Peanut Soup.... Try It. Seriously.

I am always on the lookout for delicious soups. I also have a longtime obsession with Thai Peanut Sauce, which I could probably eat way to often if you let me. Actually, if you expand it to just peanut butter, I could probably eat it daily for an indefinite amount of time. That stuff is delicious (for the record, I am firmly in the camp of old fashioned, peanuts only, crunchy peanut butter. none of that processed junk that doesn't even need go to in the fridge, which is just scary).

ANYWAYS... with my peanut-love, I was very delighted to see this Thai Peanut Soup recipe, which I made pretty much just as described.

The Stuff:
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon margarine/butter/oil of your choice
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon very finely chopped lemongrass (white part only) or 1 tsp finely shredded lemon peel*
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1 (14-oz) can chicken broth (about 1 3/4 cups) or veggie broth
1 (13 1/2-oz) can unsweetened light coconut milk (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup peanut butter (obviously I used crunchy)
1 tablespoon soy sauce

optional garnish:

1/4 cup chopped peanut

diced fresh cilantro 

thinly sliced red pepper

sesame oil 

What to do with it:

In a medium saucepan cook onion, celery, and finely chopped red sweet pepper in oil until tender. Stir in flour, lemongrass, and ground red pepper. Add chicken broth and coconut milk together. Cook, stirring, until mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly. Then just cook a few minutes more so it's really thick. When that's done, add the peanut butter and soy sauce at the very end. Then, garnish as you wish.


This was really really good... it was hearty and warm and flavorful and absolutely delicious. The original post says you can add chicken, which I'm sure you can  (obviously de-vegetarianizing it along the way), but honestly I don't think it needs it. It is very filling as it is. Try it, you'll like it!



* a quick note about lemon grass... it's one of those ingredients that always foils me- I never have it at the right time, and if I do buy some, I never use it all up. NO MORE! I posted previously about my giant excitement with the frozen herbs, well, someone got in touch with the good people over at Gourmet Garden, who make lemongrass in a tube! They had it in the produce section of my grocery store... this is genius, I tell you, genius!