Name: Andean Peanut Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: South American
Ingredients: 500 g beef (roasting beef, chuck or flank), in medium cubes; 200 g raw shelled peanuts (unsalted and untoasted); 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 1 carrot, diced or cut into fine batons; 1/2 red pepper, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, chopped; 3 medium potatoes, cut into cubes or thick batons; 100 g fine soup noodles or broken spaghetti (optional); 1.5 litres beef stock or hot water; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp sweet paprika; 2 tbsp sunflower oil; Salt and black pepper, to taste; Fresh parsley, chopped, as needed, to garnish; Fine potato straw, fried (optional, to crown it)

Andean Peanut Soup

⏱ 50 min in total🔪 15 min prep🍳 35 min cooking🍽 4 portiesMediumAndean

One of the best-kept secrets of north-western Argentine and Andean cooking: a substantial, nourishing peanut soup with an unusually creamy texture. Here is the technique, step by step, for processing and cooking raw peanuts so they form a perfect emulsion around tender beef, potatoes and fried vegetables. Crowned with fresh parsley and crisp potato straw — the ideal spoonful for cold winter days.

Ingredients

Measurements

🍽 4 servings

500 g beef (roasting beef, chuck or flank), in medium cubes
200 g raw shelled peanuts (unsalted and untoasted)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced or cut into fine batons
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 medium potatoes, cut into cubes or thick batons
100 g fine soup noodles or broken spaghetti (optional)
1.5 litres beef stock or hot water
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
2 tbsp sunflower oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, as needed, to garnish
Fine potato straw, fried (optional, to crown it)

Method

Put the raw shelled peanuts in a blender or food processor along with a glass of warm water. Blend thoroughly to a white, smooth, creamy paste with no whole pieces left. Set aside.

Heat the sunflower oil in a large pot over high heat. Brown the cubes of beef on all sides to seal in the juices. Take the meat out and set it aside on a plate.

In the same pot, turn the heat down to medium and add the onion, the pepper, the carrot and the garlic. Fry for a few minutes with a pinch of salt, scraping the base to recover the flavour from the meat, until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the ground cumin and the sweet paprika. Return the meat to the pot, pour in the hot beef stock (or water) and turn the heat up until it boils.

Add the blended peanut paste to the broth and stir well. Turn the heat to its lowest and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes. This time is essential so the peanut cooks through completely, thickens the broth and loses its raw taste.

Add the potatoes to the pot. If you have decided to use noodles, add them at this point (toasted for a minute beforehand in a dry pan so they do not release too much starch). Cook for 10 or 12 minutes more, until the potatoes are tender.

Adjust the salt and pepper. Serve the soup very hot in deep plates or earthenware bowls, scatter plenty of chopped fresh parsley over and crown it, if you want the classic Andean tavern version, with a handful of crisp fried potato straw.