GOOD AFRICAN SOUPS
| PEANUT BUTTER SOUP | ||
| LIGHT VEGETABLE SOUP | ||
| OKRA SOUP | ||
| PALM NUT SOUP |
PEANUT BUTTER SOUP
For variety, beef, lamb, or a combination of meat, smoked fish and crabs may be substituted with chicken.
8 to 12 Chicken pieces
cup smooth peanut butter
1 medium onion, chopped
8 cups slightly warm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon pepper
Diced pimentos (optional)
1 teaspoon hot curry powder (optional)
Season chicken with onions and all dry ingredients. Moisten with a little water and cook over medium heat in a large saucepan for 15 minutes. Stir once or twice. While chicken is cooking, mix peanut butter with water in a bowl until smooth. Add peanut butter mixture to chicken when it is ready. Bring to a boil at once and continue boiling for about 30 minutes.
Grind tomatoes in a blender until smooth, or, if a blender is not available , mash in a bowl and then pass pulp through a sieve. Add pulp to soup. Simmer until chicken becomes tender and oil begins to form in soup. Stir from time to time. Empty soup into serving dish, sprinkle with pimentos and serve hot.
Serves 6 to 8
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
ACCOMPANIMENTS : Fufu
Boiled potatoes or yam
LIGHT VEGETABLE SOUP
3 pounds lamb shanks, cut into l-inch slices,or
pig's feet, or
beef cut into 2-inch cubes
I small eggplant, peeled, or
2 medium fresh yellow squash, or
cubed, or 1 package frozen cooked squash
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup broad or lima beans, canned or frozen
1/2 teaspoon Ac'cent (optional)
2 medium-ripe tomatoes
5 cups water
Season meat with onions, ginger, salt, and Accent. Add a little water to moisten and cook gently for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice. (Pig's feet take longer to cook to become soft.) Add remaining water, and bring to a boil. Add pepper, whole tome toes, and eggplant; cover and boil for another 15 minutes.Reduce heat to medium. Remove cooked vegetables. Peel and mash tomatoes,passing them through a strainer along with the other vegetables, into a bowl (use a blender if available.) Add pulp to soup. Stir in beans and continue cooking gently until the soup is well blended and the meat is tender - approximately 30 minutes. Serve soup piping hot with the pieces of meat. May be served for a first course of a meal.
Serves 2 to 4
Cooking time: 1 l/2 hours
ACCOMPANIMENTS: Fufu ,
Plain Rice,Agidi
Method II: Add 1 pound smoked fish and some cleaned crabs when adding the beans.
OKRA SOUP
2 pounds lamb shanks or meat-covered beef bones
1/2 package frozen whole okra
2 tablespoons grated onion
1/2 pound shrimp, cleaned
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
2 pounds herring or mackerel
5 cups water
1 large ripe tomato
1/2 eggplant, peeled, pared, cut into 3 pieces, or
cooked frozen yellow squash
Season meat with onion, salt, and pepper, and cook slowly for 25 minutes. Add water and eggplant or squash, okra, and tomato and continue boiling until vegetables are soft- about 20 minutes. Reduce heat. Remove vegetables from soup. Smoothly mash okra or chop finely and separately and set aside. With a spoon, mash together the egg plant and tomato, pass through a strainer, and pour the pulp back into the soup (use a blender for this if available). Add shrimp and mashed okra. Bring to boil and add smoked herring or mackerel Continue boiling for 35 minutes.
Serve hot. Okra may be cooked separately and served with soup.
Serves 3 to 4
Cooking time:1 l/4 hours
ACCOMPANIMENTS: Fufu,Dokon,
Plain rice
PALM NUT SOUP
2 pounds beef
2 salted pig's feet, cut into pieces
Salt to taste
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 fresh crabs
2 cans palm nut pulp (imported)*
1 baked mackerel or herring (baked for 45 to 60 minutes at medium heat)
2 cups boiling water
1teaspoon ground hot red pepper
Season beef and pig's feet with salt, half of the onions, and a little water, and simmer for 30 minutes. Empty canned palm nut pulp into a bowl, stir in 2 cups boiling water, then add to meat. Bring to a boil uncovered. Wash and add whole tomatoes. After 20 minutes, reduce heat. Remove cooked tomatoes, mash and pass through a strainer and add pulp to soup. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer for I hour until soup thickens slightly.
Serve hot.
For Palm Nut Stew (Fante: Nkyikyi), allow soup to simmer gently until a thickened consistency is obtained.
Serves 4 to 6
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
ACCOMPANIMENTS: Fufu,Dokon,Ampesi,Kpoipoi
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