The Secret To Super Luscious Soup Is An Unexpected Pantry Ingredient

If you find yourself wanting to try something new in your creamy soup recipes, there are countless ingredients to add to make things more interesting. In some cases, you might use canned milk in slow cooker soups to make them extra rich, but in others, you can actually add some peanut butter to change things up. To get more insight into how peanut butter can improve soups, we spoke to chef John Politte, the host of the "It's Only Food" YouTube cooking show. 

Politte praised peanut butter as an underrated soup ingredient. "Adding peanut butter to soup makes it creamier, richer, and more flavorful," the chef said. "It enhances Asian dishes, boosts protein, balances intense flavors, and thickens without the need for flour, making simple soups more enjoyable." Specifically, Politte noted that dishes like maafe (a West African peanut stew) and kare-kare (a Filipino-style oxtail curry) both call for ground peanuts in some form and are among his favorite examples of the ingredient in soup. "For added flavor, many cultures use peanut butter or nuts in soups and curries," he explained. In his opinion, it pairs particularly well with ingredients like coconut milk, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, ginger, and garlic.

As for incorporating peanut butter into your soup recipes, choosing the right version of this pantry staple is vital, as the kind of peanut butter you use can profoundly change the soup's taste and texture. "Creamy [peanut butter] blends smoothly for a rich, velvety texture," Politte revealed. And while chunky peanut butter may have a pleasant consistency in some contexts, it's not always the best choice for soups. "Chunky [peanut butter] adds texture but may not mix well," he warned. Additionally, natural peanut butter is prone to separating, which can throw off your dish's taste and consistency. If you aren't sure what to use, avoid the worst-ranked peanut butter brands and go for the best peanut butter we tried: Skippy. 

As for when to add peanut butter to the mix, the key is to incorporate the ingredient later in the process. "If you're making a soup that simmers for a while, adding peanut butter about 10 to 15 minutes before the soup is finished cooking is ideal," Politte advised. "This allows the peanut butter to melt and blend seamlessly into the broth, preserving its flavor and nutritional benefits," he explained. Politte even said that, in some cases, you can add peanut butter after the soup is done cooking for great results. "Consider adding it after removing it from the heat to maintain its taste and texture," Politte added. "Just make sure to stir well to ensure it's evenly incorporated!"