Ariane Jauregui
Marseille, France
Universal Kitchen: Group 1
Register Here
Sopa de Maní (peanut soup from the Bolivian Andean valleys)
The Story Behind the Dish
Sopa de maní might be the most popular Bolivian dish among the country locals in all its corners. Said to have been inspired on French dishes like "Cassoulet" and all the different varieties of French potages, Sopa de maní (or peanut soup) is a colonial adaptation of French techniques to local ingredients like potatoes and peanuts (which according to recent investigation come originally from the Andean valleys of Bolivia). This is a rich dish that can be eaten as a first course or as a unique dish because of its richness and the diversity of ingredients that compose it. Always accompanied by parsley and the omnipresent "Llajua" sauce, made from fresh Locoto (ají), tomatoes, and local Huacataya or Quirquiña herbs, Sopa de maní varies in its composition from one place to another in Bolivia, while in the valleys ají is one of the ingredients that are used in the soup, which at the same time has a thicker texture than its other versions, in the Andes region llama meat can make an appearance within the elements used to prepare it. No matter which version, Sopa de maní can be found anywhere in the country, it's widely consumed and extremely popular.
What you’ll need!
For the soup.
- 100 gr of raw peanuts (grounded in a mixer with the same amount of water until obtaining a creamy texture)
- 1 lt. vegetable stock
- 1 lt. of water
- 1 big onion
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 carrots (cubed or grated)
- 1 celery branch (minced)
- 100 gr of peas
- 3 medium potatoes (peeled and cut in sticks)
- ½ teaspoon ground Curcuma
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 100 gr quinoa (can be replaced with macaroni pasta or rice)
- fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper
For the Llajua (spicy sauce).
- 1 big red locoto (it can be replaced by any fresh red spicy pepper-like habanero or Padron peppers).
- 1 Big tomato
- Huacataya or Quirquiña (they can be replaced by mint).
EQUIPMENT
- A medium or large saucepan
- Bowls (2-3)
- A mixer
- An oven tray
- Knives
About Ariane Jauregui Muñoz
I'm Ariane Jauregui Muñoz, I was born and raised in La Paz, Bolivia, my family was from both the high and lowlands of my country and I grew up connected to the gastronomy of the amazon and valleys, deeply in love with the flavors of both. I went deeper into the Andean flavors of my country while studying gastronomy and culinary arts. It was there and then where I also became conscientious about my passion for food and everything about it; its history, science, cultural implications, and the enormous power that food has to bring people together. I worked in different types of kitchens, from big restaurants to event catering and collective kitchens to try and experiment with as many cooking contexts as possible. I came to France three years ago with that same motivation, that of exploration and discovery, and have been confronted with some different ways of cooking and eating, some of which resonate with me and some others that don't as much. It was with the pandemic (like most) that I started questioning my place in the food world and started getting engaged with the conscious eating movement, first at home, and then opening to meeting people with similar values and visions. My whole path took me to start studying to become a food educator. I graduated and had some experiences in pedagogical restaurants and proposing workshops integrating notions of food identity, conscious cooking, and eating, always having in mind the connections to food and others. I want to share everything that I have learned about food throughout these years, my culture, and my passion while keeping on learning from people, places, and experiences. I believe that food identity is our best passport to present ourselves to the world.