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–+ servings
A bowl of sweet potato stew topped with cilantro and roasted sunflower seeds.
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5 from 10 votes

Sweet Potato Stew

Inspired by South African Peanut Stew (but without the peanuts), this soup can be prepared ahead of time, frozen, and defrosted in the slow cooker. Or make it in 30 minutes on the stovetop.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time4 hours
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine: American, Healthy
Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Calorie, Low Lactose, Low Salt, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 173kcal
Author: Alicia

Equipment

  • 1 Slow Cooker or Crockpot

Ingredients

  • 3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½inch cubes (about 1-2 large sweet potatoes)
  • 1 shallot, peeled and roughly chopped (roughly ⅓ cup)
  • 5 oz can of tomato paste
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon ginger powder
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup lacinato kale, roughly chopped
  • ⅓ cup sunflower seed butter*
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • For a freezer meal - Combine the sweet potatoes, shallots, tomato paste, curry powder, ginger, vegetable broth, and salt all in a plastic ziploc bag or a freezer safe container. Freeze till ready to use. Keep in mind the shape of the bag and make sure it will fit your slow cooker after being frozen.
  • Place the sweet potatoes, shallots, tomato paste, curry powder, ginger, vegetable broth, and salt all in a slow cooker and cover. Set to high heat and cook for 4 hours, or 8 hours on low heat. If using low heat, I recommend adding an extra cup of water or broth.
  • 30 minutes before serving, stir in the kale and water and allow the kale to soften a bit. Taste and adjust any seasonings. Right before serving, stir in the sunflower seed butter while warm. If the soup is too thick for your liking, add a little more water or broth to thin out.
  • If making this on the stovetop, place the sweet potatoes, shallots, tomato paste, curry powder, ginger, vegetable broth, water, and kale in a large pot with a lid.

Notes

  • Sunbutter notes - If the heat is too high, the sunflower seed butter can separate and get a little gritty rather than provide a smooth texture. This is why you add it at the end off the heat. I recommend using an unsweetened version, like from Sunbutter. 
  • Optional garnish - Cilantro and roasted sunflower seeds make great toppings! 
  • Fresh ginger can be subbed for dried. Be sure to use an Indian-style powdered curry and not a Thai curry. 
  • Low sodium - Use a low sodium broth and no salt added sunbutter. 

Nutrition

Serving: 20oz | Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 618mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 10163IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg