Pepper soup: Sip off the cold!

In the Nigerian society, pepper soup is a local delicacy served in parties and some homes. It is recommended for mothers who have just put to bed, and those who are  down with fever as the high medicinal contents have the  potency to  cure. It is also good for the  cold weather because it keeps  one warm from the inside.  Pepper soup may be served alone or taken with boiled yam, boiled plantain or white rice. TOLUWANI OLAMITOKE looks at the different ways of cooking this local soup.

Assorted meat pepper soup

Ingredients

4oog assorted cow meat cut into pieces

1½ tablespoonfuls ground calabash nutmeg, uda seed, alligator pepper seed and dried ginger root

Chilli pepper

2 teaspoon dry basil leaves

1 tablespoon ground crayfish

2 stock cubes

Sliced onions

Salt to taste

Method

Clean and cook assorted meat

add salt, stock cubes and onions

When meat is done, add ground pepper, ground crayfish, ground pepper soup mix,

stir and cover for 15 minutes.

Serve hot

Catfish pepper soup

Ingredients

1 whole catfish (cut and cleansed)

1 teaspoon of pepper soup mix

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

2 stock cubes

2 cups stock or water

Utazi or bitter leaf

Salt to taste

Method

Place cleansed fish in pot, add stock or water.

Put on medium heat

Add in pepper soup mix, salt, stock cube, oil and utazi or bitter leaf.

Cover and boil for 10 minutes

Serve hot.

Chicken pepper soup

Ingredients

1.5kg whole chicken, cut into serving chunks

2 litres of water or chicken stock

50g chopped fresh scotch bonnet chillies

100g pepper soup spices

1  piece of onion, chopped

Chopped saint leaves

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 stock cubes

Salt

Method

Wash  chicken, cut into serving chunks and add some water.

Add chopped onion, chillies, stock cubes, crushed garlic and salt and cook.

When it is tender, pepper soup spices and boil for another 10 minutes.

Lace soup with sliced  saint leaves

Serve hot in soup bowls