Bolivia - Sopa de Mani (Peanut Soup)

Ultimately, this soup was a success, but not without a few compromises! This recipe wants you to make a peanut butter (I think). Well, I wasn't able to get the consistency of what I think it should have been (way too watery), so I used 1 cup of peanut butter, store bought. I also used 2 small onions versus 1 large onion. And lastly, I forgot to take a darn picture! So I'm borrowing the one below from the internet. Mine looked similar, just no fries. And a little more stew-like. 

Bet you didn't know these things about Bolivia!

• There are two official languages of Bolivia - La Paz is the administrative capital, while Sucre is the constitutional capital.
• There are 37 official national languages of Bolivia (Spanish and 36 indigenous languages).
• Bolivia has the 5th highest airport in the world.

I listened to some traditional Bolivian music while I cooked.

 

Sopa de Mani

6 tablespoons raw peanuts (or 1 cup of peanut butter)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

6 chicken legs

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 green pepper, diced

4 tablespoons parsley, minced

12 cups of water or chicken broth

3 carrots, chopped

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon oregano

1. Soak peanuts for 5 minutes in a bowl with hot water. Drain. (Or skip this step and the next step if using peanut butter.)

2. Blend half of the peanuts with 2 cups of water for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the mixture is smooth. Repeat the same step with the other half.

3. In a large pot, heat the oil and sear chicken over high heat. Remove from the pot and keep aside while preparing the rest of the food.

4. Using the same pot, saute the onion, garlic, green peppers, and parsley for 3 minutes.

5. Add the peanut mixture (or peanut butter), the rest of the water or chicken broth and the carrots. Once it boils, cook for 20 minutes on low heat; stir every 5 minutes (the broth usually rises, as when heating milk, and overflows the pan... keep an eye on it!)

6. Add salt, pepper, and oregano.

7. After 20 minutes add chicken legs and cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked.

In Spanish, one of the official languages of Bolivia .... Me gane mi insignia! (I earned my badge!)