Soups
Cameroonian Pepper Soup
Ingredients
- - Goat meat or catfish, cubed -- 600 g (1.3 lb)
- - Pepper soup spice blend (ground) -- 2 tbsp (2 tbsp)
- - Scotch bonnet pepper, whole -- 1-2 (1-2)
- - Onion, chopped -- 1 small (1 small)
- - Ginger, grated -- 1 tbsp (1 tbsp)
- - Garlic, minced -- 2 cloves (2 cloves)
- - Scent leaf or basil, chopped -- handful (handful)
- - Water -- 1.2 litres (5 cups)
- - Salt -- to taste (to taste)
Method
- Place meat or fish in a pot with onion, ginger, garlic, whole pepper and salt.
- Add water and bring to a boil, skimming any foam from the surface.
- Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30–40 minutes (15–20 minutes if using fish) until tender.
- Stir in the pepper soup spice blend and simmer a further 10 minutes to let the spices infuse.
- Adjust salt and heat to taste, stir in the scent leaf, and simmer 2 more minutes before serving hot in bowls.
Introduction: Pepper soup is a light, fiery, aromatic broth built on a blend of native spices such as African nutmeg (ehuru) and calabash nutmeg, simmered with meat, fish or goat offal.
Cultural Background: Pepper soup is a light, fiery, aromatic broth built on a blend of native spices such as African nutmeg (ehuru) and calabash nutmeg, simmered with meat, fish or goat offal. Widely eaten across Cameroon as a warming remedy for colds and a favourite at evening gatherings with drinks, its clean, intensely peppery broth is prized for waking up the senses rather than filling the stomach.
Tips: Toast whole spices lightly before grinding for a deeper aroma if making your own blend. Serve piping hot — pepper soup is meant to be eaten steaming.
Variations: Use chicken or cow leg for a milder, richer version. Add unripe plantain chunks to make it a fuller meal. Substitute mushrooms and hearty vegetables for the meat, using vegetable stock as the base.
Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop until piping hot.
Nutrition: Calories: 260 kcal | Protein: 28 g | Carbs: 5 g | Fat: 14 g | Fiber: 1 g
FAQs:
Q: What is African nutmeg?
A: It’s a native spice (ehuru/calabash nutmeg) central to authentic pepper soup flavour; specialty African grocers stock it.
Q: Is pepper soup very spicy?
A: It is traditionally quite hot, but the pepper quantity can be reduced to taste while keeping the spice blend.