Sunday Soup #53: Thai Coconut Peanut Soup

I know, I know... I hit 52 soups last week, which was the mark I was trying to reach with this project. But, I've enjoyed it more than I thought I would. So, if you are willing to indulge me, I'll keep going... At least until you tell me you're tired of seeing new posts. :-)

This recipe came from: https://www.thebewitchinkitchen.com/thai-coconut-peanut-soup/

*Pic 1 - https://www.thebewitchinkitchen.com/thai-coconut-peanut-soup/

Variations from Recipe as Written: None. I followed the recipe exactly as written.

General Thoughts: I was very excited to try this one... I've had it pinned for months now, and I am always interested in trying new Asian recipes. Particularly, soups like this one, which promise a great deal of flavor (coconut... peanut... peppers... what's not to like?!), will always have a place in my kitchen. But, despite good reviews on its site, this one just didn't really deliver...

*Pics 2 & 3 - Pictures from when I made it

When I reached the stage where I added the peanut butter (I should have taken a pic then), I was very hopefully. The mixture was warm and gooey and fragrant, promising that a culinary treat awaited. But, by the end, after adding the amount of liquid called for in the recipe (coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice, rendered/melted peanut butter, and chicken broth), the ratio of bulky ingredients to broth seemed way off; I mean, WAY off. I like brothy soups, but this one was extreme. Taking normal ladlefuls, I wound up with bowls that were 3/4 broth and 1/4 chicken and veggies. This effect can be offset if a broth is thick and hearty in and of itself (as a nice hearty coconut broth-based Thai soup should be), but that was not the case here. The broth was thin and, while it had decent flavor, "drowned" the other ingredients.

As for the flavor, it was okay, but nothing to write home about. Based on the ingredient list, I had high hopes but, in the end, this was not a soup whose flavor would make me order it again in a restaurant. The spice from the bird's eye (Thai) chiles I used to garnish it helped, but I did not get a particularly strong punch of coconut or (surprisingly) peanut from each bite. All in all, it just kind of fell flat...

Potential Improvements? I'd definitely cut the amount of chicken broth by at least 1/3 and up the chicken by at least 1/2 again as much as called for, if I were to make this again. I might like to try a different brand of coconut milk (maybe Thai Kitchen instead of the Chaokoh I used). I think I'd also add some curry paste to help kick the flavor up a little bit.

Polling the Fam: There was a small audience for this one, since it was a busy week. You have my impressions above, so I won't belabor the point there. Hunter was the only other one to try it, and he did not comment on it to me, but I did notice that half the bowl he took wound up in the sink, so that's not a great sign.

Verdict: Not a fan. (2 stars)