African Pepper Chicken Soup Recipe – This spicy, brothy soup is a prized dish in West Africa for good reason. The flavors are intense, and the broth is tasty enough to drink straight out of the bowl. 🤩
African pepper soup is simple yet flavorful and an absolute delight to eat. You’ll also love how easy it is to make! You simply blend the spices, add it to a pot with water and chicken, and let it cook until the chicken is tender.
This delicious African chicken pepper soup is also easy to customize. You can make it more or less spicy, keep it simple with chicken and broth, or add vegetables and other add-ins. Feel free to take this recipe and make it your own.
Content…What Is It? |
What Is African Pepper Soup?
African hot pepper soup is a simple yet intensely flavored soup that’s a kitchen staple throughout West Africa, especially in Nigeria, Cameroon, and neighboring African countries. The soup always contains hot peppers, but past that, the variations are endless.
In fact, there are almost as many variations as cooks, with everyone insisting that Grandmother’s take on this peppery soup is the only authentic way. Obviously, my version is the only authentic way to cook African pepper soup. (I’m kidding, I’m kidding. 😜)
Ingredient List
- Chicken – A roughly 3-pound chicken cut into pieces works perfectly for this recipe. But you could use 3 pounds of thighs, legs, or leg quarters.
- Pepper Soup Spices – Onion, garlic, ginger, paprika, chicken bouillon, green onions, parsley, basil, and bay leaf provide the flavor base. But you can add lemongrass, allspice, cumin, curry, and fennel seeds for an exciting taste.
- Pepper – Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers are ideal for adding heat to this soup. Sweet peppers like Cubanelles will give you the flavor without the heat.
- Njangsa – This exotic spice usually goes in Cameroonian versions of this soup. It has a delectable, nutty flavor. It can be hard to find, so omit it if need be.
How to Make African Pepper Soup
- Puree the spices in a blender or food processor.
- Cook – Add the chicken and pureed spices to a pot with 7-8 cups of water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the chicken is tender.
- Serve – Discard the bay leaf, taste and adjust seasonings, and add some water if necessary to adjust the thickness. Serve hot.
Recipe Variations
- Make it vegetarian. Swap out chicken bouillon for a vegetable bouillon and cook this soup with chickpeas or lentils instead of chicken.
- Add vegetables. Add just almost any vegetable to this soup for more flavor and nutrition. That’s your cue to get creative. 😉
- Use a different protein. Goat meat pepper soup is a popular option, but any meat works well here, from beef to fish and anything in between.
- Nigerian pepper soup enjoys an herb called scent leaf (also called clove basil). Add a few leaves if you can find them for even more flavor.
Tips and Tricks
- I like using a fresh hen (stewing chicken) to cook pepper soup as it yields more flavor.
- Use the whole chicken. I mean the whole chicken. I even include the feet and head. Even if you don’t want to eat them, they’ll add flavor and nutrients to your soup.
- Njansa can be hard to find. Look for it in African markets or online. And if you can’t get your hands on it, don’t sweat it because the soup will still taste great. 😋
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Make this soup up to three days in advance, let it cool, then store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Reheat on the stovetop over medium until it’s nice and hot.
The same goes for leftovers. And yes, it freezes well for 3-4 months.
What Goes With African Pepper Soup
Serve African pepper soup with regular fufu or ugali (corn fufu). You could also serve a side of njama njama to keep the meal African-themed. Another option is to serve it up American-style with a side salad and a crusty loaf of garlic bread.
More West African Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
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African Chicken Pepper Soup
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Ingredients
- 3-3½ pound (1-1.5kg) chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon (12g) ginger, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (6-7g) paprika
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tablespoon (10g) Maggi or bouillon powder
- 2 green onion, chopped (whites and green parts)
- 3-5 tablespoons (5-9g) parsley, basil, or other fresh herb
- 1-3 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers
- salt and white pepper to taste
- ¼ cup (60ml) njansa (optional)
Instructions
- Puree the spices in the blender or food processor, pulsing until everything is finely ground.
- Add the chicken and spices to a large pot with 7-8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the chicken is tender.
- Discard bay leaf, then adjust for seasonings and thickness (add more water if desired). Serve hot.
Tips & Notes:
- I like using fresh hen (stewing chicken) to cook pepper soup because it yields more flavor.
- Use the whole chicken, including the feet and head. Even if you don’t want to eat them, they’ll add flavor and nutrients to your soup.
- Njansa is available in some African markets, but you can also purchase online at Amazon.
- Basic ingredients for authentic pepper soup are hot peppers, onions, garlic, and ginger. After that, ethnic spices range from lemongrass to allspice, cumin, curry, and fennel seeds. I kept this recipe simple so anyone anywhere can easily make this soup. Use any protein of choice (goat meat, chicken, fish, beef, and organs.)
- Please remember the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Amanda says
I’m excited to try and make this soup for a dinner party I’m having. When you say to puree all the spices, are you only talking about the dry spices? Or should I puree all ingredients other than the chicken and bay leaf?
Amanda says
Also, is the 1/4 cup amount of njansa before or after you grind it up?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Amanda, it’s before you ground it up.
imma africanbites says
Hi , Amanda! Thanks for pointing it out. Those spices to puree would include the following: onion, garlic, ginger, green onions, and parsley/basil. Happy cooking!
