Soups
Light Soup (Nkrakra)
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) goat meat or chicken, cut into pieces
- 3 tomatoes, blended
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 litre (4 cups) water or stock
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp ground crayfish (optional)
Method
- Place the meat in a pot with onion, garlic, ginger and a little salt, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes to release juices.
- Add the water or stock and bring to a boil, skimming any foam.
- Blend the tomatoes and scotch bonnet together and add to the pot.
- Simmer for 25-30 minutes until the meat is tender and the broth is fragrant.
- Stir in ground crayfish if using, and adjust salt to taste.
- Serve hot with fufu, rice balls or on its own.
Introduction: Light soup, or nkrakra, is a thin, tomato-based broth cooked with meat, fish or chicken and warming spices.
Cultural Background: Light soup, or nkrakra, is a thin, tomato-based broth cooked with meat, fish or chicken and warming spices. Despite its name, it is deeply flavourful, and is one of the most commonly prepared everyday soups in Ghanaian households, often eaten with fufu or rice balls.
Tips: Searing the meat briefly before adding liquid deepens the flavour of the finished broth.
Variations: Fish or smoked fish can replace meat for a lighter, coastal-style version of the soup.
Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days in a covered container.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop until piping hot throughout.
Nutrition: Calories: 220 kcal, Protein: 22 g, Carbs: 6 g, Fat: 12 g, Fibre: 1 g
FAQs:
Q: Why is it called 'light' soup?
A: It refers to the broth's thin, watery consistency compared to thicker soups like groundnut or palm nut soup, not to its calorie content.
Q: What is traditionally served with light soup?
A: Fufu, banku or rice balls are the most common accompaniments.
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