Coconut Red Lentil Peanut Soup
Coconut red lentil peanut soup is a hearty, meat-free, West African inspired soup recipe. The coconut milk and lentils make it thick and creamy and the peanut butter gives it the best flavor. Bonus that it's easy to make, healthy, and incredibly delicious.

What makes peanut soup so special
This is it, friends. This is creamy, dreamy, soup perfection. We've been making this recipe for many years now and continue to love it as much now as we did when we first made it.
- Made from a base of tomatoes, lentils, and all-natural peanut butter
- That might sound a little strange but when they're mixed together they become something super awesome. It's like magic.
- Creamy coconut milk which gives the broth an extra rich flavor.
- When the peanut butter melts into the tomato coconut broth, it transforms the soup into the most creamy, delicious thing possible. You can taste the peanut flavor, but it's not overwhelming at all.
- You'll often find peanut soup recipes that are made with chicken, but we love this vegetarian (and vegan!) version better than any other. It's such a hearty soup that you really don't need to add any meat to it. It's the perfect Meatless Monday meal.
- Extra bonus … this peanut soup reheats beautifully. If you're feeding more than four people, I'd recommend doubling the recipe. You'll want leftovers. Pull out your biggest pot and whip up a bowl of heaven.
Can I freeze peanut soup?
Yes! This soup freezes very well. Make extra and put a bag in your freezer for a night that you don't feel like cooking. You'll be happy you did! BTW we love these big reusable Stasher freezer bags for freezing soup.
READ MORE: Revitalizing Ginger Coconut Lentil Soup

Easy Soup Recipes
- Carrot Soup with Coconut and Ginger
- Healthier Creamy Tortellini Soup
- Best Kale Minestrone Soup Recipe
- Sweet Potato Turmeric Soup with Salty Almond Croutons
- Coconut Curried Cauliflower Soup

Coconut Red Lentil Peanut Soup Recipe
If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, minced
- 2 medium bell peppers, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 inch piece ginger, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon EACH: ground cinnamon and smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon EACH: cumin and turmeric
- A pinch of cayenne, optional
- 1 medium sweet potato, diced (about 2 cups)
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups stock vegetable stock
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- ¼ cup natural peanut butter
- 15-ounce can coconut milk
- ½ cup chopped kale, packed
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers, carrots, ginger, and garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cinnamon, smoked paprika, cumin, turmeric, and, if using, the cayenne and let the spices cook for 1 minute.2 teaspoons coconut oil, 1 medium yellow onion, 2 medium bell peppers, 2 medium carrots, 2 inch piece ginger, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon EACH: ground cinnamon and smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon EACH: cumin and turmeric, A pinch of cayenne
- Add the sweet potato, tomatoes, and the stock and bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the pot simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are almost soft.1 medium sweet potato, 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, 4 cups stock vegetable stock
- Stir in the red lentil and peanut butter and let the soup cook until the lentils are soft, about 10 minutes.1 cup dried red lentils, ¼ cup natural peanut butter
- Blend half the soup using a blender or hand-held immersion blender. If using a blender, add the blended soup back to the pot. Stir in the coconut milk and kale and let the kale wilt. Season to taste with sea salt.15-ounce can coconut milk, ½ cup chopped kale
Pin this peanut soup recipe to save it for later!

You have the following in the recipe, “½ teaspoon eachEACH” what spiced are supposed to have 1/2 tsp each of?
Thank you
Sherri
Hi Sherri! I apologize for that mistake. It’s supposed to read, “½ teaspoon EACH: turmeric and cumin.” The recipe has been updated now.
Love this soup and so does everyone that tastes it. I can’t even tell u how many times I’ve made this. Sometimes I add some broken up cauliflower… goes well . Thank you
Really enjoyed this! I was worried it might be too salty, even with salt- reduced stock, but it was just fine. Very simple to put together, and the nutritional value is a massive win!
This soup is simply incredible. Just make it, you won’t regret it. Total crowd pleaser and SO MUCH FLAVOUR.
Very good. AND healthy
Oh, and I also want to mention that my husband ate his in a sourdough bread bowl from Panera and he thought it was awesome!
I don’t often take time to comment on a recipe unless it is just phenomenal, and this one is in every single way! My whole family enjoyed it, especially my husband and I! The kids did eat their entire bowl, and I’m very excited for my body to use all this clean energy I just put in! Thanks so much for the fabulous recipe! We will make again soon! Yum!!
