Peanut Butter Soup for the Soul

I wanted to highlight a little goodness in the world amid ever-harrowing headlines.

The catastrophic flooding in Louisiana in August this year left hundreds of dogs and cats homeless, hungry and scared. Local shelters had to scramble for food and supplies to care for them. To help ensure these animals had enough food while they waited for their forever homes, WellPet, maker of Wellness^® Natural Pet Food and Old Mother Hubbard^®, recently donated nearly 50,000 pounds of food and treats to Baton Rouge area shelters, including the Companion Animal Alliance of Baton Rouge (CAABR), which alone took in 650 animals during and after the Louisiana flooding. More details on the donation can be found here.

Izzy recently got to try out a sampler of their wares and I swear her coat is shinier. I’ll say, to be fair, Izzy is an indiscriminate diner, and she also doesn’t have any gluten or otherwise allergic intolerance, but she appears to be ravenous for Wellness pet food. As a Louisiana resident, and a personal friend to several people devastated by the flooding this fall, I just wanted to extend a Thank You to Wellness Natural Pet Food for noticing and for the efforts made to save our ship. In the words of Randy Newman, “Louisiana, Louisiana, they try’n to wash us away.”

Now for what the humans are eating. Both KP and I had exceedingly low expectations for this soup, imagining it not possible (or, rather, ill-advised) to blend peanut butter with celery, carrots and onions. How wrong we were! The chili spice addition to the recipe is my own, and I think it makes this soup more of a peanut sauce in the style of east Asian cuisine, but it was surprisingly yummy, especially when accompanied by toasted whole wheat bread. I found myself spooning the soup onto the toast and reliving my “peanut butter toast” memories of childhood Saturday mornings. And, I’ll just say since this post is mostly about the world’s best bulldog, peanut butter is a longtime favorite of Miss Izz.

Peanut Butter Soup for the Soul

Adapted from Penzeys

1 TB. butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

8 Cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 1/2 Cups whole milk

2 Cups crunchy peanut butter (Adams is the only way to go)

1/2-1 tsp. chipotle chili powder

1 tsp. Fox Point seasoning (Penzeys)

1/4 Cup finely chopped salted peanuts

In a stock pot over medium heat, heat the butter/oil.  Add the onion, celery and carrots. Cook until softened, 10-30 minutes.  Add the stock and heat to boiling.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Add the milk, stirring occasionally.  Whisk or vigorously stir in the peanut butter. Add the chipotle and fox point.  Simmer until hot, stirring frequently; do not boil.  Stir in the peanuts and serve.