Peanut Soup
Growing up around 6-footer cousins can be really intimidating. Mom never failed to pushed her 1001 remedies to make us grow as tall. Making us drink peanut soup is one of her super-hero ideas. There's a chinese tradition, or rather a myth, that eating peanuts help stimulate growth. Anyway, I grew to love mom's peanut soup in my late teens. And if you are wondering if that has helped me any, the asnwer is I think I've failed miserably in the height department. Hahaha.. On a serious note, on days when you are sick of rice, or on a low-carb diet, peanut soup with 
ribs or lean pork is a good substitute because peanuts contain about the same amount of protein as soy, and are low in starchy carbohydrates.Like any other signature soup out there, eg. clam chowder can't do without clams, Malaysian Asam Laksa is not complete without fish, peanut soup calls for none other than dried squid or cuttlefish. Known as "Mak-Yu" in Cantonese, dried squid comes in various lengths, from as short as 4 inches to as long as as a foot. They are packed in transparent plastic bags and are available all year round at any Asian grocery market.
Coupled with pork ribs, this soup is a whole meal on its own. However, I prefer to have it with rice and a side of fresh cut chilies in sesame soy sauce for the ribs.
Peanut Soup With Pork Ribs Recipe
Ingredients :
1.5 lb pork ribs
1 lb raw peanuts ( sometimes labeled as blanched peanuts )
2 pc. of dried squid/cuttlefish ( small size )
1/2 whole skin-on garlic ( optional )
salt and white pepper to taste
3.5 qts water
Method :
1) Wash and rinse peanuts and dried squid in water and set aside.
2) To clean ribs and remove excess fat, blanch them briefly in hot boiling water. Remove and rinse in running water.
3) Put all the ingredients into a crock pot, cook on high for 4-6 hours OR low for 8-10 hours.
Note : I prefer boiling this soup in a crock pot or pressure cooker because it softens the peanuts and ribs better. If you are unable to find dried squid, you can also substitute with squid flavored fish sauce.
2) To clean ribs and remove excess fat, blanch them briefly in hot boiling water. Remove and rinse in running water.
3) Put all the ingredients into a crock pot, cook on high for 4-6 hours OR low for 8-10 hours.
Note : I prefer boiling this soup in a crock pot or pressure cooker because it softens the peanuts and ribs better. If you are unable to find dried squid, you can also substitute with squid flavored fish sauce.
Labels: Cantonese Cuisine, dried squid, peanuts, pork ribs, Soups
Posted by Melting Wok
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31 Comments:
u shud thank da lucky stars ( or yr Mom ) for yr voluptious ( V can see)visuals so that means these little things are reall good. Right ?
I love peanut soup too..especially Chicken Feet with peanut soup. The peanuts really enhance flavour and sweetness of the soup. Yumyumyum.
No dried squid in my mother's version. No ribs either. Try piggy tail!
This dish is completely new to me. I've had African peanut soup, but never a Malaysian version. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Lydia, how does African peanut soup taste like?
I love anything with peanuts. This dish is excellent because the peanuts is soft, I can eat it without affecting my braces.
OOO, maybe it's because I'm Taiwanese??? But I've never had savory peanut soups before, just lightly sweetened ones... I'm curious as to how this tastes... But I know what you mean about how Asian mothers have like all these potions and remedies for everything. Growing, nice skin, etc.. etc.. hahaha
I just wanted to tell you that last week I tried your lion head meatballs soup and it was a real succes. I just loved it and I can't get enough of it. Thanks for your recipes.
Hahaha...this soup did not do it for me either in da height department ;)
My mother makes this too, but I prefer the sweet peanut soup! Maybe it's time I have a grand opening ceremony of my pressure cooker...hehe, I am sure K loves sweet peanut soup...soooo good!
Hey! Throw in some red dates as well. It'll do wonders to the taste ;)
Nice dish... I would like to try.
When I was in S'gapore I really liked a lot "Tofu Fah" (soya beancurd). Do you have an easy recipe for it?
Thanks.
I, too, was thinking about (remembering) red dates being part of the soup.
I don't know about it helping with height, but it sure help in the width department.
Hmmm... Maybe I should have eaten more of the peanuts and less of the ribs? lol
the peanut soup sounds delicious. Can I replace pork ribs with chicken?
I had the peanut soup with spare ribs but I don't remember the dried squid/cutterfish in it.
Nice dish, my mum used to prepare for us. But now she will prepare "old cucumber" soup because my little prince and princess prefer this.
I missed this dish, gonna ask mum to prepare this.
It looks like the kind of soup that my mom would make when I was young especially. But for some reason, I am not really mad about it. I would drink it when it's in front of me, otherwise I don't seem to bother... v.b. of me I guess...
I've never had peanut soup but it sounds and looks really yummy! I love cooking ribs and other bones in soup because then the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. Mmm... and my parents always said the meat on the bone is always the tastiest. :D
I had peanut soup before but never with meat. It was a sweet soup with all the other kinds of chinese grains.
I think I've failed in the height dept as well, the amount of peanuts I eat didn't help me at all:P
Peanut soup is nice, I was suddenly reminded about peanut porridge too. That's nice too. Ha ha ha...it's been ages since I had peanut porridge! My favourite when I was in pre-school!
Hmm, maybe i should have drunk more peanut soup as well - might have added a few inches to my height!
Strange, my bloglines account has not tilt when you published...anyway, I was away for one week, I see your new post now! I really like peanuts, so I think that this soup is just for me, isn't it ;-) ???
See you
Cheers
Claude
yum this looks so good. i love peanuts in all its forms too. i've never had peanut soup before...
I absolutely love soups of all kinds, including peanut soup. There's a place, quite near my office, where I can get a variety of herbal and non-herbal soups. I think I need to go there now.
heh heh, these food myths are funny! like yours, my mom also wanted me to be tall, but encouraged me to play netball instead of drink peanut soup! :) not that it worked, because I played truant a lot, going for track & field instead of netball, haha!!
Hi ! this soup with beanut, it's famous, I eat for the first in london, last week. It's so good
My dear .. after seeing your article, I suddenly have the urge to call my mom to tell her I am coming home for dinner. Except she lives in Sabah and I am in KL ... Waaaaaa........
I was told the peanut plants with its roots intact. A Hong Kong mother taught me how to boil the soup. It must have worked on her family. She, her siblings and her sons are all 6-footer. I'll blog it one day.
This sounds delicious!
Mmmmm... peanuts make everything taste better. I've made an African peanut soup, and I make some Thai soups that I top with peanuts, but this is a new one for me. I will have to try it, for sure! I'll let you know if I get any taller.:)
Susan, can't wait for you to whip up some thai soup w/peanuts, sounds delish :) haha..I think its a lil' too late for peanut soup to help w/the height dept. :P
freya & paul, thanks :)
ECL, woww..really meh ? do tell !! :)
timothy, aiya, its very easy to make one, if not, just go out get yaself some peanut dessert "fa sang woo" lorr :P
pop d'api, hi, welcome to my blog, and I'm glad you like it too :)
shilpa, I guess whichever flows will do ya hehe, wahh..haven't heard the word netball in such a long time haha..reminds me of a lil' mishap w/my school shorts hahaha..oops :)
ll, yes, I wanna read all about it, hurry up, post ! :)
aria, what ya waiting for, get a crockpot, dump some nuts in, and go nuts :))
Claude, other than taste wise, I doubt it that you'll be needing it for the height department hahaha :)
W&S, those were the days w/mom'snutty 1001 remedies haha :)
wmw, ah yesss !! give me some dried oysters, peanuts, and pork congee..yumsss !! :)
valentina, oh, you like the sweet version ? You could try fixing some cold sweet peanut soup, just plain rock sugar, water and peanuts :) You will like it :)
amy, you got it girl, peanuts and ribs goes really well, I hope you like it as much as I did :)
windy, that was me too, but for some reason this soup has been really good to me during winter and spring time, and I really love it :)
pink hippo, oh my..that's another keeper, dried oysters, pork and old cucumber soup..yup, another mommy's soup there, too bad, I haven't seen any of those giant old cucumbers here :(
ming, oh..squid + peanuts adds such a pungent flavor to the overall pork rib soup, its a must have, you'll love it :)
mandira, you sure can, any meats you like, turkey and chicken is great :)
eat4fun, aiya stef, not like we drinking it e'day, but I do really love this during winter & spring, needs bit fat to keep me warm hahaha :)
Orchidea, hehe, funny how you relate tau foo fah to peanut soup, the only thing I could think of is sweet peanut soup..hm..tau foo fah ( sweet beancurd dessert ) is too time consuming, we usually buy tt at the store, cheap and good, hm..I'll call mom for the recipe and let you know, ok ? :)
pablo, thx !! I think both the squid and red dates adds such sweet flavors to the soup too, and yes, too bad I ran out of red dates when I make the soup..argh :P
RM, summer is round the corner, yes, some cold sweet peanut soup is great !! :))
unka, aka mister vain hehe :P 'k, looks vs. height, which would u prefer there ? :P
rose, thank you !! I'm glad you like it :)
miss tiffie, yesss !! taiwanese and the hokkien community in Malaysia do favors the sweet peanut soup too haha, oh yeah, mom's and her 1001 remedies, aren't we lucky :)
lee ping, lydia, I have not tried African peanuts b4 either, do tell !! ah..the peanuts cooked well in the crock pot, simply creamy :)
tummy, yes, mom would alternate btw the ribs and the porky piggy tails, but I err..feel bit eeky to anything w/tails hahaa..u should really try putting a pc/2 of the dried squid, they do significantly enhance the flavor to the soup, most cantonese soups does tt anyway :)
toni, thank you, and I do thank my mom every day for everything else too buahahaha :)
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