Sopa de Mani-Bolivian Peanut Soup
Sopa de Mani is a traditional peanut soup served in Bolivia. It can be a starter or a main course. It’s slightly thickened with peanuts, has a kick from red chili pepper flakes, while sliced carrots impart sweetness to the soup. Sopa de Mani usually takes a long time to make since homemade beef stock is traditionally used. Here, I’ve taken a few liberties and shortcuts given the ingredients I had on hand.
In particular, the soup calls for ground raw peanuts, while my recipe uses roasted and salted peanuts to add crunch. I added a couple teaspoons of raw peanut butter to add creaminess. In under an hour, you can have a hearty soup made from ingredients found in your pantry.
For more information on Bolivian cuisine in our region, check out my Tuesday post on http://www.dcfoodies.com. In this post, I delve into the salteña- a savory stuffed pastry which is a staple of Bolivian cuisine, and can be found here if you know where to look!
Enjoy.
Sopa de Mani
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, sliced 1/4″ thick
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped tomatoes
4 cups beef stock
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped in food processor (not bigger than a peppercorn)
2 teaspoon peanut butter
3 small yukon gold (or waxy) potato peeled and diced small (about 2 cups)
salt and pepper to taste
pinch red chili flakes or to taste
Directions
Over medium heat, pour vegetable oil into heavy bottom pan. Add onions and carrots. Saute until onion is translucent and carrots begin to soften, about 8-10 minutes. Add frozen peas and chopped tomatoes. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. Add ground peanuts, potatoes, red pepper flakes, beef broth and peanut butter. Stir to incorporate. Cook covered for 30 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Sounds like a nice, hearty soup. Perfect for this time of year.
This looks delicious. I may have to put it on my menu for next week!
Definitely give it a try. It’s so easy!
[…] from far away lands. What comes to mind immediately is Thai Penang with coconut peanut curry, and Sopa de Mani-Bolivian Peanut Soup. Of course, a good old fashione PB&J hits the spot, with it’s sweet and savory filling […]
This doesn’t look traditional. My wife’s soup is much different looking. She is from La Paz and made this just last week. She says you are supposed to use raw peanuts rather than cooked. Did you just use roasted peanuts? It probably changes the flavor dramatically, as well as the look. Anywho, still probably tastes good, but doesn’t seem as authentic.
Hi Joel-I’m sure your wife’s soup is far more authentic and probably tastier than mine! This was my first try at sopa di mani, and I did use unsalted, roasted peanuts. For many recipies, I tend to use what I have on hand-out of practicality, really.
I’ve received other comments about his version’s authenticity, and while I enjoyed it thoroughly, I would really research true recipes and do my best to buy all the correct ingredients prior to making it again. With the weather turning chilly, that will hopefully be soon!
Thanks for visiting.