This hearty slow cooker chickpea stew is rib-stickingly good!

With protein-rich chickpeas, tender sweet potatoes, and spinach in a savory peanut and tomato sauce, this West African inspired stew makes an amazing dinner (and the leftovers are excellent for lunch!) I love it served over brown rice, with lots of peanuts and cilantro sprinkled over the top.

Top view of Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew in a white bowl with peanuts, salt and pepper, cilantro, and a Crock Pot in the background.

Table of Contents

The Story Behind the Recipe

I already have a stovetop West-African-inspired peanut stew recipe on Kitchen Treaty, but I wanted to create a super hands-off version, plus, I thought I’d amp up the protein with some chickpeas.

I reduced the liquids (you don’t need nearly as much liquid when cooking in a slow cooker) and made a few tweaks to the inspiration recipe, and this Slow Cooker Peanut, Chickpea, and Sweet Potato Stew was born!

A ladleful of Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew is scooped out of a Crock Pot.

Why You’ll Love This Slow Cooker Peanut, Sweet Potato, & Chickpea Stew

What’s not to love when it comes to slow cooker dinners?! This is a throw it in and forget it until dinnertime kind of meal, one that allows all the flavors to mingle together into a flavorful stew.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew in a white bowl with cilantro and a slow cooker in the background.

All you have to do after it cooks all day is stir in some spinach, cook up some rice, chop up some peanuts and cilantro, and serve!

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew

Ingredients

  • Onion, garlic, and fresh ginger – for a backbone of flavor.
  • Sweet potatoes – peeled and diced, any color will do.
  • Chickpeas – You’ll want two cans, or about 3 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas.
  • Crushed tomatoes – One can.
  • Veggie broth – I like to use low-sodium vegetable broth to better control the overall salt levels in my recipes. Buy it from the store or try my slow-cooker veggie broth recipe.
  • Peanut butter – I like to use creamy peanut butter for a nice smooth sauce.
  • Cumin, coriander, & red cayenne pepper – For flavor and, in the case of the cayenne, a smidge of heat.
  • Spinach – I use baby spinach because it’s easy to buy it packaged and pre-washed, so I don’t need to worry about rinsing and chopping spinach leaves.
  • Salt & pepper – To taste.

Adaptations/Variations

  • Swap the spinach for kale. Use baby kale or another type of kale leaves, stems removed and chopped.
  • Add more veggies. Red bell pepper and/or carrots are great additions.
  • If you don’t have vegetable broth, water will work. I like the added flavor that veggie broth provides but it’s not a must!

How to Make This Slow Cooker Chickpea Stew

Add all of the ingredients except the spinach, the rice, and the toppings to the slow cooker …

Top view of ingredients for Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew in a Crock Pot, ready to cook.

… and cook for a few hours.

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew before the spinach is added.

Stir in the spinach …

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew in a black Crock Pot with peanuts and cilantro in the background.

Then cook up some rice, spoon your chickpea stew over the rice, top with chopped peanuts and cilantro, and enjoy!

Close up of Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew in a white bowl

Tips for Success

  • Use a 3-quart or larger slow cooker. Any smaller and the ingredients might not fit.
  • Go generous with the peanuts on top. The added crunch is so good!
A gold spoon lifts out a bite of Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew from a white bowl.

I hope you love this Slow Cooker Peanut, Sweet Potato, & Chickpea Stew as much as we do! It’s such an easy way to get a hearty, unique, protein-packed, and cozy dish on the table, especially on busy weeknights.

More Chickpea Stew Recipes

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato, Chickpea, & Peanut Stew in a white pottery bowl with gold spoons.
5 from 1 vote

Slow Cooker Peanut, Sweet Potato, & Chickpea Stew Recipe

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 4 hours
Total: 4 hours 10 minutes
Author: Kare
Yield: 6
This hearty chickpea stew is a vegan riff on West African peanut stew and cooks up effortlessly in the Crock Pot. A savory peanut-tomato sauce coats tender chickpeas, sweet potatoes, and spinach. Serve over rice and top generously with chopped salted peanuts and cilantro!
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Ingredients

  • 1 medium yellow onion (diced) (about 2 cups)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger (chopped)
  • 1 large sweet potato (peeled and diced) (about 2 cups)
  • 2 cans chickpeas (drained and rinsed; 15-ounce cans; 3 1/2 cups)
  • 15 ounces crushed tomatoes (1 can)
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper (plus or minus to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper + more to taste
  • 4 cups packed fresh baby spinach

For serving:

  • 2 cups cooked brown rice

Garnish:

  • Fresh cilantro
  • Chopped salted peanuts

Equipment

  • 1 3-quart or larger slow cooker

Instructions

  • To a 3-quart or larger slow cooker, add all ingredients except the spinach. The peanut butter might not incorporate all the way at first, but once it warms it will melt and mix with the other ingredients.
  • Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8 hours. Stir in the spinach until wilted. Serve over rice with fresh cilantro and a generous topper of chopped salted peanuts.

Notes

Meat option

Classic West African Peanut Stew often contains chicken. If you like, you could stir some cooked/shredded chicken into the meat-eaters’ bowls. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 281kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 419mg, Potassium: 676mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin A: 7416IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 3mg

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