This Bolivian peanut soup is an absolute treasure. This soup can be made with beef, chicken or vegetarian, this recipe is made with beef, but I will soon make it all three ways. We simply loved it and I will make it many more times. Served with a baguette, it would make a perfect lunch. Thanks Bolivia!
Sopa De Mani (Peanut Soup)
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 4 beef ribs or bone in cut of beef
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 carrots cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1/2 green bell pepper diced
- 1/4 red bell pepper diced
- 10 green beans sliced diagonally to make long thin oval pieces
- 1/2 lb. Raw peanuts no skins sometimes called blanched.
- 4 potatoes peeled and cut into small strips like French fries keep in water until ready to fry.
- 1/2 cup white rice
- 1 large garlic clove crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Handful of fresh cilantro, parsley and celery leaves
- 1/4 cup peas
- Llajua Bolivian hot sauce recipe under separate cover
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- Fill a soup pot 2/3rds full of water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the beef.
- Bring to boil, cover and simmer for an hour or two ( longer for tougher cuts if meat).
- On occasion skim off any fat and foam that rises to the top, remove with a spoon and discard.
- While the meat is simmering, chop and cut your vegetables the carrots, green and red peppers onion and green beans and add to the soup pot.
- In a blender make a peanut purée using the peanuts and about one cup of water. After the meat has cooked for at least an hour add in the peanut purée. The soup will turn white with a creamy looking surface on top.
- Continue simmering covered for another hour, while cooking, combine the garlic clove ,black pepper, cumin and a pinch of salt and grind in a mortar with a pestle. Add to the soup.
- Prepare the garnishes
- Chop the parsley and cilantro leaves
- Dry off the potato strips and then Fry the potato strips in some vegetable until golden brown. Remove them, place on a paper towel to remove any excess oil and salt to taste.
- After the peanuts have been added to the soup and it has cooked an hour, add the 1/2 cup of white rice. After rice has cooked in soup for about ten minutes add in the parsley and celery leaves. Remove the meat and de-bone, discard bones and put the meat back in the pot.
- When the rice is cooked, add peas and oregano, add salt to taste.
- Serve the soup, sprinkle with the fried potatoes in the center of each bowl and sprinkle with the garnish.
- Serve with a baguette and llajua.
- Amazing!
Darlene,
In the peanut soup recipe you call for "1/2 green red pepper". What exactly is a green red pepper? Is it the same as a green bell pepper?
Thanks,
Debra
It would be a green bell pepper, sorry about that the recipe has been corrected. Seriously, you will love it!