Today’s recipe feels rather appropriate as it just dipped below 50 degrees here in Chicago. Since I refuse to turn on the heat just yet, Milly and I are both snuggled under a blanket cuddling. Brrrrr.
Chilly weather means it’s soup season. Are you ready?
P.S. Feel free to check out all of our delicious soup recipes right here!
Today’s recipe was inspired by traditional African peanut stew, a delicious dish my mom used to always rave about that her friend Ana would make. Peanut stew is usually made with chicken, peanut butter, tomatoes or tomato sauce, sweet potatoes, onion, ginger and something spicy like cayenne or chili peppers. Each version is different, rich and delicious when soaked up with naan bread or served over rice.
Today’s pumpkin peanut butter chicken soup recipe is a twist on traditional peanut stew and it just so happens to be made in the slow cooker, making it a breeze to whip up!
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Ingredients in pumpkin peanut butter chicken soup
This peanut butter pumpkin chicken soup is made with just a few ingredients you likely have in you pantry and makes for the creamiest, coziest soup recipe perfect for cool fall or winter nights. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make the soup:
- Chicken: I like to use boneless skinless chicken breast, but you can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you’d like.
- Light coconut milk: creamy light coconut milk gives the soup an amazing texture and subtle sweetness while keeping it dairy free.
- Pumpkin puree: the star of the show to give this peanut butter chicken soup a wonderful fall flavor. Feel free to use canned pumpkin puree or make your own with this tutorial!
- Low sodium chicken broth: adding chicken broth gives the soup the right consistency and amount of liquid.
- Peanut butter: I like to use a natural, creamy peanut butter, but you can also use crunchy for some texture!
- Onion: for some more savory flavor.
- Fresh grated ginger: there’s nothing better than freshly grated ginger for a delicious flavor boost.
- Garlic: gotta have garlic to pair with the sweetness of the coconut milk & peanut butter.
- Spices: you’ll add a pinch of cayenne for some heat (or skip it if you’re sensitive to spice) plus salt & pepper.
My favorite ways to serve this soup
I love to serve this soup with brown rice, similar to how you would serve curry. It’s also delicious with a side of naan bread to soak up that delicious peanut butter pumpkin flavor. To garnish, I recommend topping it with chopped roasted peanuts (or spicy roasted cashews!) and fresh cilantro. Yum.
Customize this soup
There are tons of different ways to truly make this peanut butter chicken stew you’re own! Here’s what I can recommend:
- To make vegan: use vegetarian broth and two cans of drained chickpeas instead of chicken.
- Add veggies: I like to stir in 1 cup frozen peas, a few cups of spinach or julienned bell peppers at the end and allow the soup to cook in the slow cooker for 10-15 more minutes.
- Spice it up: make it a little spicy with an extra shake of cayenne pepper or serve with some crushed red pepper flakes.
What does peanut butter chicken soup taste like?
This soup has flavors of traditional pumpkin soup with a hint of peanut butter flavor, creamy sweet coconut and a hint of spice thanks to cayenne. It’s unique and delicious at the same time!
Make it on the stovetop
If you’d like to make this soup on the stovetop, you absolutely can. Here’s how to do it:
- In a large pot, saute onions with a bit of olive oil for 3-5 minutes, then add in ginger, garlic and cayenne and stir.
- Next add in 2 cups chicken broth (yes you are using 1/2 cup more broth), coconut milk, pumpkin puree, peanut butter and salt and pepper and stir together until well combined. Add in chicken breasts to the pot and bring soup to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 20-25 minutes.
- After 20-25 minutes, remove chicken with a slotted spoon and shred with two forks. Add chicken back to the pot and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Serve as directed in recipe.
Storing tips
Store these creamy peanut butter pumpkin chicken soup in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container. Simply reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
More soups & stews you’ll love
- Slow Cooker White Wine Chicken Stew
- Healing Ginger Coconut Chicken Brown Rice Soup
- Vegan Curried Pumpkin Lentil Soup
- The Best Dal Ever
- Golden Coconut Chicken Lentil Soup
Get all of my soup recipes here, and all of my pumpkin recipes here!
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I hope you love this slow cooker pumpkin peanut butter chicken soup! If you make it be sure to leave a comment & a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Slow Cooker Pumpkin Peanut Butter Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can light coconut milk
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter (just peanuts + salt as the ingredients)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (use only ¼ teaspoon if you don’t like things as spicy)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- For serving:
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Roasted chopped peanuts
- Cooked brown rice
Instructions
- Add light coconut milk, chicken broth, pumpkin puree, peanut butter, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to the bowl of a slow cooker. Whisk together until smooth and well combined. Next add in boneless skinless chicken breast and diced onion. Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-7 hours on low.
