Description
Nigerian pepper soup is a thin, fiery broth with a unique spice blend and scotch bonnet pepper, and the meat cooked on the bone. It is nothing like a creamy bowl of soup but rather a hot, aromatic broth you sip, with pieces of meat in it.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lb (1.1 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch (2.5 cm) fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp pepper soup spice mix, plus more to taste
- 1 to 2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, left whole
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 6 cups (1.4 L) water
- 1 tbsp ground dried crayfish (optional)
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
Instructions
Put the chicken in a large pot with the onion, garlic, ginger, 1 tbsp of the pepper soup spice mix, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 cup of water. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring once, until the chicken has released some of its juices.
Add the water, the remaining 1 tbsp spice mix, the whole scotch bonnet peppers and the bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Stir in the crayfish, if using, and the basil. Simmer for 5 more minutes.
Skim any excess fat from the surface. Taste and adjust the salt. Cut the scotch bonnet open for more heat if you want it, or fish the peppers out whenever the heat suits you. Serve hot in bowls.
Notes
- Goat: use 2 lb (900 g) bone-in goat pieces and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or about 30 minutes in a pressure cooker, until tender, topping up with 2 to 3 cups of hot water as it reduces.
- Basil stands in for scent leaf, the herb Nigerian cooks use. It is a substitute, not the same flavor.
- Often served on its own, or with boiled yam.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Comforting Soups
- Cuisine: Nigerian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 260
- Fat: 17 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Protein: 22 g