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While I can’t say
this recipe is from my family, it is one I like to make on occasion. [It’s one
of those recipes you either love or hate.] And unfortunately, I’m about the
only one in my family who loves it. So, when I make it, I’m left eating the
leftovers until it is all consumed!
This is an 18th-century
recipe [or receipt] that has been updated for modernity in Colonial Williamsburg.
In my youth, I
visited Colonial Williamsburg often, and have collected quite a few “receipts”
from both the 17th and 18th-centuries. Some I have
updated, but most I copied as an updated version from the original. This is one
that was already updated.
Peanut soup.
Okay, so before
you knock it, you must remember that this was a great form of protein for the
early settlers and farmers of Colonial Williamsburg. This was a crop that grew
quite well in the southern soil, and which, when harvested and dried, allow for
a protein source when winters winds and cold didn’t allow for game hunting. I
have found most references for this soup say that the originators were the
African slaves who brought the “receipt” with them when sold as slaves in
Virginia. Wherever it originated, it’s
wonderful on a cold winter’s day!
As I said earlier,
it’s a recipe you will either love or hate. I for one am of the former group!
Serves 10-12
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 8 cups Chicken Stock* (or low-salt canned chicken
stock)
- 2 cups smooth peanut butter [I use Smuckers
all-natural, it is less sweet]
- 1 ¾ cups light cream or half-and-half
- Finely chopped salted peanuts, for garnish
Instructions:
In a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat, melt
the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring often, until softened,
three-five minutes.
Stir in flour and cook two minutes longer.
Pour in the chicken stock, increase the heat to high,
and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to medium and cook,
stirring often, until slightly reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes. Pour
into a sieve set over a large bowl and strain, pushing hard on the solids to
extract as much flavor as possible. Return the liquid to the sauce pan or pot.
Whisk the peanut butter and the cream into the liquid.
Warm over low heat, whisking often, for about five minutes. Do not boil.
Serve warm, garnished with the chopped peanuts.
****To change things up a bit, I sometimes cook whole
peanuts, [just like you would dried beans] in the crockpot, until tender. Then
continue with the recipe above, without straining, pour that into the crockpot
with the cooked peanuts, and allow to simmer for a couple more hours so that
the flavors meld. I have even added sweet potatoes, cut into chunks, into the blend,
for more of a stew consistency. Chicken can be added also for more flavor if desired.
It is also quite tasty served over rice or cornbread.
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