Amanda says
This looks wonderful! Can I ask how to use the Njangsa? Is it just added to the soup as it is to flavor it, or should it be ground into a paste? Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
The Njansa should be grind together with the other ingredients until puree. About 1/4 cup or less.
Bob says
Hi Imma, I am just asking a thing or two about the pepper….but will be looking for Njansa also, but on to the pepper.
I am a pepper freak and grow the pepper from Cameroon. Friends in Peace Corp brought me the seeds. I see you said to add Scotch Bonnet. My friends called them–Piment….Do you call them Scotch Bonnets? Scotch Bonnets are in the Chinense family of peppers, but when I took pictures of the flower and posted them on a pepper site, right away I was told that I had not a Chinense type pepper, but rather a Baccatum…..I was just wondering if you knew anything about this. They are plenty hot and very tasty. Just put 1/2 on 2 cheese tortillas and it was wonderful.
Thanks for any help—Bob
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Bob! Sorry I don’t know much about these peppers. What I know is that ,piment means pepper in French. And we don’t call them scotch bonnet pepper – just pepper or piment. The most consumed peppers are; tiny oblong pepper(baccatum family) and the round ones (from the scotch bonnet family ) .
Clarence says
Hi Imma,
Do you puree everything in the blender except the chicken and water? I want to make this tonight but I want to be sure I am making this properly. I see your pictures have the whole pepper in there but the instructions don’t specifically say whether I am pureeing those if I am adding those items whole into the pot with the chicken. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Clarence! Yes you do, the only time I don’t puree the pepper is when am making it for kids and/or adults who can’t take the heat.
Happy Cooking!!!
Clarence says
Thank you so much Imma! Going to to enjoy this!
janny says
Wow…dear I love your recipe simple, good and presentable
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Janny!!
Ntuk says
Nice recipe, please what is Njansa and how can i get it? thanks !
ImmaculateBites says
Njansa is nutty spice used to flavor soups it’s available in some African Markets, if you are living abroad.
Juliet says
I’ve been using ur recipes for a while now and it’s been of huge help to me. Pls I want u to tell me the weight of the chicken in kilos cos I’m so much confused with pounds and also the substitution for njasan leaf. Pls do reply my request cos I can’t wait to prepare this for dinner tonight. Thanks once again for ur help.I do appreciate.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Juliet! It’s about 1.3-1.5kg chicken . Omit the bay leaf and Njansa if you do not have any of these.
Charlie says
I de do the thing with cow foot. I go add pepper for the thing ha ha ha ha ha . Man no run!
ImmaculateBites says
Charlie you are too funny!!! Man no run.
ngomba mbua george says
ur just great infact great is an understatement u tooooooo much
Divine says
Thanks for this recipe Immaculate.
I don’t have njansan available and I have been wondering for days if I could make any “respectable”pepper soup without njansan. I just found the assurance/answers I needed, when you say “Do you really need njansa in this soup?………. The basic ingredients that you need in other to enjoy pepper soup is hot pepper, onions, garlic, ginger…”.
Actually, the idea of “simplifying” Cameroonian recipes as you just did, is a very excellent one, which many would find appealing I assume. Particularly those of us that are resident in countries where African/Cameroonian ingredients are relatively very scarce.
Thanks again, and keep up the good work.
Divine.
Helsinki-Finland
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Divine! Always super happy to see another Cameroonian here and YES, you do not need Njangsa. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us. Happy Cooking!
Emmanuella says
Really doing a wonderful work,i think am in love with ur own pattern
ImmaculateBites says
Hey, Emmanuella. Thanks.
chieko says
I love goat pepper soup! I have the authentic spices for it that I purchased at my local African market. I like a lot of habanero for myself but when I make this for friends, I have to tone the heat down otherwise they wouldn’t be able to eat it! Pepper soup spice mix is offered here (they’re in CA): http://www.afrimartonline.com/spicepg2.html If you get a chance to use Nigerian spices, you’ll appreciate the difference! I think more people need to discover and make this soup!!!!!! Thanks Immaculate Bites!
vicky says
how do I make the mild green pepper sauce? cant find the recipe anywhere I had it on some grill food at a Liberian cookout
ImmaculateBites says
Try this one here .http://africanbites.com/?p=3265 and then check out this green seasoned chicken here http://africanbites.com/?p=3265
vicky says
thanks so much for responding. i’m using your pepper soup recipe tonight its perfect weather for it to lots of rain 🙂 and I will try the sauce with chicken I was looking at that. The sauce i’m trying to find though is like harissa I think its sort of gooey like relish. also thanks for the greats recipes .
Samone says
Thank you
ImmaculateBites says
You’re welcome!!
ISREAL ADEOLU says
I LOVE YOUR STYLE ITS SO EASY TO UNDERSTAND
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Isreal.
Emma says
I love the simplicity of your recipie especially the presentations. I will be using you recipes.
thank you.
Africanbites says
Thanks Emma, glad you like the recipes.
Harlex says
This is actual awesome i will be preparing this tomorrow for myself, my family and friends.
Actually i will add some boiled carrots to make the sause chewy.
Have a wonderful Xmas.