Indonesian Peanut Celery Soup Recipes

PEANUT SOUP

Steps:

• In a heavy soup pot melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, flour and peanut butter. Stir until very smooth. Beat in the stock and season well with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat until thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and heat through. Serve warm with ground peanuts.

INDONESIAN CHICKEN SOUP WITH NOODLES, TURMERIC AND GINGER (SOTO AYAM)

Steps:

• Place chicken in a medium pot with lemongrass, lime leaves (if using), salt and 2 quarts water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim off any foam and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes, skimming as needed to make a clear broth. Remove chicken pieces from broth and set aside. Remove and discard lemon grass and lime leaves; reserve stock in pot. When chicken is cool enough to handle, discard skin and bones and shred meat into bite-size pieces.
• Meanwhile, combine peppercorns, coriander seeds and cumin seeds in a small food processor. Pulse until ground. Add halved shallots, garlic, turmeric and ginger and pulse to a thick paste. (Add a little water if needed.)
• Heat peanut oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. When very hot, add spice paste and cook, stirring until paste is cooked and beginning to separate from the oil, about 5 minutes.
• Add cooked spice paste and chicken meat to stock. Bring to a simmer and cook 10 minutes.
• Cook noodles according to package directions.
• Turn off heat under soup and stir in lime juice. Taste for salt.
• To serve, divide noodles in large soup bowls. Ladle chicken pieces and soup on top and sprinkle with celery leaves or herbs, and fried shallots, if using. Pass lime and sambal at the table.
• Eat from soup bowl, or serve a scoop of rice on a side plate, sprinkled with more shallots, and put a mouthful of noodles and chicken on rice. Combine on a spoon, dab with sambal, and eat.

INDONESIAN PEANUT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in 12-inch skillet or 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook chicken in oil about 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until brown on all sides. Cover and cook over low heat about 20 minutes or until juice is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Remove chicken from skillet with tongs.
• Drain all but 1 tablespoon drippings from skillet; heat over medium heat. Cook onion in drippings, stirring occasionally, until tender; reduce heat. Stir in peanut butter, chili sauce and red pepper. Gradually stir in water, stirring constantly, until peanut butter is melted.
• Add chicken. Spoon sauce over chicken. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered about 5 minutes, spooning sauce frequently over chicken, until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with peanuts and bell pepper.

PEANUT BUTTER AND CELERY SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan, place chopped celery and water and cover; bring to a boil and boil for about 20 minutes or until celery is tender but not mushy.
• In a separate large saucepan, make a thin white sauce with the butter, flour, milk and salt and pepper.
• When creamy, add undrained celery and peanut butter; stir together well.
• When soup is well blended and creamy, taste; add more salt and pepper if desired.

SAHARAN WEST AFRICAN PEANUT AND PINEAPPLE SOUP

Steps:

• Soak dried pineapple in a bowl of water until softened, at least 30 minutes; drain.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir sweet onion, celery, and leek in hot oil until tender, about 4 minutes.
• Sprinkle curry powder, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt over the vegetables; stir to coat. Cook and stir until strongly fragrant, about 4 minutes more.
• Add peanut butter to the pot. Drain about half the juice from the tomatoes and discard; pour remaining tomatoes and juice into the pot. Cook until the tomatoes soften, about 5 minutes. Pour 3 cups water into the pot; add drained pineapple.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer soup for 1 hour. Stir cream, green onion, and garlic into the soup.

INDONESIAN PEANUT-CELERY SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a 2-quart pot over medium heat and add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let them steam for about 10 minutes, stirring once. Add the Chicken Stock and whisk in the peanut butter, a little at a time. Bring to a boil, whisking, and add the ketjap manis and sambal oelek, and a little more stock or water if the soup is too thick. Simmer about 10 minutes, then let it cool. Working in batches if necessary, puree the soup in a blender and return it to the pot. Heat the soup to the desired temperature, adjusting the seasonings (add more chile paste, if desired) and consistency (add more stock or water, if needed). Garnish with roasted peanuts and serve.