This was so amazing. Kids loved it. Served it over brown rice with cucumber on the side. Highly recommend
The recipe looked good and did not disappoint. I added a bit more peanut butter and a bit more of the spices, but overall left the recipe unchanged. This one is a keeper 🙂
A hit with all my picky eaters! Really delicious, and I can’t wait to taste it tomorrow. Easy enough for a weeknight, and with ingredients I usually have on-hand. I did omit the kale.
This was SO delicious. I made a couple of tweaks (spinach for the kale which we’re not so fond of). The soup has a lovely texture – thick and creamy – and the flavour, although quite sweet, is very savory and absolultely delicious.
Thank you for the comment, Marg! So happy that you liked the recipe!
This looks amazing! I cannot wait to try it! Thank you so much for sharing allergy friendly recipes.
You’re so welcome!
I made this tonight and it was delicious. The whole family enjoyed it, including my 1 and 3 year olds. Thanks!
So happy that your whole family loved this recipe!
Made this a few weeks ago and froze some. Pulled the leftovers out of the freezer today and they made the best lunch. Will be making this again!
That’s wonderful to hear!
Hi, this looks sooo good! Can you translate how much ginger 2 inches would roughly be if it’s already minced? I keep some minced and ready to go in my fridge. Thanks!
It’s about 2 tablespoons. 🙂
We loved this recipe! It took quite a lot of prep but was then easy to make and delicious!
Thank you for letting us know you loved the recipe!
Delicious recipe. I needed to stew the lentils for a lot longer than the recipe called for. I used a little more garlic and topped with cilantro as well. Instead of kale, I used spinach in the soup, and separately made kale chips. I really enjoyed the amazing aroma from all of the beautiful ingredients. I will definitely make this again!
Thank you for letting us know you loved the recipe!
I made this for dinner last night. It was easy to throw together and loved the flavors. It was the first peanut soup I had tried and love the flavor it brings to the over all dish. I had made some homemade creamy peanut butter which gave it a nice flavor. I did add some chunks of chopped grilled chicken into the final serving just to take it over the top but it definitely didn’t need it.
I’m so happy that you loved the recipe! And some grilled chicken sounds amazing with this!
Can i do this in the slow cooker by just chucking everything in on low?
I would think that would work but I haven’t tried it to say for certain. 🙂
Do you think almond butter would work? The creaminess would be there but I’m sure the flavor would be different.
I think almond butter would work great!
Absolutely delicious. Have made this 3 times in the past month as hubby keeps requesting it and comes out perfect every time.
That’s so great to hear! It’s one of my favorite soup recipes!
This looks divine!!! Do you think it would still be okay without the tomatoes? I’m not sure of any other substitute for them and I try not to eat them too often, they don’t agree with me.
It would definitely change the soup but I still think it would be good. You will need to replace some of the liquid though so I would add some vegetables or chicken stock to make up for it. 🙂
Roasted the sweet potatoes in oil with some salt and added them with the lentils and it made a world of difference. I find boiling sweet potatoes in soups make the soup too sweet and starchy flavored. It also made a great presentation with some roasted sweet potato on top. I would love to add pulled chicken thighs next time and make this more of a stew.
Great recipe!
That’s a great idea!
I made this for my family and everyone loved it! Including my toddler. I took the leftovers for lunch and everyone asked for the recipe…just based on the smell. It is so yummy I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you for a great recipe and for inspiration with different flavor combinations!
So great when the kids gobble up dinner!!
Made this with sunflower seed butter because my 10 month old is allergic to peanuts, and we all loved it! Lentil-averse husband couldn’t stop eating it straight from the pot. SO GOOD and thanks for all your amazing recipes! I’m a new fan.
So happy to hear we have a new lentil convert! Hooray!!
O my gosh! This is soooo delicious! Thank you for sharing!
You are so welcome! I’m so happy you liked it!
Thank you!! Yummmm!!! Will be making this delicious recipe OFTEN !!
You are so welcome!
have you tried this in a crockpot? if so, how long? I have a 6 quart or a 3 quart, id prefer to use the 6 quart
I haven’t yet tried this in a crock pot. I would recommend referencing another lentil soup crock pot recipe and then adjusting the liquid and time for this recipe. 🙂
Kristen, just made this absolutely scrumptious soup! Wow! This will be integrated into my regular rotation of meals. I made it in my Instant Pot and turned out beautifully! I doubled it cuz I like to freeze half for a later date-so glad I made a huge pot! I used half the coconut milk and added another handful of chopped baby kale. Thank you!
