Sopa de maní
Bolivian peanut soup: raw peanuts blended into a beef and vegetable broth, finished with a handful of crisp chips on top.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 1 hr 30 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 55 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Sopa de maní is a savoury peanut soup, not a sweet one and not a satay. Raw peanuts are blended with water to a thin milk and simmered into a beef broth with potato, carrot, peas and cumin until the soup turns creamy and beige and the peanut flavour settles into the background. The traditional finish is strange and correct: a handful of thin fried potato chips on top, going soft as you eat. Some cooks add a little pasta. Raw, unsalted peanuts matter; roasted ones taste of peanut butter and tip the balance. Ninety minutes with the beef, mostly unattended.
What you'll need
15 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Peanuts, raw, unsalted, skins off if possible200 g
- Beef, bone-in short rib or chuck, in pieces500 g
- Water, 500 ml for blending the peanuts, the rest for the pot2.2 l
- Potato, 300 g diced for the soup, 200 g cut matchstick-thin for the chips500 g
- Carrot, diced1 large
- Peas100 g
- Onion, finely chopped1 medium
- Garlic, minced3 clove
- Cumin4.9 ml
- Oregano4.9 ml
- Ají amarillo, paste; stands in for ají colorado (optional)15 ml
- Parsley, chopped, to finish20 g
- Neutral oil, for the chips, plus 2 tbsp for the pot300 ml
- Salt9.9 ml
- Black pepper2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a stockpot. Soften the onion, garlic, cumin and oregano with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes, add the ají paste if using, then the beef, and brown lightly. Add 1.7 litres of water, bring to a simmer, skim, and cook 45 minutes.
55 min
Step 2
Blend the peanuts with 500 ml of water until completely smooth, 2 full minutes. Strain through a sieve if there are gritty bits.
5 min
Tip: Soaking the peanuts in water for an hour first makes them blend smoother.
Step 3
Stir the peanut milk into the pot. Simmer gently 20 minutes, stirring now and then so it does not catch; the soup will thicken and turn pale.
20 min
Watch: Peanut soup scorches on the bottom. Keep the heat low and stir.
Step 4
Add the diced potato and carrot and cook 15 minutes, then the peas for 5. Season with salt and pepper. The beef should be falling from the bone.
20 min
Step 5
Meanwhile rinse the matchstick potatoes, dry them well and fry in oil at 180°C until golden and crisp, 3-4 minutes. Drain and salt.
10 min180°C
Step 6
Ladle the soup into bowls with a piece of beef in each. Top with a handful of chips and parsley. Serve immediately so the chips are still crunchy for the first few spoonfuls.
3 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 659 kcal
- Protein
- 35.5 g
- Carbs
- 29.8 g
- Fat
- 44.9 g
- Saturated fat
- 8.6 g
- Fibre
- 6.8 g
- Sugar
- 6.1 g
- Sodium
- 1467 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Peanuts
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Beef → Chicken pieces, or no meat with vegetable stock
Sopa de maní de pollo is common; the vegetarian one is a reasonable Lenten version.
Tips
- If you can only find roasted peanuts, use 150 g and accept a deeper, more peanut-butter flavour.
- A handful of small pasta shapes added with the potato is common in La Paz and stretches the pot.
History & culture
Sunday soup in Cochabamba and La Paz, and the soup served at birthdays and wakes because one pot feeds a crowd. In the sierra every almuerzo begins with soup and this is one of the two or three everyone can name. Cochabambinos consider it theirs, with the usual arguments about whether rice or pasta belongs in it.
The peanut was domesticated in the lowlands where Bolivia meets Paraguay and Brazil, so this soup uses a native crop on home ground. Beef, carrot, peas and cumin are colonial. The chips on top are a twentieth-century touch that is now mandatory in Cochabamba.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Sopa de maní take?
1 hr 55 min all in — 25 min prep, 1 hr 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Peanuts. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Stockpot, Blender, Frying pan, Spider or strainer.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp.
What can I use instead?
Beef → Chicken pieces, or no meat with vegetable stock. Sopa de maní de pollo is common; the vegetarian one is a reasonable Lenten version.
What should I watch for?
Peanut soup scorches on the bottom. Keep the heat low and stir.
Any tips from this recipe?
If you can only find roasted peanuts, use 150 g and accept a deeper, more peanut-butter flavour. A handful of small pasta shapes added with the potato is common in La Paz and stretches the pot.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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