Virginia Peanut Soup

Name: Virginia Peanut Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Southeast · Virginia
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter; 1 onion, finely diced; 2 celery stalks, finely diced; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock; 1 cup smooth unsweetened peanut butter; 1 cup whole milk; ¼ teaspoon cayenne, optional; Salt and black pepper to taste; ¼ cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts, for serving

By Staff Writer · October 6, 2026

Peanut soup is associated with Virginia’s peanut-growing tradition. Smooth peanut butter gives this approachable version its rich, savory body.

Raw peanuts used to illustrate peanut soup ingredients — Peanuts, the ingredient behind this Virginia-inspired soup. Photo: Photosticlife · Peanuts raw / CC BY-SA 4.0. Displayed without cropping or color edits; scaled to fit the page.

Serves 6 · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: about 25 minutes

State & Nation home-kitchen version. Timing is approximate; use the doneness cues in the directions.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 cup smooth unsweetened peanut butter
1 cup whole milk
¼ teaspoon cayenne, optional
Salt and black pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts, for serving

Directions

Melt butter in a pot over medium-low heat. Cook onion and celery for 8 minutes without browning.
Stir in flour for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in stock and simmer 10 minutes.
Blend carefully with an immersion blender until smooth.
Whisk in peanut butter and milk. Warm gently for 5 minutes without boiling. Add cayenne if using and season to taste.
Serve in small bowls topped with chopped peanuts.

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