Liberian Pepper Soup

About This Recipe

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.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 700 ggoat meat, cut into chunks
• 1 tbspground Negro pepper (grains of Selim)
• 1 tspground African nutmeg
• 2 wholescotch bonnet peppers
• 1 mediumonion, quartered
• 1 cubeseasoning cube

Instructions

1. 1

   Season meat

   Combine goat meat with Negro pepper, African nutmeg, seasoning cube, and salt. Let marinate 10 minutes.

2. 2

   Simmer

   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.

3. 3

   Adjust seasoning

   Taste broth and add more salt or pepper as needed. Remove whole scotch bonnets for milder heat or crush them in for maximum spice.

4. 4

   Serve

   Ladle into bowls with the meat and serve with sliced white bread or fufu.

Variations

• •

  Use chicken or catfish instead of goat.

• •

  Add yam cubes to the broth for a heartier version.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze the broth for 2 months.

Frequently Asked Questions