Nigerian Pepper Soup Recipe
Nigerian pepper soup is a soup made with a mix of blended peppers and spices, it is best known for the aromatic appeal it gives. It can be taken as an appetizer, a comfort meal or even a natural remedy to the flu. It is woodsy and enriched with spices and herbs.
Ingredients
- 3 whole Tilapia fish
- 3 Tbsp ground pepper soup spice
- pepper mix 3 tomatoes, 1 large red bell pepper, 2 scotch bonnets
- 4 cups of water
- garlic
- ginger
- 1 large onion
- salt to taste
- shrimp bouillon
- 1 scotch bonnet garnish
Instructions
- Cut each tilapia fish in 2 (one part head, one part tail), scale and gut the fish to remove the insides of the head, rinse and pat dry.
- Lay out the fish on a large plate or chopping board, sprinkle salt, massage the salt into the insides of the fish and set aside.
- In a pot, pour in the tomatoes, red bell pepper and 2 scotch bonnets. Add a 1/4 cup of water and let it cook for 10-15 mins until soft.
- Drain of any excess water and set aside to cool.
- Peel garlic and ginger, roughly chop up half of the large onion.
- Toss the onion, garlic, ginger and cooked peppers into your blender. Add in 4 cups of water and let it blend till smooth.
- Use a strainer to strain the blended pepper into your pot, you can add 1/2 cup of water to loosen the pepper leftover in order to get more pepper juice.
- Heat up the pepper juice and let it come to a boil.
- Add in 1 star anise and 2 sticks of the grains of Selim. Go in with the pepper soup spice and season with salt and the bouillon. Cover and let it boil vigorously before moving to the next step.
- Add in your salted tilapia fish, making sure to space them a little in the pot. Cover and let cook for 15-20 mins on medium heat.
- Chop up the last scotch bonnet and the other half of the onion from Step 5. Pour into the pot of soup.
- Use your spoon to lightly scoop the soup on to the fish, adjust seasoning and let it simmer for another 5-7 mins before turning off the heat.
Video
Notes
- You know your pepper soup is ready when you begin to see oil gather at the sides of the pot or on the surface of the pepper soup.
- Step 5 says to add in salt, but you might want to be careful with the quantity of the salt since the fish you will be adding in the next step is salted.
- Sprinkle in freshly chopped basil or scent leaf for that extra oomph!