Wednesday, June 1, 2011

West African Pepper Soup, for Whatever Ails Your Body or Soul

I cannot explain my peculiar affinity for West African food. Certainly nothing in my middle class meat-loaf-and-pork-chops middle-of-nowhere American upbringing prepared me for the rich flavors of palm oil, stew meats, and salted fish, or for the fiery heat of Scotch bonnet peppers. But, as I have discussed here before, in posts about red red and keleweleLiberian bean soup,  and even maharagwe, an East African dish to which I obstinately added hot peppers, something about the cuisine speaks to me.  But then, who knows what memories may lurk in the ghostly ancestral memories of our tastebuds?

For me, it all started with pepper soup, a dish I had the pleasure of tasting at Sumah's Carry Out, a D.C. hole in the wall frequented by cab drivers and anyone in search of a soul-warming West African meal. I had little hope of recreating this seminal culinary experience, until the remarkable Ozoz of Kitchen Butterfly sent me the ingredient equivalent of pure gold: authentic Nigerian pepper soup spice. Actually, she sent me two kinds of pepper soup spice, curry powder, crayfish Maggi cubes, and some thyme - a king's ransom of soupy goodness!

 I am not going to attempt a history lesson of pepper soup here - you should definitely read what Ozoz has to say about the matter. In her post about pepper soup, she describes her memories of eating it as a girl in Nigeria, its cultural significance - it can be equated to the iconic importance of chicken soup in the West - and the many herbs and spices involved in the dish, including acceptable substitutions for hard-to-find ingredients such as Mbongo spice, Calabash nutmeg, and Pipper Aethiopila.

She explains that the soup is emblematic of West African cooking, and accurately describes the flavor as "bitter, sweet and somewhat herby, with some astringency." I just know that I could slurp the stuff up until I burst.

Different countries in West Africa - and even regions within countries - have their own versions of the soup. The version I tasted originated (I believe) in Sierra Leone, and was tomato-based, so that's what I set out to recreate with Ozoz's amazing spice:


And, because I ate so much meat on my travels to Prague, Krakow, and Vienna, I decided to make it (almost) vegetarian. Like chicken soup or tomato sauce, there are endless variations and ways to put your personal stamp on this dish; and, like those preparations, this is more of a method than a recipe. With that thought in mind, here's what to do if you'd like to try my version:

In a stock pot, saute 1 large chopped onion and 2 -3 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers in 4 tbsp peanut oil, 1 tbsp red palm oil, and 3 heaping tbsp pepper soup spice, either a blend from an African store, or your own blend - see Ozoz's post for instructions on how to make your own.  Add 2 peeled, cubed yams (African if you can get them) and 1 can plum tomatoes - squish the tomatoes by hand. To this add 1-2 cubes of Maggi crawfish bouillon,  and enough water to cover the ingredients by an inch or so. You do want a soupy, rather than stew-y, consistency. Let simmer until all of the flavors come together. To this, I added a package of chicken style seitan. If you 'd like to use meat in this soup - I will definitely make this again with chicken or goat - saute that at the beginning, and let the soup simmer until the meat is tender.  Salt to taste.

And that's it - another example of a few simple ingredients coming together with just the right spices to create something magic. I hope you'll try it, either my way, Ozoz's way, or your very own version. And don't let the hot weather stop you. While I enjoyed my soup on a blustery day, this feels very right to eat in the heat.





17 comments:

  1. It's great to watch people make foods that may not have been in their usual repertoire. If you like it, you like it, and it's perfect when you share the same affinity with someone else. This would be perfect for a cool summer night.

    ReplyDelete
  2. You know, it's interesting. I've only seen a handful of African dishes on the blogs that I read regularly. I guess I'll have to expand because this dish looks and sounds delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This soup looks as fiery as you described it, and probably as delicious as you captured it. Hmm.. as for your affinity with West African food, have you ever wondered who you were in your past life? ;-) As for me, I only cooked a Botswanan dish once and dated a Cameroonian footballer, also once.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I like the idea of those types of spices reminds me of middle eastern foods which I love.. but this really does sound like a delicious interesting dish! so colorful!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Looks very delicious and interesting! I've never had West African food before. I love trying new cuisines though and this one definitely looks unique. Thanks for the background!

    ReplyDelete
  6. It may have a couple of exotic ingredients, but this soup looks simple (and delicious!) I don`t know a lot about African food, so keep it coming -- you`ve got my interest piqued! Theresa

    ReplyDelete
  7. This looks amazing! And actually reminds me of a soup I had in Haiti (not surprisingly :D)!

    ReplyDelete
  8. After my own heart...beautiful soup and love these flavors!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Since you made it veggie version, I can try them, I haven't tried any west African soups, it has spice factor, so I can try them.Soup looks fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sounds a bit spicy for me but what a wonderful soup. I am also very curious of all African recipes, something so exotic about it. crawfish bouillon? No idea where I would get that.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The flavors here must be fantastic, and I would love the spice. A very unique soup, sounds like a must try.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I think this would wake up just about any ailment... sounds absolutely divine... reading some of the spices about this soup reminds me of how little I know of such things, I mean, I have people commenting all the time of not knowing what 'our' ingredients are, like file' powder and liquid smoke and I always thought, how weird is that///

    ReplyDelete
  13. I am loving the list of ingredients! Beautiful flavors... sounds like a fantastic soup...spicy, "soupy" ( I like that a lot! ), and tasty.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This would be one cure all that would really hit the spot and I think it would be great with goat;-)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Great recipe ! I actually lived in Sierra Leone for few years and then married a Sierra Leonean, so pepper soup is a dish I am very fond of ! They often make it with hog feet there, but also with beef, goat or even dry fish. I have a couple of Sierra Leonean recipes on my blog if you are intrested. And I just have to add: Sierra Leone is a beautiful country with lots of yummy food !

    ReplyDelete
  16. Trix - I'm proud, for your desire to try something new and to give it your own twist. Very well done and the photos are gorgeous

    @ Cheap Ethnic Eatz, think Crab boil.....but of course you would have to use only a touch!

    ReplyDelete
  17. My fiance is Nigerian and recently purchased African pepper soup powder for me. I didn't know how to use it until I found this. Can't wait to make the soup...I love yam, so this should be delectible! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete