Peanut soup has a long history, with origins in West Africa and the American South. Groundnut stew, or peanut soup, is a traditional dish that originated with the Mandinka people of Mali. The dish is made by grinding roasted peanuts into a paste and using it as a base for a stew. In 1772, Jane Vobe added her signature "Cream of Peanut Soupe" to the menu of the King's Arms Tavern in Colonial Virginia. Union soldiers brought the recipe for peanut soup home after experiencing it in the southeastern Virginia region. In the early 1900s, George Washington Carver, a prominent African American scientist, invented peanut soup and other peanut-based products. The ladies of First Methodist Episcopal Church in Hamilton, Ohio included a recipe for cream of peanut soup in their 1914 cookbook. The Regency Room at the Hotel Roanoke in Virginia serves peanut soup, and the current executive chef says the hotel stays true to the original recipes. (We had cream of peanut soup on our historic tour of the east coast in 1998, in Virginia. It might have been at the Hotel Roanoke. They're soup had lumps in it like mine when I made it at home.) Peanut soup is now a staple in African cuisine, and is also eaten in East Asia (Taiwan), the United States (mainly Virginia), and other areas around the world. Main ingredients. Peanuts, onions, tomatoes, aubergine, okra, ashanti pepper, ginger, bay leaves, rosemary, peanut butter, water. Cream of Peanut Soup. "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American" (according to author Jeff Smith, this was one of George Washington's favorite dishes.) 1 qt. Chicken Stock 2 Carrots, chopped 1 Yellow Onion, chopped 1 cup Smooth-Style Peanut Butter 1 cup Whipping Cream or Half and Half ½ cup Dry Roasted Peanuts Salt and Pepper, to taste Tabasco Sauce, to taste Cook vegetables in chicken stock till tender, and puree in a blender and return to pan. Add remaining ingredients, simmer and serve. Curried Peanut Soup, "YES, you may have the recipe" by Maria Baker. (This is where I first heard of the soup. I think curry Powder goes very well with peanut dishes.) ¾ cup minced celery ¾ cup minced carrots ¾ cup minced onion 1 tsp. curry powder 3½ Tbsp. margarine 2½ Tbsp. Ceresota flour 4 cups chicken broth ½ cup creamy peanut butter 2 Tbsp. catsup 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 1½ cups cooked rice Chopped peanuts Sour cream Saute vegetables and curry in margarine till onion is transparent, stirring constantly. Stir in flour. Gradually add chicken broth, stirring. Add peanut butter, catsup, Worcestershire sauce and rice. Add seasoning as needed. Ladle into hot soup bowls and garnish with peanuts and dollop of sour cream. Curry Powder goes well with peanut dishes, I've found. And rice makes it separate less, I've also found.
