Vegan West African Peanut Stew

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 sweet potato
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 can tomato paste
• 1/2 cup natural style peanut butter
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 bunch collard greens
• 1/4 bunch cilantro
• 4.5 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/3 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

1. Use a small-holed cheese grater to grate the peeled ginger. Chop the garlic finely, then dice the onion. Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion, ginger and garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion has softened and looks translucent.
2. As that aromatic base cooks, peel the sweet potato and cut it into 1/2-inch cubes. Stir the sweet potato into the pot along with the cumin and red pepper, then keep cooking everything together for about 5 minutes.
3. Spoon in the tomato paste, add the peanut butter, and pour in the vegetable broth. Stir well, breaking up the peanut butter and tomato paste until they are mostly worked into the liquid. Cover the pot, raise the heat to high, and bring the stew to a boil. When it is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are extremely tender.
4. While the pot bubbles away, get the collard greens ready. With a sharp knife, slice the leaves away from the stems, stack the leaves, and cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips. Transfer the cut greens to a colander and rinse them thoroughly.
5. After 15-20 minutes of simmering, when the sweet potatoes are very soft, add the collards to the pot and stir them in. Continue simmering for about 5 minutes, then press some of the sweet potatoes against the inside of the pot so they break down and thicken the stew.
6. Taste the stew at the end, then adjust with salt or more red pepper, if you want a little extra heat. Spoon it over cooked rice, using about 3/4 cup per serving, and finish with chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro and a drizzle of sriracha, if desired.