The Global Kitchen

Pepper Soup

Pepper soup is a special Nigerian dish served just before or after the main meal. It is a comfort food most common in the rainy season and during the cold hamattan season, when people desire to keep warm or have the feeling of being warm.

The basic ingredient for the pepper soup is the meat. While you can use any kind of meat, whether beef or lamb or goat meat or fish, traditionally pepper soup is prepared using the animal's internal organs such as liver, heart and tripe. This does not apply to fish pepper soup; in that case, you use the whole fish (the edible parts, of course).

Our dish at this time is made with goat meat.

Goat Meat Pepper Soup

For our recipe, you need the following:
(Note every ingredient here can be found in your local African food store)

Main Ingredients
(1) Goat Meat -- 1.0kg (whole leg - makes serving for 10 or more adults)
(2) Onions -- 40g (Two whole bulbs - optional)
(3) Fresh or dry Hot Peppers -- 3g (8 African or Jamaican)
(4) Salt -- (to taste)

 

Spices:
(5) Black Pepper -- 2mg (2 teaspoons)
(6) Uda -- 1 pod
(7) Uzuza leaves (5 fresh leaves)
(8) Ncheanwu  leaves-- (3 or 4 stems)

The Preparation:

Cut the goat meat into small bite-size pieces. It is not necessary to de-bone the meat as you will be cooking everything together and the juices from the bone helps to enhance flavor.

Rinse the meat in clean water. Season it with black pepper and set aside.

Pound the uda and uzuza together in a small mortar using a pestle. This can also be accomplished with a small electric blender.

Repeat the above process with the red peppers (African or Jamaican).

Separate the Nchanwu leaves from the stems. Discard the stalks and wash the leaves in water to remove dirt or clinging garden matter.

Shred the nchanwu leaves into 1/2 to 1/4 in bits. Set aside.

Peel and slice up the onions. Set aside. Traditionally, no onions are added to the pepper soup. Some later day cooks use it. I find that the use of onions does not hurt. The choice is yours.

The Cooking:

Place the seasoned meat in a large cooking pot, add salt and onions. Place on the stove (do not add water), cover and bring to a steam boil under medium heat.

Let the meat cook for about 10 minutes in its own juices.

Stir once and keep covered, but do not let the meat go dry.

Add the ground African peppers. Be careful now! This ingredient is the reason why this dish is called pepper soup. It is highly pepper hot! For hot pepper-intolerant people, substitute more black pepper or use milder variety of fresh red peppers.

Add additional six cups of water. Stir and cook for another 10 minutes.

dd the uda and uzuza ground. Stir some more and continue to cook under high heat. Cook until meat is well done and tender (about 10 minutes more). Add an extra cup of water if necessary. Do not let the soup get too thick.

Just before you take down the pot from the heat, add the shredded nchanwu leaves, cover and turn off the heat. Let stay and keep covered for another 5-10 minutes.

Stir and ladle into serving bowls. There should be enough to make a bowl each for 8-10 adults.

Bon appétit!