African pepper soup is a delightfully ,intensely flavored soup that is served throughout West Africa, especially in Nigeria, Cameroon and other neighboring African countries.
The only ingredient that is inherently present in this soup is – Pepper. The rest is fair game.
There is not just one kind of pepper soup in Africa. In fact, there are almost as many variations as there are cooks, with each one insisting on his or her take ,on this peppery soup, as the only authentic and unpretentious way to make it.
Yes! Even in my family, we all have our take on this soup.
I don’t know about you but I include EVERY part of chicken in my soup – Feet and head too! And I nibble on them.
Oh yes I do, at least when no one is watching – Lol.
The amount of pepper used in this dish is very much a matter of personal taste. I have suggested using an amount that is pleasantly hot, but not over whelming: Just enough to make you sit and take notice-you can adjust if you wish. Or just throw in a whole pepper , you get the flavor not the heat. I do both , an extra one for the heat seeker in the family.
In Cameroon, Njanjsa sometimes plays a big role in this soup. Njansa(the little round condiment in the picture above) is an exotic spice that has a nutty and delectable flavor. It utterly mystifies those who taste them for the first time in soups or stews.
Do you really need njansa in this soup? Not really , however, it adds flavor and thickens any soup. I only use it when I have some available. It is not a spice I can get from my neighborhood supermarket,so I usually don’t sweat it.
The basic ingredients that you need in other to enjoy pepper soup is hot pepper, onions, garlic, ginger then the list goes on with ethnic spices that range from lemon grass to more universal spices like allspice, cumin, curry, fennel seeds. I kept this recipe simple , so anyone, anywhere can try this soup. Use any protein of choice ( goat meat, chicken, fish, beef, ovals.)
Enjoy!
Notes
- I like using fresh hen(stewing chicken ) to cook pepper soup- yields more flavor.
- Njansa is available in some African markets . You can also purchase on line http://tropicalfoodinc.com/index.php
Watch How to Make It
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African Pepper Soup (Chicken)
Ingredients
- 3- 3 1/2 pound 1.3-1.5 kg chicken cut in pieces
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 4-5 garlic clove
- 2 tablespoon chopped ginger
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon Maggi or bouillon granules
- 2 green onion chopped whites and green parts
- 3-5 tablespoon parsley / basil any fresh herb
- 1-3 Scotch bonnet or habanera pepper
- Salt and white pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Njansa optional
Instructions
- Place all the spices in the blender or food processor. Pulse until everything is puree
- Add to the pot of chicken, add water about 7-8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until chicken is tender. Discard bay leaf, add water if necessary.
- Adjust for seasonings and thickness. Serve warm.
Tips & Notes:
- I like using fresh hen(stewing chicken ) to cook pepper soup- yields more flavor.
- Njansa is available in some African markets . You can also purchase on line http://tropicalfoodinc.com/index.php
- The basic ingredients that you need in other to enjoy pepper soup is hot pepper, onions, garlic, ginger then the list goes on with ethnic spices that range from lemon grass to more universal spices like allspice, cumin, curry, fennel seeds. I kept this recipe simple , so anyone, anywhere can try this soup. Use any protein of choice ( goat meat, chicken, fish, beef, ovals.)
Nutrition Information:
Denis Brogan says
Can’t wait to try this recipe
Immaculate Bites says
Let me know how it turns out, Denis! Don’t forget to make some yummy dessert, too. You can take your pick from my list of 25 Insanely Good Summer Desserts. Enjoy!
Abby storrs says
I love pepper soup… and I love this recipe!!!
Abigail Storrs says
I love pepper soup!! Using this recipe I no longer get my soup have to go out and get it I make it at home!!! Thank you!!!
Bridgette says
Hi! Can this be made in the crockpot? It sounds like a good soup to let slow cook. Thanks!
Toni Allen says
Hi. Just a quick question. Can this recipe be frozen for later consumption?
ImmaculateBites says
Yes it can. I do it all the time . Enjoy!
Eileen says
Hello. A girlfriend of mine is Nigerian and adds Plantain to her’s. Is it possible to add with this recipe? Thank you. Big Fan!
imma africanbites says
Hi, Eileen. Yes, you can add slightly ripe or unripe plantains.
