Pepper Soup with Goat
A bold, aromatic West African soup built on slow-simmered goat meat and a signature blend of uziza leaves, scent leaves, and earthy pepper soup spices. It is intensely peppery, deeply savory, and deeply comforting.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs goat stew meat, bone-in (substitute lamb shoulder), cut into chunks
- 6 cups water
- 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 scotch bonnet pepper (or habanero), whole, pierced
- 2 tbsp pepper soup spice blend (find at African grocer)
- 8 leaves uziza leaves, fresh or dried (substitute bay leaves), torn
- 1/4 cup fresh scent leaves (African basil, substitute regular basil), roughly torn
- 2 cubes chicken or beef bouillon cube, crumbled
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground crayfish (dried smoked shrimp powder)
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
Instructions
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1
Rinse 2 lbs cut into chunks goat stew meat, bone-in (substitute lamb shoulder) thoroughly under cold water. Place in a large pot.
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2
Add 1 roughly chopped yellow onion, 2 tsp grated fresh ginger, 2 cubes crumbled chicken or beef bouillon cube, and 6 cups water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any foam that rises.
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3
Reduce heat to medium-low and add 2 tbsp pepper soup spice blend (find at African grocer), 2 whole, pierced scotch bonnet pepper (or habanero), and 2 tsp ground crayfish (dried smoked shrimp powder). Simmer, partially covered, for 60 to 75 minutes until the goat is tender and registers an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (71 degrees C).
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4
Season with 1 tsp salt and adjust water level if needed — the soup should be brothy, not thick.
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5
Add 8 leaves torn uziza leaves, fresh or dried (substitute bay leaves) and simmer 5 more minutes.
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6
Stir in 1/4 cup roughly torn fresh scent leaves (African basil, substitute regular basil) and remove from heat. Serve immediately as a light soup or alongside fufu or rice.