. Laina

    July 9, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    Hi Susan,

    Are the calories calculated with rice? Also, are the peanuts roasted or raw and do you roast your own or purchase canned peanuts already roasted?

    Thanks so much !!!

    Laina 🙂

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      July 9, 2012 at 3:51 pm

      Laina, the calories are without rice. For the peanuts, you could toast raw peanuts or use roasted peanuts from a jar or can. Honestly, I usually omit the peanuts these days and reduce the peanut butter so that it’s not quite as high in calories. I also serve it over quinoa a lot.

      Reply
      • Laina

        July 11, 2012 at 1:52 pm

        Thanks, Susan. We have a local hfs that allows the customer to make fresh peanut butter. Ummmmmm! I’ll try the recipe with half of what you recommended. But the full amount would be nice for a sometimes meals. 🙂

        Also as a FYI, Trader Joe’s has a peanut flour. We don’t have a Trader Joe’s and I read this on a blog.

        The person who blogs is a peanut butter lover so to lose weight she tried the PB2 and continued to eat it after she lost her weight. She mentioned it doesn’t taste exactly like peanut butter, but close enough for her tastes.

        Then, after hearing of two other products, she decided to do a taste test on all three, and the Trader Joe’s won and is way cheaper than the PB2. One thing she did do is to add her own salt because the Trader Joe’s peanut flour doesn’t have added sodium which is nice for those who want to control their sodium. Another plus, if you have a local Trader Joe’s, is that you can purchase it locally. The PB2 needs to be ordered unless it’s now in grocery stores.

        Laina “-)

        Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      July 9, 2012 at 7:24 pm

      I also wanted to mention that I now add a can of chickpeas to make it go farther and I’ve eliminated the parsley and scallions, and we don’t miss them. (I remembered to tell you this because I’m in the process of making it right now!)

      Reply
      • Laina

        July 11, 2012 at 1:54 pm

        🙂 Thanks!!!

        Reply
  25. Caroline

    July 9, 2012 at 4:58 pm

    Susan,
    Have you tried using PB2 as a replacement for traditional peanut butter? It has 85% less fat calories than peanut butter. I just mix it with water and use it like you would the regular stuff but I haven’t tried cooking with it yet.

    Reply
    • Susan Voisin

      July 9, 2012 at 7:22 pm

      I haven’t been able to find PB2 locally, but it seems like the last time someone mentioned it, I checked it out and it had something in it that I didn’t want to eat. Sugar maybe? I’ll have to check again. Thanks for the reminder.

      Reply
  26. Laina

    July 13, 2012 at 9:58 pm

    I made this the other night. I did halve the peanut butter and omitted the parsley and green onions.

    Also I added the garbanzo beans you suggested and I decided to add a chopped up zuchinni and 8 oz package of mushrooms.

    This is OH SO DELICIOUS!!! Wow, another favorite.

    Thank you so much Susan. 🙂

    PS I bought the peanuts, but didn’t add them because they weren’t needed. I bought a can and could kick myself. Opened the lid and ate handfuls. Next time I’m only going to buy the small celephane package they sell at the register. 🙂

    Reply
  27. Theresa

    July 17, 2012 at 11:41 pm

    I made this for dinner for my mother and I and we both loved it! This recipe has a lot of flavor. Made it exactly like the recipe except left off peanuts because I didn’t have any. It’s definitely going to become a regular in my house.

    Reply
  28. Derborah Christy

    November 11, 2012 at 6:34 pm

    I am going to try it with PB2. A two tbls serving has 45 calories, 1.5g fat. I love the stuff and I believe it will be just as wonderful tasting!

    Reply
  29. Connie

    November 11, 2012 at 9:03 pm

    I have that cookbook and also love this recipe. I’ve served it to non-veg people and they also enjoyed it.

    Reply
  30. WandaFish

    November 12, 2012 at 1:59 pm

    Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe, Susan! I’m not a veggie, just someone who enjoys good food and trying to eat healthy. I made this using cilantro and omitting the scallions and it was very tasty 🙂
    I’m a Brit and struggle a bit with cup conversions. I used about 8oz of kale as I could only find it prepackaged – I’m still not sure of the quantity you would use. I think I’d like it with a little more sauce next time too (or maybe I should just eat less rice)

    Reply
  31. Eloïse

    January 15, 2013 at 5:29 pm

    Wow! This was good! I used spinach cause they were out of kale at the supermarket and added chickpeas. I also used a bit of tomato juice. All over coconut rice! Yum! First recipe I try from your blog and there is a lot more I wanna try. I want to go vegan.. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  32. Trish

    January 17, 2013 at 9:02 pm

    I found a copy of Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home in a thrift shop, and bought it w/o even looking through it, as I have three other Moosewood books. Molly Katzen’s recipes are unique, healthy and good.
    So…I made this pineapple peanut stew for tonight’s dinner, and it was *so* yummy! My husband is a meat-and-potato guy, so it took some coaxing, but after eating it, he went back to the stove and heaped a second helping in his bowl. It was a big hit, and I’ll definitely make it again. Oh, and I served it over farro.

    Reply
  33. Florence

    January 27, 2013 at 9:00 pm

    Just made this tonight and it was excellent. The only changes I made was that I added a can of black beans and used Siracha for the hot sauce.

    Reply
  34. Erin

    May 7, 2013 at 1:04 pm

    This was really good! Great way to use our fresh pineapple.

    Reply
  35. kim baker

    March 8, 2014 at 7:08 pm

    If you say ‘ Moosewood’ is good I’ll be so grateful. I copied an inch worth of recipe cards from that book and haven’t made one recipe yet! It is a long story … I’ll be trying this one as I love unusual ! Sweet potato hash goodness!

    Reply
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