Nigerian Chicken Pepper Soup
A proper chicken built around chicken pieces, scent leaves (basil) and parsley β roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and large pot. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
π Unit converter
How to make it
- Wash the chicken pieces thoroughly, place them in a large pot with half the chopped red onion, the thyme, one crumbled stock cube and a little salt, then add just enough water to cover and bring to a simmer.
- Toast the ehu seeds lightly in a dry pan, then grind them with the tatashe and the remaining onion to a coarse paste.
- Once the chicken has simmered for about 15 minutes, stir in the spice paste, the ground crayfish and the remaining stock cube.
- Add the rest of the water, prick the whole habanero and drop it in whole for aroma without overwhelming heat, then cover and simmer.
- Cook for a further 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through to an internal temperature of 75 C with no pink remaining at the bone.
- Taste the broth and adjust the salt and heat, removing the habanero if the soup is hot enough for your liking.
- Stir in the chopped scent leaves and parsley, simmer for 2 more minutes, then serve the pepper soup piping hot in bowls on its own or with boiled yam or rice.
You'll use: Pan Β· Large pot Β· Saucepan
Tips & common questions
How long does Nigerian Chicken Pepper Soup take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish β an estimate based on the 7 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes β use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
How should I store leftovers?
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate in an airtight container, and eat within 3 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout.
Related recipes
Nigerian Chicken Pepper Soup is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Chicken pepper soup.jpg by NiferO, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top β how we source recipes.