Eileen says
Hi Imma, I made this and I believe I should have used less cups of water (I used 7 as advised) or perhaps a different pot. Is there any specific pot guidelines to follow?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Eileen,
No not really. It also depends on type of chicken used . The hard chicken takes more than an hour to cook , so it needs a lot of water .If using young chicken then I suggest you start with 4 cups and add as you go.
Eileen says
A girlfriend of mine is Nigerian and adds Plantain to her’s. Is it possible to add with this recipe? Thank you.
Lauren says
Oh my goodness, Imma, this is A FANTASTIC dish! I’m in love. I made it last night with my husband. I used chicken and added some extra spices that were optional (curry, cumin, allspice). I didn’t have the njangsa but will order for next time. I also added plantains and used habaneros from our garden. Yum! I have been sick with a cold and this put life back into me! Thank you, I love all of your dishes! This one was easy and pretty quick. 🙂
Jona says
I’m going to make this dish today! It looks amazing. What did you use to edit your videos? I started my youtube channel ( jona lorza) about 6 months ago. Do you have any tips or advice?
Thanks !
imma africanbites says
Hi, Jona. Congrats on your channel. I have my videos edited by a third-party. What I can advice though are: natural light is a gem and try to work on your videos in bulk ( like make 3 videos a day) so you’ll have couple of videos to schedule and gain momentum. Hope that helps.
allie says
hi! I’m planning to make this tomorrow for a client but I don’t have njansa – what would the equivalent amount of spice mix be? a quarter cup of ground spices?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Allie, if you don’t have Njangsa that could work. Adjust to taste as you cook. Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks.
allie says
I have berbere spice – so you think that could work??
Desola says
Please what njansa called in either igbo or yoruba language
ImmaculateBites says
Can someone help me out here?
Bunmi says
Njansa is called Erinmado in Yoruba language and Okwe in Igbo.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for taking time out to share this with us .
Mayah Bess says
I love this recipe. It’s delicious I added some cumin in mine and made a side of rice and sweet plantain. Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Oh, nice! So glad you liked it!
Martine says
Love the recipe. In my hometown Cameroon Djansang is an ideal spice. I used goat instead of chicken which I believe is what you used. I didn’t hav scotch bonet and made it without it and it tastes exceptionally well.
Chandra Smith says
How long did it take to cook with goat meat
ImmaculateBites says
It usually takes about about an 1 hour 30 minutes , less or more depending on the size and desired tenderness.
Ayngel says
Hello thank you for this recipe. I do have 1 question. Do I fully cook the chicken 1st and then once it’s done add the water and seasonings? Or do I boil the chicken until half down…..pour the water out and then refill with new water and continue boiling with added seasonings so that im not actually ingesting the original.water from the raw chicken? Thanks;-)
ImmaculateBites says
Hello there ,
Is there are a particular reason you do not want to ingest the water from the chicken? I boil everything together and it cooks until chicken is fully cooked and tender I never cook the chicken fully.
Vennetta Eugene says
This recipe sounds very nice im looking forward to making it. I think its a good option as the weather is getting cold and the food is hot and spicy. Thanks immaculate
Victoria says
I am going to make this my first meal when I get my first apartment. It looks great.
imma africanbites says
Can’t wait for you to try it, Victoria! Let me know how it goes.
Ryn Greaves says
We love this recipe. We add cumin and fennel and used Serrano Peppers it’s wonderful
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Ryn! 🙂
Kristina says
This was so amazing. I couldn’t find njansa, so I added some African pepper soup spice mix. I couldn’t believe how flavorful this was. My boyfriend is Nigerian and he definitely approved it. Next time I’d like to add some potatoes. I think it will work great. Thank you so much for all the recipes. Anything I make from your website it comes out unbelievably delicious.
imma africanbites says
Awww, thank you so much for all the kind words, Kristina and for that handy tip.
CiCi says
I would rather boil the chicken and drain it first before adding the spices. I don’t want to get sick from ingesting bloody chicken water.
Lilly says
Made this soup today. Especially easy recipe! I added okra for a thicker broth. This is definitely a filling soup!