Vegan milk peanut soup, spiced with curry, full of vegetables, made with coconut milk and crunchy whole peanuts. No peanut butter 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 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 being 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 19^th century they also gained popularity in the US, 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/ 2/3 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, slightly 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 leek 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, 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.