4 Free Chinese Peanut Soup Recipes

A compilation of Chinese peanut soup recipes. Most people see peanuts as a snack, but do you know that it has medicinal properties?

My grandmother always has a small packet of raw peanuts in the refrigerator. She adds them to soups and simmer them till they are soft and melt-in-the-mouth. Yummy! It is nice to know that they have medicinal properties.

Peanuts are considered a neutral and gentle ingredient with general health application in TCM. However, the neutrality of peanuts turned into heatiness when they are fried or roasted in high heat. This also destroy Vitamin E and other minerals found in peanuts.

The recommended way of preparing peanuts to enjoy its medicinal benefits is to slowly simmer in liquid. Simmered peanuts are soft and easy to digest. Suitable for both the elderly and children. Here are 4 recipes:

Recipe: Sweet Peanut Soup

This sweet peanut soup recipe has only 2 ingredients: peanuts and rock sugar.

Ingredients

• 300g raw peanuts with skin removed
• 120g rock sugar 红冰糖
• Water

Directions

Chef Vivien wanted to produce peanuts that are soft enough to eat yet still hold their shape well. Her method is to soak, freeze, and simmer the peanuts thoroughly. If we are not so fussy, we can use the instant pot or pressure cooker.

Recipe: Sweet peanut soup with white fungus

Adding the white fungus amped up the benefits for the respiratory and digestive system.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of raw peanuts with skin removed, washed and frozen
• 1/4 cup of dried white fungus
• 8 cups water
• Sugar or honey to taste

1. Soak and rehydrate the white fungus, tear into small pieces
2. Place the frozen peanuts and white fungus into the instant pot or rice cooker
3. Add 8 cups of water and pressure cook in the instant pot for 40 minutes or 2 hours in the rice cooker (rice porridge mode)
4. When the peanuts are soft, add sugar or honey to taste

Recipe: Pig trotter soup with peanuts 花生猪脚汤

Peanuts or groundnuts have been used by the Chinese in dietary remedies for women’s health issues for many years. Many believe that peanuts aids in the development of breasts in teenagers and increase breast milk production in nursing mothers.

Pig trotters and peanuts is a classic combination for a confinement soup. Confinement refers to the immediate post-natal care of new mothers. It usually lasts a month. If you don’t fancy pig trotters, substitute with pork belly.

Ingredients

• 1 kg pig trotters
• 1 cup peanuts
• 3 pieces ginger
• 2.6 litre water
• 1 tbsp cooking wine
• Salt

Directions

1. Soak the peanuts for 2 hours
2. Clean the pork trotter, parboil for 10 minutes
3. Place the trotter, peanuts and ginger into a pot, add the water and bring to a boil
4. Lower heat to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours until the trotter fall off the bones
5. Add salt and cooking wine
6. Cook for another 2 minutes
7. Serve

Recipe: Peanut tonic for the blood

Peanuts are good for the blood and helps with fluid retention and swelling. It is also good for the lungs and clears phlegm. A suitable dietary supplement for people suffering from anaemia or low platelet count.

Ingredients

• 250g raw peanuts with skin still on
• 5 red dates, seeds removed
• 18g dried longan
• Brown sugar to taste
• 1 litre water

Directions

1. Rinse the peanuts, red dates and dried longan to remove any dirt
2. Bring the water in a pot to a boil
3. Add the ingredients except the brown sugar
4. Bring it back to a boil before lowering to a simmer
5. Simmer for 40 minutes before adding the brown sugar to taste

If you are using an instant pot or pressure cooker, shorten the cooking time to 20 minutes.

Featured image source: Peanut soup. So sedup! | Joanna Teo | Flickr