- Once done cooking, remove chicken with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board. Shred chicken with two forks, then add back to the slow cooker. Ladle into bowls, then garnish with cilantro and chopped peanuts. Optional to serve the soup over brown rice or quinoa. Serves 6.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
Can you make this in a dutch over?
Yep! You’ll find the instructions in the blog post 🙂
Can I use regular milk instead of coconut milk?
The coconut milk really adds the creaminess and slight sweetness in this soup, so I wouldn’t recommend substituting it!
I think this would have been good but my onion may have been too big and extremely bitter. To remedy, next time I’ll sauté the onion first, and use it more sparingly.
Be sure to dice the onion small! And yes, feel free to sauté it a bit beforehand as well.
Hi, I’m looking to make this stove top and wondering for this step if you meant to say bring soup to a boil instead of simmer?:
“Add in chicken breasts to the pot and bring soup to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook covered for 20-25 minutes.”
Also, if I doubled up all ingredients , does that effect cooking time?
I have been testing recipes claiming to be West African peanut stew for nearly two decades, trying to recreate the ones I ate while I spent a couple years living in a tiny village (Peace Corps). Monique, I’m thrilled to say that this one is the most authentic I’ve tried. I nearly swooned when I tasted your recipe because it brought me right back to the village. So delicious. Bookmarked!
Amazing! So happy you gave them one a try 🙂 it’s seriously one of our favorites!
Hi! I’m so looking forward to making this, but my family does not like any nut flavors. Would this still work without any nut butter? Thank you!
Hi! If your family doesn’t like nut flavors I wouldn’t recommend this one for them as the peanut butter flavor is really what makes the dish.
If I sub chickpeas instead of chicken, do I put them in right at the beginning or will they be mushy after 6 hours in the slow cooker?
Hi! They should still hold up well in the slow cooker with the full amount of time, but to be safe feel free to stir them in with 1-2 hours left.
Made the stove-top version because I wanted to have it ready for lunch. Used the suggested sub of chick peas for chicken. It was a delicious hot treat on a cold snowy day.
yum! the best, I am so glad that this recipe is a hit ❤️🙂
I was so hopeful for this recipe but when it all came together I was pretty underwhelmed. I found the soup to be a pretty lacking in flavor and sort of bland. I added peas, cauliflower, and green beans but otherwise followed exactly as suggested. I did add extra cilantro and fresh peanuts in hopes of upping the flavor but it didn’t help much. The good news – my 8 month old liked it!
I was excited to try this. I liked the idea, but it definitely needed acid of some sort. I would probably add lime to this and maybe coconut sugar. It just didn’t have a ton of flavor to me. Overall it was just okay.
Sorry this did not turn out how you would have hoped. Did you change anything about the recipe? I have never had a problem with this recipe lacking flavor.
I was excited to try this. I liked the idea, but it definitely needed acid of some sort. I would probably add lime to this and maybe coconut sugar. It just didn’t have a ton of flavor to me. Overall it was just okay.
I made this soup exactly as directed, adding peas and spinach at the end. It was bland and completely flavorless. Would not make again.
So sorry to hear you did not enjoy this recipe, Jill. I am not sure what could have gone wrong, as this recipe is packed with spices.
Wanted to love this soup! I love pumpkin, love coconut, love curries, love peanut butter. Easy to make, but the flavors just fell flat for me. Tasted bland. Love all of Monique’s other recipes but this one did not do it for me
Hi! Thanks so much for your feedback. Sorry you didn’t love it. Do you think it needed more salt, or more of any particular flavors?
The flavor was not as punchy as I was expecting but I also didn’t have cilantro so I’m sure that would have made a difference.
I did add peas, a squeeze of lime, some raw cashews for crunch and a bit of pepper and siracha and it was yummy!
Loved how creamy it was! I’ll definitely make it again.
Hi! Thanks for the feedback 🙂 Those additions sound great! Do you think it needed more salt? Or more of a particular flavor?
I made this for my meal prep this week and it was easy, stress free, and delicious! It definitely reminds me of the peanut stew that I’ve had at west African restaurants. I will definitely make it again this fall!
Such a unique combination of ingredients that really worked. I served it with brown rice and naan bread. Hubby loved it too! Delish!
hi- could i make this in a dutch oven?
Yes! Check out the full blog post where I have instructions for cooking it on the stovetop.
This is an absolutely delicious dish. We eat it once a month in our house and always have some in the freezer for when I need quick dinner. Love to add frozen peas, carrots, and cooked quinoa for a tasty dinner that is also nourishing, nutritious, and filling. Do yourself a favor and make this tonight!
I’m so happy you love this one, Jen! Those are great additions 🙂 Appreciate the review!
I loved this soup. I just added pinch of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of half and half for thickness. So good.
Just wanted to let you know this was excellent with the chickpeas. I added peas at the end. Served it over rice with a sprinkle of vinegar because I didn’t have cilantro on hand. I have worsening tremors in my hands that make cooking a challenge on really bad days and this was easy for me to make and very satisfying to eat.
I’m so glad to hear that! Sounds amazing. Happy it was easy to make and that you enjoyed it 🙂
I made this tonight on the stovetop. Added fresh tumeric because I had it on hand and used less chicken than called for because I was short. It was super easy and not too pumpkiny. Turned out to be delicious, complex and comforting!
Really delicious recipe! It’s kind of like a Thai curry but with a little something different! Topped with a squeeze of lime 🙂
I added cumin, smoked paprika, dash of cinnamon, and more garlic for a deeper flavor. ❤️
I will definitely be making this again! Super easy to put together and tasty. I made it on the stove top. I added some paprika and in my bowl a splash of coconut aminos. I didn’t have peanuts to try. Next time I want to try adding some green peas and/or spinach.
What a unique and healthy soup. SO good. Our 2 year old ate more than my husband and I. SO good. Thank you for the wonderful and healthy recipes! You are our constant go-to!
Omg LOVE THAT! Happy you guys all enjoyed this one, Jessie!
I couldn’t believe how amazing this was. Kind of want to make it every week now.
Delicious!
Happy you enjoyed it, Jennifer!
Sounds amazing, but I don’t own a slow cooker. Can you suggest an alternative way?
Yes, there are instructions in the blog post for making it on the stovetop!
I am puzzled by all the positive reviews here, I was excited about what seemed like an interesting combination of flavors, but we did not enjoy this at all. It was easy to make. but the peanut butter/chicken/pumpkin combo was kind of gross. We ended up throwing it out after digging in. Perhaps with the chick peas it would be better than with the chicken? Wasted some expensive good chicken breasts. My husband’s comment: “what were you thinking?”!!!!!!
So sorry you guys didn’t love it! I + lots of readers really enjoy the flavor in this one. What brand of PB did you use?
This was so delicious! Added peas and spinach as suggested. Whole family loved it! 🙂
Nice!! Happy you guys enjoyed it 🙂
Alright, I’ve been making your recipes and I must say you always deliver 🙂 everything I’ve made so far was absolutely delicious, with a small exception of Greek yoghurt ranch dressing, it was meh kinda, but since I’m European I don’t really know how ranch should taste, since it’s not a thing here, so it may be the yoghurt I use or I messed up spicing, or I should have used lemon instead of apple cider vinegar;)
Will be making this soup, but I only have flavored/whey added peanut butters, so I was thinking that I will make it with Pb2 and bump the fat content with normal Coconut milk ( “light” one is kind of a fake product, since its just diluted regular one).
Have you ever made it with powdered peanut butter? From my calculations about 60g should make 1/2 cup reconstituted.
Hi! Sorry that you guys don’t have regular/unflavored peanut butter! I haven’t tried this recipe with powdered peanut butter but I think that’s a great idea to do that + coconut milk. Let me know how it goes!
Hello Monique!
Oh what I’ve meant I don’t have it in my apartment, the regular peanut butter 🙂 there’s plenty of those here.
I have like 4 different high fat nut spreads currently open in the fridge so I didn’t want to add a fifth in there 🙂
It does work perfectly well with PB2. Did some calculations and added 60g of the powder, and increased the amount of broth by 80ml. You can easily go with 80g if you want more peanuty flavor. Same with coconut milk, i used a 250ml can of full fat, and substituted lacking 175ml with broth. Like I said no need to buy light coconut milk for cooking, it’s just a diluted normal one. Kinda the same as with light butter (which is just hydrogenated normal) and baking.
Anyway, the soup came out absolutely delicious. Perfect blend of flavors, the fresh ginger works so damn well here. I’ll definitely put the soup in my slowcooking rotation 🙂
Gonna do it on low next time, as cooking pumpkin pure on high kinda destroys it’s texture, but sadly I had no time for low.
As always your recipe was amazing, your food is so up my alley. Thank you so much 🙂
Thanks for reporting back! So happy to hear the PB2 worked well in here and that you enjoyed it!
I subbed the spices with Panang Curry spice mix which I had on hand, and added some broccoli, peppers, and cauliflower just before serving. Delicious, simple, healthy, and easy!
You are the best, cook double batch put some freezer and how good that your Artisan bread so delicious, cooking follow your recipe saving time, money, easy, healthy than buy from shop…Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you’re enjoying it 🙂
My bf and I loveee this recipe! It’s super easy to throw together and tastes wonderful!
So happy to hear that!