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Cook the Book: Peanut Soup

Posted by Adam Kuban, September 14, 2007 at 2:45 PM

The last of the week's Cook the Book recipes is for Peanut Soup. It's a soup that John T. Edge reminds us in Southern Belly, was "au courant in the mid-1970s, when a farmer from Plains, Georgia, took the oath of office." It's also a soup that has fallen out of favor, with a few holdouts still serving it, such as the Hotel Roanoke, in Roanoke, Virginia, from which this recipe is adapted.

If you'd like to read more about other Southern delights, grab a copy of Southern Belly for yourself.

Peanut Soup

- makes 6 to 8 serving -

Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
8 cups (2 quarts) homemade chicken stock or low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup ground peanuts, for serving

1. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery and onion. Cook until the onion is translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and stir to combine. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for flavors to combine, 30 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and strain into a second saucepan. Whisk in peanut butter, lemon juice, salt, and celery salt until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt. Sprinkle ground peanuts on top before serving.

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