Vegan milk peanut soup, spiced with curry, full of vegetables, made with coconut milk and crunchy whole peanuts. No peanut butter is involved.
I love soups, and this vegan peanut milk soup makes no exception. And if you are looking for more vegan soup ideas, how about this Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup, this Leek Soup with Brown Rice, or this Cream of Broccoli Soup? You would love them all!
Facts about peanuts
First of all, despite their name, peanuts are not nuts! They are legumes, and they are related to lentils, beans, and soy. So, like all legumes, they are a type of plant with seeds growing inside a pod.
And, unlike nuts, which grow on trees, peanuts grow underground. They are the seeds of a legume crop, Arachis hypogaea, a bushy plant widely grown in the tropics and subtropics. The peanuts are harvested by being pulled up from the ground, just like a carrot or potato, for instance.
Peanuts are also called goobers, groundnuts, earthnuts, monkey nuts, and grass nuts.
Peanuts originated in South America, where they have existed for thousands of years, playing an important role in the diet of the native people in this area and in Mexico. They were brought by Spanish and Portuguese explorers to Africa, where they were quickly incorporated into the traditional food culture. See this famous African peanut soup, for instance, soooo good!
During the 19th century, they also gained popularity in the US, the US now being the one English-speaking country consuming the most peanuts or peanut products, like peanut butter.
Peanuts – Nutrition Facts
Peanuts are packed with healthy fats and high-quality protein. Studies completed in recent years have concluded that "frequent nut consumption was associated with a reduced risk of weight gain (5 kg or more). These results support the recommendation of nut consumption as an important component of a cardioprotective diet and also allay fears of possible weight gain.
100 g/ 3.5 oz/ ⅔ cup whole peanuts contain 567 calories, 25.8 g protein, 16.1 g carbs, 4.7 g sugar, 8.5 g fiber, and 49.2 g fat.
As seen above, peanuts are a very good source of vegetable protein, but it is some of these proteins, arachin and conarachin, that can cause severe allergic, sometimes life-threatening, reactions in some people.
They are rather low in carbs, and that makes them a suitable food choice for people with diabetes. Peanuts also contain various vitamins and minerals, which are beneficial for our health.
They are an important source of biotin, which is beneficial for our physiological well-being and essential for pregnant women reducing the risk of congenital birth defects. Their folate content is also important during pregnancy.
Ingredients
- I use shelled roasted peanuts, lightly salted or unsalted, to make the milk peanut soup. If using salted ones, think about adjusting the salt amount in the soup accordingly, adding less salt if they are already salted.
- Three large carrots (more or less 300 g/ 10.5 oz) and one leek. I give the gram amount of the leeks because leeks in Germany mostly come in huge and extremely huge, so 200 g/ 7 oz leeks would be like half a leeks or less around here.
- The curry powder is a rather standard, mild sort. You can use your favorite brand of curry powder, even a spicier sort. If using a hotter curry powder, adjust the amount according to your taste; 2 teaspoons of hot curry powder would probably be too much.
How to make milk peanut soup?
- Chop the onions and the garlic finely.
- Slice the carrots.
- Thoroughly clean the leek and slice it thinly.
- Saute the onions, garlic, and carrots for about 3 minutes.
- Add some of the vegetable broth, and allow it to reduce.
- Add leek, maple syrup (or honey, if not vegan), and curry powder. Stir well to coat the vegetables with spices.
- Add the remaining vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the veggies are almost done.
- Add the coconut milk and simmer for a few more minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add the roasted peanuts to the soup. Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
More peanut recipes
Vegan Milk Peanut Soup
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 10 oz carrots about 3 large carrots
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 7 oz leek about 1 medium
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup Note1
- 2 teaspoons curry powder Note 2
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can coconut milk 400 g/ 14 oz
- ½ - 1 tablespoon lemon juice to taste
- ⅔ cup whole shelled roasted peanuts Note 3
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt or Kosher, more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1-2 tablespoon chopped coriander and/or parsley
Instructions
- Chop the garlic and the onion finely, cut the carrots and the leek into thin slices.
- Heat the oil in a pot and saute the onion, garlic, and carrots lightly, about 3 minutes.
- Add ½ cup (125 ml) of the vegetable broth, allow the liquid to reduce for about 2-3 minutes, then add the leek, maple syrup (or honey), and curry powder. Mix well, and then add the rest of the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and let cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are almost done.
- Add the coconut milk to the soup, bring to a boil and let simmer for a few more minutes. Turn off the heat and add the peanuts to the soup. Adjust the taste a little lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Sprinkle with some chopped coriander and/or parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- You can use honey instead, if you don't care about the peanut soup being vegan.
- I used a mild curry powder. If using a spicier curry powder, adjust the amount according to your heat tolerance.
- Salted or unsalted roasted peanuts, adjust the salt content of the soup accordingly.
Anca says
I think peanuts and veggies go together great, but I never made soup with peanuts. That's a very interesting idea, I will try it. x
Adina says
I hope you do, Anca, o sa-ti placa, a fost foarte buna! 🙂