When Belle and I visited Williamsburg last month, we tried peanut soup for the first time. Belle wasn’t too impressed, but me? A rich, creamy, Southern soup? Yes, please! One spoonful, and I was smitten.

Even better? Peanuts have a fascinating history. Though native to the New World, they traveled a long and complex path before becoming a Southern staple.

For over two thousand years, natives in Brazil and Peru cultivated peanuts. When Spanish and Portuguese explorers arrived, they carried the crop across the Atlantic, introducing it to Europe, Asia, and Africa.

In West Africa, peanuts—often called groundnuts—became a vital crop, deeply woven into culinary traditions. Some even believed the plant possessed a soul. Africans brought their knowledge of peanuts to the American colonies, incorporating them into stews, sauces, and other dishes.

At first, colonists dismissed peanuts as food for the poor, growing them mainly as animal fodder. But tastes evolved, and by the time of the American Revolution, peanut soup had made its way onto the menu of Williamsburg’s famed King’s Arms Tavern, where it remains a staple to this day.

Though many associate peanut soup with Virginia, it was also enjoyed in North and South Carolina as early as the 1700s. In fact, the earliest known written recipe for the dish appeared in The Carolina Housewife, a cookbook published by Sarah Rutledge in 1847.

Knowing all of this, I had to learn how to make peanut soup at home. But I didn’t just want to recreate the Virginia version—I wanted a North Carolina take on it.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t find one. But the NC Queen never admits defeat. If I couldn’t find a Carolina-style peanut soup, I’d make one myself.

So, I put my own spin on it—adding bacon (because, obviously), a bay leaf and garlic to deepen the savory notes, and a dash of Texas Pete for a little kick. And y’all! I hate to toot my own horn, but it turned out damn near perfect.

I dropped the recipe below—enjoy!

Peanut Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 strips of bacon
• 1 c diced onion
• 1 c diced celery
• 1 c diced carrots
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 4 T butter
• 5 T all-purpose flour
• 4 c chicken stock
• 1 c creamy peanut butter
• 2 c heavy cream
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and black pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• dash of Texas Pete

Directions:

1. Cook bacon until done and set aside.
2. Add 3 tablespoons butter to the bacon grease. Melt. Sauté vegetables and garlic until the onions are translucent.
3. Add remaining butter and melt.
4. Add one tablespoon of flour at a time, stirring to prevent lumps. Cook until the flour is golden.
5. Stir in the chicken stock and boil. Reduce to simmer until thickened.
6. Remove the bay leaf.
7. Add peanut butter and spices. Blend with an immersion blender until creamy.
8. Stir in cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Garnish with crumbled bacon before serving.