^[1]This stew contains peanuts, sweet potato and black-eyed peas, a triumvirate of nutrient-dense, delicious crops. Time does the work with this stew, the taste is lovely and complex. Pairs beautifully with rice or flatbread.

Serves: 4 to 6

• 2 tablespoons canola or coconut oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, minced, or a good pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 15-ounce can black-eyed peas or black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 15-ounce diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter (preferably organic)
• Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large soup pot. Add chopped onions and pepper.

Stir 1 minute, then add chopped celery, sweet potato, green beans and red pepper.

Stir another few minutes until vegetables start to soften. Then add cinnamon stick, black-eyed peas or black beans, and chopped tomatoes. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and cover, simmering for 30 minutes.

Stir in the peanut butter. Discard cinnamon stick. Season with sea salt and pepper and gently mix in cilantro.

• Sample more of VegKitchen’s recipes for global stews. ^[2]

Ellen Kanner is the Huffington Post’s Meatless Monday  ^[3]blogger, the syndicated columnist the Edgy Veggie ^[4] and contributor  to publications including Culinate, ^[5] Bon Appetit and Every Day With Rachael Ray as well as her own blog Edgy Veggie ^[6].