I know it has been a while since you commented, but I was thinking about using the instant pot and wondered how long you cooked the soup in it. After you sautés the onions and peppers, did you add the rest together? And do you recall if you did a natural or quick release? I may just look at another lentil soup recipe and figure it out but thought I’d benefit from the experience of others. The soup sounds yummy! Thanks
Just about to sit down and eat this lovely soup,smells amazing tastes the same. Thanks for a great recipe.
You are so welcome!!
My daughter (9 months) loves this soup, she devours it! Here’s to the adventures in eating! Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
It makes me so happy that your little one love this recipe! She’s got good taste!!
I just made this recipe for supper tonight, AMAZING. This is definitely a keeper! The flavours are rich and decadent, in a good way! I don’t normally like kale, but with this soup, I surprised myself enjoying its texture and flavour. Thank you so much for posting this recipe which would impress anyone who is reluctant to admit that a vegan dish can be better than any non-vegan recipe.
Thank you so much for the feedback!! This really is one of my favourite soup recipes. 🙂
Hi Kristen,
Every time I come to your site, I linger on this soup. It’s a real beaut!
Just popping by to say Merry Christmas! Cheers 🙂
Thank you so much, Robyn! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas, too!!
What is not to love about this combo of spicy and rich and creamy. I cant wait to try this but want to know what kind of bell peppers you used. Were they green bell peppers?
I used a red pepper for the batch in the photos, but any kind of bell pepper will work. I tend to use them interchangeably since they’re so similar. Enjoy!
The photos are superb and this recipe is definitely on my list. Love lentil soups, have read about this before, but you’ve inspired me!
Of all the lentil soups I’ve tried, this is my fav. Definitely a keeper!
Looks amazing, Kristen <3 And I love adding peanut butter to my tomato or coconut based soups — adds such an interesting creaminess and flavor. Love it.
I do, too! It’s amazing how much a scoop of peanut butter can change a dish. 🙂
Oh my goodness, Kristen, I agree – this could be the best soup ever! I love the flavours in West African dishes, and so many other regions of Africa. They have a way of combining ingredients that seem to be light years ahead of us. I’ve got some peanut butter – loving nephews who are going to be so happy when I put this on the table. Great recipe – thank you!
You’re so right about African flavours. I just love how spicy and rich they are. So happy you like the recipe!
Yum! all my favorite things in one pot! perfect for all this rainy Seattle weather! (well anytime really)
Yes yes! It really is the perfect rainy day soup. 🙂
It does sound a little odd the first time you say it, but I can imagine that the spoonful of peanut butter would give it that lovely, creamy-nutty flavour of many thai dishes, and would work really well with the coconut base. Love all the spices going on as well – )t must have so much flavour! Definitely saving to try 🙂
That’s exactly what it does! It really makes the soup. 🙂
Holy cow! What a delicious soup you’ve got here, Kristen! I love lentil soups, but I would have never figured out to incorporate peanut butter. That sounds fantastic! Love this creamy, dreamy perfection!:)
The peanut butter is totally the star. While I definitely changed it to suit my tastes, peanut soup comes from West Africa. Smart people over there. 🙂
I adore African Peanut soup, so many great flavours and textures!
I like mine spicy!
I’m with you on the spicy! Everything is better when it’s spicy, isn’t it?!
I most definitely agree! I am currently living in Indonesia and I adore putting freshly made sambal sauce on everything!
Spicy is always better, isn’t it? I haven’t been to Indonesia yet but it’s on my list!
How could it not be your favorite!!! Peanut….of course, anything with that glorious food! (Totally eating it now actually!)
I am leaving work RIGHT NOW to go make this. Finally an overcast and cloudy day and then this beautiful email appeared. Thank you!! 🙂
Hi there – looks delicious. How much coconut milk did you add?
I’m so happy you pointed that out! I added 1 – 15 ounce can of coconut milk. 🙂
Fantastic – thank you. I plan on making this in the next few days! I lived in West Africa and ate a lot of their peanut (groundnut) soup – usually with chicken or guinea fowl, but this veg version looks awesome!
I’d love to hear how it compares to the real thing. West Africa is on my list places to visit one day!