Online La Paz Experience: Traditional Bolivian Sopa de Mani (Peanut Soup) Cooking Class

Hola! Join this hands-on, virtual cooking class to learn how to make a legendary Bolivian soup, prepared right in your own home. You will be transported to a house in El Alto, at 4,055 meters in the highlands of Bolivia, and welcomed by a local chef and his family. Together with your hosts, you’ll prepare a traditional ‘sopa de mani’ (peanut soup), using ingredients you can find at home. Both meat and vegetarian/vegan options are available.

Note: This tour starts at 1 pm and 9 pm La Paz time. Please remember to check the corresponding start time for your time zone. Your email confirmation will be in La Paz local time.

Bolivian peanut soup is considered one of the country’s tastiest dishes, with only a few ingredients but lots of flavour. It is typically served for special occasions such as birthdays, parties or as a Sunday meal. It was also the last meal of Che Guevara! He had a bowl of sopa de mani, made by a local teacher, when he was a prisoner in La Higuera, Bolivia.

Your online La Paz experience will start with a welcome from your Bolivian hosts and the chance to meet other participants joining from around the world. In Bolivian culture, cooking isn’t just about the meal, but about coming together with family, and we’ll do just that, as you’re welcomed into a local family’s home.

We’ll start with a glass of your favourite drink – your hosts will pour themselves a chuflay, which is Bolivia’s national cocktail and made with Singani, a brandy only produced in the country’s high valleys. If you’d like to make your own version of a chuflay, it is made in a tall glass, with ice, a jigger of Singani (brandy) and filled with ginger ale, lime slices and then garnished with a slice of lime.

We’ll then begin our hands-on cooking class, with your chef giving step-by-step instructions. You will learn about the key ingredients and spices needed to make it as authentic as possible – the perfect skill to learn from home if you can’t travel to Bolivia right now!

To really make you feel like you’re in the Bolivian highlands, your hosts will have some of their favourite folk music playing in the kitchen and will teach you a few words and phrases in Aymara, the country’s official Native American language.

Once your soup is ready, your chef will show you how to plate it. Then, savour this delicious meal alongside your hosts – it will taste even better because you’ve cooked it with your own hands!

You will need:

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 150 grams beef (see below for vegetarian/vegan alternatives)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 medium-sized purple onion
• 1 medium-sized carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 small turnip
• 50 grams pumpkin
• 1 cup white peanuts
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 tbsp peas
• 100 grams pasta (macaroni, rigatoni or conchiglioni)
• 200 ml vegetable oil
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tbsp dried oregano
• 2 stems parsley
• Salt, ground pepper and ground cumin seeds to taste

Vegetarian/vegan alternative:

• 200 grams fresh mushrooms
• 25 ml soy sauce
• 50 grams broccoli
• 200 grams cheese (gruyere or parmigiano–reggiano)

Utensils: 

frying pan, a pot of 4 liters,  knife, chopping board, blender or mixer, ladle, skimmer, 2 wooden pallets, 6 bowls, some absorbent paper towel