This isn't a soup that I've made while working at restaurants. Actually, I rarely use peanuts in restaurants because it's one of the bigger food allergens, and people can be deathly allergic to them. That being said I do use them sometimes and I was trying to find a soup to make while waiting on some product that I had ordered for another soup, and I stumbled across this guy. It read well enough so I came up with a recipe, and sure enough it was simple, filling, and full of flavor. I used chicken stock when I made this, because at the time I had a surplus on hand. That being said this would be a great vegetarian soup if you changed the stock base.
Most recipes that I glanced at called for peanut butter to finish the dish, but I went a different route and loaded up the base with roasted unsalted peanuts (preshelled) then added a ton of flavor to the mix. A simple puree with a hand blender, though any sort of blender/food processor would work, and the final product had a nice texture and an awesome roasted peanut flavor, without being overwhelming. The garnish I made was just to give the soup a little crunch factor, with blanched celery and blistered peanuts in a little chili oil, that really rounded out the final product. Enjoy.
Ingredients
Onion, chopped 2 ea
Celery, chopped 4 ea
Cream 1 qt
Peanuts, unsalted, roasted, shelled 14 oz
Chicken Stock (or Vegetable) 1 qt
Crushed Red Pepper 1 T
Mustard Powder 1 T
Bay Leaves 2 ea
Celery Salt 2 tsp
Avenue Spice 1 T
Peanut Oil 1 T
Black Strap Molasses 1 T
Sherry Vinegar 1 T
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Garnish
Blanched chopped celery, with blistered peanuts tossed in salt, sugar, and chili oil
Method of Procedure
On high heat saute your celery, onions, and peanuts with your crushed red pepper in peanut oil until you get browning on the peanuts (they will go from roasted to burnt quickly so keep an eye on them and stir frequently).
Add your bay leaves, mustard powder, avenue spice, and celery seed then continue to cook while stirring for another 5 minutes.
Add your molasses and sherry vinegar and stir until coated.
Pour in your stock and cream and bring to a simmer for 1 hour.
Puree with a hand blender until smooth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve ladle into a bowl and garnish with peanut/celery salad.
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