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Chicken Pepper Soup

Chicken Pepper Soup is the most commonly prepared Nigerian pepper soup at home — lighter than goat pepper soup, quicker to make and with a cleaner, more delicate broth that allows the pepper soup spices to shine with particular clarity. It is the Nigerian family's go-to therapeutic soup when someone is unwell, and the classic hangover cure in Nigerian popular culture — drunk very hot and very spiced in large quantities after an enthusiastic night of celebration.

Chicken Pepper Soup, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 whole medium chicken, cut into 8 to 10 pieces
  • Lemon juice and salt for cleaning
  • 4 Atarodo (very hot chilli peppers) — whole
  • 1 teaspoon of ground uziza seeds
  • 1 teaspoon of ground ehuru
  • 1 teaspoon of ground Cameroon pepper
  • 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 5 glasses of water
  • A small handful of fresh scent leaves, torn
  • A small handful of fresh uziza leaves — optional

Method

  1. 01

    Cleaning. Clean chicken pieces with lemon juice and salt. Rinse thoroughly.

  2. 02

    Building the Broth. Place chicken in a large pot with 5 glasses of water. Add all pepper soup spices, ground crayfish, sliced onion, seasoning cubes and salt.

  3. 03

    Cooking. Bring to a vigorous boil. Skim foam. Reduce to medium. Cook covered for 25 to 30 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and the broth has developed its characteristic golden aroma.

  4. 04

    Adding Leaves and Serving. Add scent leaves and uziza leaves in the final 3 minutes. Taste and adjust all seasonings. Serve immediately, piping hot.

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