Pinda Soep

About This Recipe

Pinda Soep (peanut soup) is a thick, comforting staple of Surinamese home cooking, beloved by every community in the country. Ground roasted peanuts form a rich, unctuous base into which chicken, hard vegetables like plantain or cassava, and a fragrant spice blend are cooked low and slow. The result is a bowl of deep umami warmth — creamy, slightly nutty, with layers of flavour built up from the sofrito and the long simmer. A slice of fresh bread or a bowl of white rice alongside is all that is needed.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 200 gnatural peanut butter (smooth, no added sugar)
• 600 gbone-in chicken pieces
• 1large onion, chopped
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 1green plantain, peeled and sliced into rounds
• 1 litrechicken stock
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tspground cumin
• ½ tspground coriander
• ½ tspblack pepper
• 1 tspsalt, to taste
• 2spring onions, sliced (to garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown chicken pieces on all sides, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Build the base

   In the same pot, sauté onion and garlic until golden, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cumin, and coriander. Cook 3 minutes until the tomatoes collapse.

3. 3

   Add peanut butter and stock

   Whisk the peanut butter into a cup of warm stock until smooth. Pour this mixture and the remaining stock into the pot. Stir well.

4. 4

   Simmer with chicken and plantain

   Return the chicken to the pot. Add the green plantain slices. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens and the chicken is very tender.

5. 5

   Season and serve

   Taste and adjust salt. Ladle into bowls, garnish with sliced spring onions, and serve with bread or white rice.

Variations

• •

  Add sliced okra in the last 10 minutes for extra body.

• •

  Use lamb or oxtail instead of chicken for a more intense flavour.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days; the soup thickens on cooling — add a splash of stock when reheating. Freezes well for up to 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions