Senegalese Chicken Soup

aka Creamy Spicy Peanutty Chicken Curry

In an attempt to bring more tasty recipes straight to your inbox- this is a recipe from an old blog I had where I posted recipes and my thoughts on random topics. (Hmmm… much like this ol’ space!) It was originally posted in 2019 and then I promptly forgot about this soup until recently. I made it again last weekend when a friend came over for dinner and man, I will not let this one fade back into the dark cobwebbed recesses of my mind again. Do yourself a favor and add this one into your rotation. It’s warming, and filling, and delicious. I mean what more do you need in a soup?

In 2012 I was working at a small bakery in New Jersey that had the most amazing soups for lunch. We didn't make them there, they came in these big bags from another company, but they were all delicious. There is one that has always stuck out in my mind, even years later; I had never heard of Senegalese chicken soup before then, but I haven't stopped thinking about it since then. It's a creamy spicy peanutty chicken curry that just warms your soul and if you've never tried it, you're missing out. Lucky for you, I finally got tired of dreaming about it and hunted down a recipe to make it myself.

It's been a really (really) long time since I last tasted the bakery's version, but I'm pretty sure this recipe nails it. You know how sometimes you romanticize things in your head and when you finally get there you find yourself disappointed? Well, this is not one of those times. I made some small adjustments to the recipe I found, like seasoning and cooking the chicken myself, toning down the spice a bit, and using red curry paste instead of yellow because dammit, I couldn't find yellow curry paste anywhere. All good things, I promise. Coconut milk makes this creamy but keeps it dairy-free, and if you're not a fan of peanut butter, don't fret- the flavor is subtle but rich. And if you’re allergic to peanut butter, well, sucks to be you because this soup is the bomb dot com! (Does anyone say that anymore? Are we even allowed to mention bombs without the feds being alerted? Did I just put myself on a list somewhere by saying it twice? Well shit.) Oh, I made a note in there about the spice level, so know yourself and be mindful of that. Make a big batch of this and share it with everyone you know!

Senegalese Chicken Soup

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs

• ½ teaspoon cayenne

• 1 teaspoon curry powder¹

• ½ teaspoon salt

• drizzle of olive oil

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ¼ teaspoon cayenne

• ¼ cup curry powder

• 1 tablespoon red curry paste

• 1 quart chicken stock

• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

• ½ teaspoon sambal oelek chili paste²

• 1 cup natural smooth peanut butter

• 1 can coconut milk

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

• juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Lay the chicken thighs flat across a baking sheet. Season with cayenne, curry powder, and salt. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on top and rub the seasonings in until the thighs are fully coated.

Bake until the internal temperature reaches 165°, usually 20-25 minutes depending on the size of your thighs (the chicken’s, not yours… just to be clear). Set aside until cool enough to handle, then shred the chicken into bite size pieces using a fork.

While the chicken is cooking, in a large pot on the stove heat the coconut oil until melted. Saute the onion, garlic and cayenne in oil until the onion is translucent.

Stir in the curry powder and red curry paste and saute until the onions are fully coated.

Add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then allow it to simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the shredded chicken and sambal oelek and bring back to a simmer for 10 more minutes.

Slowly stir in the peanut butter until combined, then stir in the coconut milk until combined. Toss in the chopped cilantro and lemon juice, along with more salt if needed.

Serve the soup topped with a sprinkle of cilantro and chopped peanuts. And trust me when I say that it tastes even better the next day!

Oh, and do yourself a favor and bake off a batch of chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

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Let me know if you try this recipe! Or tell me about something you ate once that you couldn’t get out of your head until you found a way to make it yourself. If you’ve heard of/had Senegalese chicken soup before this moment, tell me about that too!

1. I recommend getting a high quality curry powder here - not the cheap stuff that comes in a plastic spice bottle… splurge for a blend made by a local tea/spice shop if you have that kind of place near you. Otherwise the jarred stuff in the bulk spice section of your local grocery store is a decent place to start too.

2. Sambal Oelek can be found in the asian foods aisle at most grocery stores. It has quite a kick to it, so if you don’t like things particularly spicy cut back on the amount or omit it all together. I encourage you to try it in here though! It really adds some well rounded spice.