This chicken pepper soup is another well-sought-after delicacy in many Nigerian homes. This hearty soup can be enjoyed any time, no matter the season!
Like other Nigerian pepper soups, this chicken soup is a great pick-me-up and makes you feel better if you’re coming down with a cold. It is so soothing and just warms you up from the inside.
What Part Of Chicken Do I Use For Pepper Soup?
Basically, you can use almost any part of a chicken for your pepper soup. The popular parts used include the thighs, drumsticks, wings, or the chest.
I personally prefer to use chicken breast for mine since it is boneless. This way, my family can drink the soup and eat the chicken with every spoon.
Ingredients Used
- Chicken breast: For this recipe, I will use chicken breasts, but chicken thighs, drumsticks, or wings would do nicely.
- Spices: bouillon powder, smoked paprika, salt.
- Special pepper soup spices. These spices are the traditional pepper soup spices that given pepper soup the taste it has. They are made of Selim seeds or Uda seeds, Aligator Pepper or Ulima seeds, and Calabash/African nutmeg, also known as Ehuru in Nigeria. This post on pepper soup spices will teach you how to make them the African way or with common grocery store spices. You can also buy it online from Amazon.
- Habanero pepper/scotch bonnet peppers. This is optional, although I always use at least one for an extra spicy kick.
- Basil leaf is also known as scent leaf. This is also optional, but I like to use it for my pepper soup to add its aromatic taste and scent.
How To Make This Recipe
- Wash the chicken breast and then cut it into small pieces. I prefer to cut mine into bite-sized pieces so it would cook faster.
- Put the chicken in a pot with 3-4 cups of water, then add the bouillon powder and smoked paprika.
- Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the pepper soup spice and habanero pepper. Pepper soup spice already contains some heat, so skip it altogether if you don’t want the soup extra spicy.
- Taste for salt before adding any.
- Simmer for 10 more minutes or until chicken is tender.
- Your delicious, aromatic pepper soup is ready to serve!
Storing And Reheating
Store it in an air-tight container to preserve it properly. You can store chicken pepper soup for a few days in the refrigerator and about a month in the freezer before it starts to lose its taste and scent.
If frozen, allow the pepper soup to thaw entirely before reheating. There’s no need to add water to reheat it, just leave it on low heat for five to ten minutes. Keep watch and turn it with a spoon so it doesn’t burn. Do not reheat in a microwave to prevent it from splashing everywhere.
What Can I Eat This Recipe With?
The Nigerian chicken pepper soup is filling and very nutritious, so it can be eaten as a standalone meal. This warm and soothing appetizer also helps kick-start your appetite if you don’t seem to have any. However, you can pair this delicacy with cauliflower rice or shirataki noodles for a more filling meal.
Tips And Variations
- Chop the habanero pepper for more heat, use it whole for less heat. Or skip it all altogether.
- You can use fresh chicken straight from the farm or frozen chicken just fine for this recipe.
- While cooking, add a tablespoon of the pepper soup spice mix first and check if it tastes okay. Use no more than 2 tablespoons of the spice because too much of it may cause the soup to be slightly bitter.