Nigerian Pepper Soup Recipe (Goat Meat & Catfish)

When Chicago gets cold, nothing warms you up like a steaming bowl of Nigerian pepper soup. It's a light, fiery broth packed with aromatic West African spices, served with tender goat meat or soft catfish. It's the soup of cold nights, celebrations, open-air joints in Lagos, and the bowl every new mother gets after giving birth. Here's how to make it at home.

Goat meat pepper soup

1. Wash the goat meat well and put it in a pot with the onion, one seasoning cube and a pinch of salt.
2. Steam it in its own juices. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes without water. This draws the flavor out of the meat.
3. Add water and simmer. Pour in enough water to cover the meat and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the goat is tender. A pressure cooker cuts this to about 20 minutes.
4. Add the spices. Stir in the pepper soup spice, scotch bonnet, crayfish, the rest of the seasoning cubes and more water if you want more broth. Simmer 10 minutes.
5. Finish with herbs. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Stir in the scent leaves or uziza, cook 2 more minutes and turn off the heat.
6. Serve hot on its own, or with boiled yam, white rice or agidi.

Catfish pepper soup (point and kill)

Catfish pepper soup is lighter and quicker, because fish cooks in minutes. In Nigeria it's often called “point and kill,” because at restaurants you point at the live catfish you want.

1. Cut 2 lb catfish into thick steaks. Rinse with warm water and a little salt or lime to remove the slime.
2. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil with onion, pepper soup spice, scotch bonnet, crayfish and seasoning cubes. Simmer 10 minutes so the broth is full of flavor before the fish goes in.
3. Gently add the catfish. Don't stir, or it will break. Shake the pot instead.
4. Simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes, until the fish is cooked through.
5. Add scent leaves or uziza, taste for salt and serve right away.

Other kinds of pepper soup

The same spiced broth works with almost any protein: chicken, beef, cow foot, tripe and assorted meats (offals), or fresh fish. Some people add chunks of yam or unripe plantain to make it a full meal.

Tips for the best pepper soup

• Toast whole spices first. If you're using whole calabash nutmeg or alligator pepper, dry-toast them in a pan for a minute, then grind. The aroma is much stronger.
• Go easy on the pepper at first. You can add more heat, but you can't take it out.
• Keep it brothy. Pepper soup should be light, not thick like a stew.
• Add the leaves at the end. Scent leaf and uziza lose their fresh flavor if they boil too long.

Is pepper soup healthy?

Pepper soup is a light, protein-rich broth with very little oil, which is why it's a favorite comfort food when someone is feeling under the weather, and a traditional meal for new mothers. If you're sensitive to spicy food, start with less pepper.

Shop pepper soup ingredients

Igbasan Pepper Soup MixThe key spice →Asiko Pepper Soup MixAnother great blend →Alligator Pepper (Atare)Extra aroma →Maggi Seasoning CubesSeasoning →Knorr Chicken CubesRich stock →

In Chicago? Pick them up at our store at 1651 E 87th St, or shop all spices and seasonings online.

Pepper soup questions

What is pepper soup spice made of?

Usually a ground blend of calabash nutmeg (ehuru), uda (grains of selim), uziza seeds, alligator pepper and sometimes dried ginger and other native seeds. Every region and family has its own mix.

What can I use instead of scent leaf or uziza?

Fresh basil is the closest easy swap for scent leaf. For uziza leaves, a little extra black pepper and basil gets you close.

What do you eat with pepper soup?

It's great on its own, or with boiled yam, white rice, agidi (eko) or a slice of bread.

Can I freeze pepper soup?

Yes. Goat meat pepper soup freezes well for up to 2 months. Catfish pepper soup is best eaten fresh.

Keep reading

Easy Egusi Soup RecipeOfada Rice & Ayamase Stew RecipeWhat Are Maggi Cubes? How to Use Them