Groundnut soup or peanut soup is just another simple delicious soup prepared with peanuts; this is a savoury peanut recipe common here in West African that is why it is called African peanut soup, and it is also a common recipe to some parts of Asia. Groundnut soup is similar to Egusi soup hence; its preparation is simply straightforward; you can follow the method of preparing egusi soup to make it. The name groundnut soup is often used interchangeably with peanut soup; In Nigeria, groundnut or peanut soup is called by different names such as Miyan geda by the Huasas and omisagwe by the Edo people. Groundnut soup is delicious, nutty and creamy; in this case, it can be served with boiled rice, eba or with Arborio rice (tuwo shinkafa). You can use unsweetened peanut butter to make groundnut soup (peanut soup) or you can use raw groundnut or even the already roasted groundnut for this soup.
However, groundnut soup is a savoury soup that is very simple to prepare, it is cooked using a combination of healthy ingredients and green vegetable, which is no doubt any foodies favourite meal. Some green leaves like spinach, bitter leaf or pumpkin leaf (ugwu) can be added to make groundnut soup, but if you dont like greens in your soup you can prepare your groundnut soup(peanut soup) plain without adding vegetable to it, it will still be tasty and great without that.
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Important tips to note while cooking African peanut soup (groundnut soup)
- Groundnut soup is the same thing as peanut soup, this soup is very creamy and tasty at the same time; hence it is a good alternative to egusi soup; if you want to cook something similar to egusi, you can consider making groundnut soup.
- Both raw and roasted groundnut (peanut) can used to make groundnut soup, but you must make sure you peel the skin off the groundnut first before grinding it so that the soup wont appear darkish after it has been cooked.
- In place of blended groundnut (peanut), you can use unsweetened peanut butter or groundnut butter to make groundnut soup.
- Palm oil is usually added to make groundnut soup to add a little bright colour to the soup; if you dont like palm oil, you can use blended fresh tomato, tomato paste or bell peppers to make yours.
- You can decided to make groundnut soup without adding green vegetable to it, but if you must add it, do it sparingly; remember it is not vegetable soup.
- You can use both pumpkin leaf and bitter leaf for groundnut soup, the bitter leaf adds some sweetness to the soup, but you can use spinach if you cant get bitter leaf. See how to wash bitter leaves if you are using that.
Chicken is a great alternative to beef while making groundnut soup, but you can also use assorted meat for this if you prefer.
African peanut/groundnut soup ingredients
- 500g assorted meat or beef
- 2 cups of raw groundnut(peak milk cup)
- 1 head of stockfish
- 1 big dried fish or any kind of fish
- 1 medium size kpomo (cow hide)
- 2 tablespoons of ground crayfish
- 2 seasoning cubes
- 1 handful of pumpkin leaf (ugwu)
- 2 big spoon of palm oil
- 3 scotch bonnet or ground cayenne pepper
- Salt to taste
Peanut or groundnut soup ingredients
Steps on how to cook African peanut soup (groundnut soup)
- Roast groundnut (peanut) in a dry pan for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until they all turn golden.
- Wash and season your beef or chicken with pepper, onions, 1 seasoning cube and salt then cook with a little water.
- Add the stockfish to the meat and cook; you can add more water to the meat as it cooks.
- While the meat is on heat, bring the groundnuts into a dry mill and blend into a smooth paste.
- When the meat is almost cooked, debone the dried fish, rinse it add it to the meat to cook for 10 minutes.
- Once the meat and fish are cooked, separate them from the broth and keep aside.
- Add crayfish, more pepper and one seasoning cube to the meat broth and cook; you can add cup of water to your broth if it is small.
- Bring the peanut/groundnut paste to the content and reduce the heat to low, let it cook for 10 minutes and keep stirring it until it dissolves completely.
- You have to keep stirring the content so that it doesnt burn at the bottom of the pot. When you notice a thin film of clear oil on the surface, add 1 or cooking spoons of palm oil to the content and stir it well.
- Bring back the meat you have kept aside into the content and stir it properly to incorporate, let it cook for 5 minutes.
- Bring in pumpkin leaf or bitter leaf into the content and stir well for it to mix. Taste for salt and seasoning and let it cook for another 2 minutes.
- If you dont like vegetable in your groundnut (peanut soup), skip number 11 and move to number 13.
- Put off heat and serve your groundnut soup/ peanut soup with rice, fufu or pounded yam
Easy steps to make African peanut soup/groundnut soup with pictures
1. Roast groundnut (peanut) in a dry pan for 5 minutes, stirring constantly until they all turn golden brown. You dont have to use sand or garri to roast this, just make sure you are close to the heat source so that you can stir the nuts occasionally until they turn a little brownish.
Process of frying of peanuts
Roasted peanuts for making peanut soup
2. Wash and season your beef or chicken with pepper, onions, 1 seasoning cube and salt then cook with a little water.
3. Add the stockfish to the meat and cook; you can add more water to the meat as it cooks.
4. While the meat is on heat, bring the groundnuts into a dry mill and blend into a smooth paste.
Peanut paste, you can use a dry mill to blend peanuts/ groundnuts into a smooth paste
5. When the meat is almost cooked, debone the dried fish, rinse it add it to the meat to cook for 10 minutes.
6. Once the meat and fish are cooked, separate them from the broth and keep aside.
Beef, stockish, fish and cow hide for cooking of groundnut/ peanut soup
7. Add crayfish, more pepper and one seasoning cube to the meat broth and cook; you can add cup of water to your broth if it is small.
8. Bring the peanut/groundnut paste to the content and reduce the heat to low, let it cook for 10 minutes and keep stirring it until it dissolves completely.
Once you have addded the peanut paste stir the content to prevent it from sticking at the bottom
9. You have to keep stirring the content so that it doesnt burn at the bottom of the pot. When you notice a thin film of clear oil on the surface, add 1 or cooking spoons of palm oil to the content and stir it well.
10. Bring back the meat you have kept aside into the content and stir it properly to incorporate, let it cook for 5 minutes.
Cooking of peanut soup
11. Bring in pumpkin leaf or bitter leaf into the content and stir well for it to mix. Taste for salt and seasoning and let it cook for another 2 minutes.
12. If you dont like vegetable in your groundnut (peanut soup), skip number 11 and move to number 13.
Pumpkin leaf is being added to groundnut soup
13. Put off heat and serve your groundnut soup/ peanut soup with rice, fufu or pounded yam.
Groundnut soup without vegetable being added
Spicy peanut soup; this soup can be paired with boiled rice or eba
Enjoy your meal!
Serving groundnut soup with rice