
A light, fiery broth of goat meat and aromatic spices that warms body and soul.
Liberian Pepper Soup is a thin but intensely spiced broth built on goat meat (or chicken) simmered with a blend of whole spices including Negro pepper (grains of Selim) and African nutmeg. It is prized as a cold remedy, a post-partum restorative, and a flavour-packed starter at any celebration.
Serves 4
Combine goat meat with Negro pepper, African nutmeg, seasoning cube, and salt. Let marinate 10 minutes.
Place meat in a pot with onion, scotch bonnets, and 1.5 litres of water. Bring to a boil, skim foam, then reduce heat and simmer 50 minutes until meat is tender.
Taste broth and add more salt or pepper as needed. Remove whole scotch bonnets for milder heat or crush them in for maximum spice.
Ladle into bowls with the meat and serve with sliced white bread or fufu.
A pressure cooker cuts cooking time to 25 minutes.
Add uziza leaves or scent leaves in the last 5 minutes for extra aroma.
Use chicken or catfish instead of goat.
Add yam cubes to the broth for a heartier version.
Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze the broth for 2 months.
Pepper soup spans all of West Africa. In Liberia it is integral to healing traditions — new mothers are fed pepper soup in the first weeks after delivery to regain strength.
African or Caribbean grocery stores stock it; substitute with a mix of black pepper and allspice if needed.
Per serving (350g) · 4 servings total
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