History
African enslaved cooks brought West African peanut-stew traditions to colonial Virginia. By the early nineteenth century, peanut soup appeared in Virginia cookbooks alongside she-crab soup and oyster stew. The dish is closely associated with Colonial Williamsburg dining rooms and the Jefferson Hotel's Lemaire dining room (named for Thomas Jefferson's maitre d' Etienne Lemaire) in downtown Richmond. Virginia peanut country runs through Hanover and Suffolk; the fall harvest anchors the soup's seasonal window.
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Make it at home
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 200ml whole milk
- 200ml smooth natural peanut butter (no added sugar)
- Salt, white pepper
- Chopped roasted peanuts to garnish
Method
- Sweat onion and celery in butter over low heat 8 to 10 minutes until softened but not browned.
- Stir in flour to make a roux; cook 2 minutes without colouring.
- Whisk in stock gradually, then milk. Simmer 10 minutes, whisking, until thickened.
- Strain through a fine sieve, return to pan. Whisk in peanut butter until smooth and creamy. Season; serve hot with chopped peanuts on top.
Tip from the editors. Use unsweetened natural peanut butter; commercial brands sweeten the soup and miss the savoury balance.
Where to eat virginia peanut soup
Virginia peanut soup in Richmond
Lemaire ★ 4.7
Lemaire inside the Jefferson Hotel is named for Etienne Lemaire, Thomas Jefferson's maitre d'. Patrick Willis runs the kitchen, the city's grande dame.
Book1 to 2 weeks ahead
Mama J's Kitchen ★ 4.5
Mama J's Sunday brunch in Jackson Ward serves soul food at the family-table volume. Velma Johnson's kitchen pours sweet tea, runs the standard plate.
OrderFried chicken and waffle with sweet tea.
TipSunday morning is the family-dinner crowd; Saturday afternoon is the easier seat.
Sally Bell's Kitchen ★ 4.4
Sally Bell's Kitchen has sold box lunches since 1924, founded by Sarah Cabell Jones and Elizabeth Lee Milton. Broad Street counter is easy to miss.
OrderBox lunch.
Why locals goSally Bell's has sold the same box lunch since 1924, and most visitors miss the unmarked side counter near West Broad. A century of Richmond box-lunch history.
TipCall ahead; the deviled-egg-and-cheese-wafer box is the local-Saturday standard.
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