Pindasoep (Surinamese Peanut Soup with Tom Tom)
In short: Silky peanut soup with chicken, tomato and celery, scented with a whole hot pepper and served with mashed plantain dumplings called tom tom. It takes about 1 h 40 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 1 h
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 420 kcal
Pindasoep is Suriname's peanut soup, a rich orange-brown bowl made with chicken, peanut butter, tomato and celery leaf. A whole hot pepper simmers in the pot for fruity aroma, and each serving gets a few tom tom, balls of mashed boiled plantain that soak up the soup. It is filling enough for a main course. Use natural peanut butter with nothing added but salt, so the soup tastes of roasted peanuts and not sugar.
Instructions
- Put the chicken, water, onion, garlic, celery, bay leaf, allspice and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then simmer gently for 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches 74°C (165°F).
- Add the tomatoes and the whole pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. Lift out the chicken, pull the meat from the bones in large pieces and discard the bones, bay leaf and allspice.
- Whisk the peanut butter with 250 ml (1 cup) of the hot broth until smooth. Lift the pepper out of the pot with a spoon, without breaking it, and set it aside.
- Stir the peanut mixture into the pot and add the chicken meat. Simmer on low for 15 minutes, stirring often so it does not stick, until the soup is glossy and coats a spoon.
- For the tom tom, peel the plantains, cut them into chunks and boil in plain water for 20 to 25 minutes, until very soft. Drain and mash with the oil and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth. Let cool until you can handle it.
- With wet hands, roll the plantain into 12 balls the size of a walnut, about 35 g each.
- Return the pepper to the soup for the last 5 minutes if you want more heat. Add the black pepper and the remaining salt to taste.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and add 2 tom tom to each. Serve hot, with hot sauce on the side.
Tips
- Whisk the peanut butter into hot broth in a bowl before adding it to the pot, so it blends smoothly. Skim off excess oil if you like a lighter soup.
- No green plantains? Mash boiled cassava or potatoes with a little oil and shape them the same way, or serve the soup over plain rice.
Questions and answers
Can I make Surinamese peanut soup ahead of time?
Yes. Make the soup up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it. It thickens as it sits, so thin it with hot water when you reheat. Make the tom tom fresh.
Can pindasoep be frozen?
Yes, for up to 3 months, without the tom tom. Stir well while reheating, because the peanut butter may separate.
Is Surinamese peanut soup spicy?
Only as spicy as you choose. Simmering the pepper whole gives fruity aroma and mild heat, and sambal or hot sauce at the table lets each person add more.
How long does it take to make Pindasoep (Surinamese Peanut Soup with Tom Tom)?
About 1 h 40 min in total: 40 min of preparation and 1 h of cooking.
How many calories are in Pindasoep (Surinamese Peanut Soup with Tom Tom)?
About 420 kcal per serving, with 26 g of protein, 31 g of carbohydrates and 22 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 420 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 26 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 1150 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
