Sopa de maní is a Bolivian peanut soup in which ground raw peanuts are slowly simmered into a savory broth with meat and vegetables. The peanuts must cook thoroughly so the soup loses their raw taste and becomes creamy without needing dairy.
Sopa de maní is a Bolivian peanut soup in which ground raw peanuts are slowly simmered into a savory broth with meat and vegetables.
- Prep
- 25 minutes
- Cook
- 75–90 minutes
- Serves
- 6
- Cuisine
- Bolivian
The recipe
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Ingredients
Quantities change with servings; cooking times stay the same.
Equipment
- Heavy soup pot, blender, frying pan, scale and food thermometer. paid link
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Method
-
Prepare the peanut base. Blend raw peanuts with 450 ml measured water until a finely textured slurry forms. Do not taste the uncooked peanut mixture.
-
Brown the beef. Heat 25 ml oil in a heavy pot. Brown beef in batches, then add onion, carrot, bell pepper and garlic; cook for 6–8 minutes.
-
Build the soup. Stir in cumin, remaining stock and the peanut slurry, scraping the pot bottom. Bring to a steady simmer while stirring.
-
Cook thoroughly. Simmer partially covered for 45–55 minutes, stirring often, until the beef is tender and the peanut mixture has lost its raw taste. Add water if it becomes too thick.
-
Add vegetables and pasta. Add cubed potatoes, peas and optional pasta. Simmer another 15–20 minutes until cooked and the soup is rich and creamy. Season to taste.
-
Prepare the garnish. Cut remaining potato into fine strips, rinse and dry thoroughly, then shallow-fry in the remaining oil until crisp. Serve the soup hot with potato sticks and parsley.
Chef’s notes
- Grinding raw peanuts into the broth and cooking them thoroughly is essential to this particular soup.
- Peanuts thicken the broth considerably as they cook, so adjust liquid gradually.
- Some Bolivian versions include chicken instead of beef and different vegetable combinations.
Substitutions
- Use chicken thigh instead of beef, reducing simmering time while cooking poultry to at least 75°C.
- Use extra potatoes if omitting pasta.
- Stock can be replaced by water with carefully adjusted seasoning.
Storage and Food Safety
Refrigerate promptly within 2 hours at 4°C or below and use within 2 days. Reheat until uniformly hot to at least 75°C, stirring because peanut-rich soups can form hot spots.
Serve with
Parsley, crisp potato sticks and bread
Allergens
Peanuts are a major allergen. Wheat (gluten) if pasta or wheat bread is used; check all packaged ingredients.
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