Achu Soup

Cheerfully yellow, delicate soup prepared in Cameroon with traditional spices and a pleasant amount of heat. Pair it with mashed or pounded achu coco (taro) for a complete meal.

Course Main

Cuisine African

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 777kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

The Soup

1-2 pounds (450-900g) assorted meat (beef, tripe, cow skin, smoked fish, dried crawfish, etc.)
salt (½-¾ teaspoon (3-4g) per pound)
ground red pepper to taste (or a whole scotch bonnet)
6-7 cups (1½L) stock (or 6 cups water with 2 tablespoons beef bouillon)
½ cup (118ml) red palm oil
2 tablespoons (15g) ground achu spice
1 tablespoon (10-11g) bouillon powder or Maggi
1 tablespoon (10g) ground limestone

Achu Coco

4-5 pounds (1.8-2.25kg) cocoyams (taro)
2 green bananas or plantains (optional)
salt to taste

Instructions

Achu Soup

Add the meat (beef, cow skin, tripe, etc.) to a medium-sized saucepan, season with salt and red pepper, pour in 6 cups of stock (or bouillon and water), and boil until the meat is tender. It can take 30-60 minutes, or longer, depending on the choice of meat. You can cut this process in half with a pressure cooker.
Remove the meat from the broth and set it aside. Let the stock cool to room temperature. Reserve about 6 cups of broth for the soup, and save (or freeze) the rest for another recipe.
Heat the red oil just until it becomes liquid in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Pour the stock into a blender, then add the warmed red oil, achu spice, limestone powder, salt, and bouillon powder (or Maggi) and puree until smooth and emulsified. It should turn a beautiful yellow color. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Place the meat in a bowl, and pour the yellow broth over it. Or serve the soup in a cocoyam bowl.

Mashed Cocoyam

Steam the cocoyam and optional green bananas until tender, no need to peel.
Rinse in cold water so you can handle them without burning yourself. Remove the peels, and puree the cocoyam and bananas in a food processor or mortar and pestle. Add salt to taste.
Wrap a scoop of the mixture in banana leaves or plastic wrap, and form it into a log. Or serve them like you would mashed potatoes.

Notes

You can purchase cocoyam (taro) in most Asian, Indian, and African stores.
Feel free to adjust the amount of hot pepper, even omitting it if desired.
Achu spice is usually found in African stores, mainly Cameroonian-owned. Amazon also has it. Or replace it with nutmeg and ground pepper.
Make your broth flavorful. If it’s bland, add more pepper, salt, and bouillon.
A little bit of smoked fish adds another dimension to this dish. And some people add dried crayfish while boiling the meat.
The key to a good achu soup is the right combination of limestone and oil (if the soup separates, add a little bit of limestone and pulse again).
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition