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AI-generated photograph: Clear amber pepper soup in a deep white bowl with chunks of white fish, torn green basil and a lime wedge on the rim

Home · Recipes · Nigerian fish pepper soup

Nigerian · Lunch

Nigerian fish pepper soup

peppered broth · white fish · torn basil

AI-generated photograph

A clear, fiery broth fragrant with pepper soup spice and fresh herbs, with tender pieces of white fish. Light enough for lunch and famous for warming you up on a cold day.

Contains: fish, as written. Fish is the only one of the 14 allergens in this recipe, from the white fish and the fish stock cube. Check the pepper soup spice and stock cube packets, as some contain celery or other allergens.

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • A thumb-sized piece of ginger (about 20g), grated
  • 1 scotch bonnet chilli (ata rodo), finely chopped, or half for a milder soup
  • 2 tablespoons pepper soup spice (sold ready mixed in African shops)
  • 1 fish stock cube, crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon salt, then more to taste
  • 600g firm white fish, such as hake, cod or catfish, cut into 5cm pieces
  • 20g fresh basil, leaves torn (in place of Nigerian scent leaves)
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges

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Let's cook

  1. Put the onion, garlic, ginger, scotch bonnet, pepper soup spice and stock cube in a large pan with 1.2 litres of water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes so the spices flavour the broth.
  2. Add the salt and taste the broth. It should be peppery, warm and well seasoned.
  3. Lower the fish into the broth. Turn the heat down so it barely bubbles and cook for 6 to 8 minutes without stirring, until the fish is white all the way through and flakes when pressed. Stirring breaks the fish up.
  4. Turn off the heat and drop in the basil leaves. Leave for 1 minute.
  5. Ladle into warm bowls with the fish on top and a wedge of lime on the side.

Tips

  • Pepper soup spice is a mix of ground seeds and pods such as calabash nutmeg (ehuru) and uda. Brands differ, so start with 2 tablespoons and add more if you like.
  • Catfish is the classic choice in Nigeria; it is sold frozen, cut into steaks, in African shops.
  • Pepper soup is best the day it is made. If you reheat it, do so once only, until steaming hot.

Swaps

  • Chicken pepper soup: use 800g chicken drumsticks and simmer for 35 minutes until cooked through.
  • Milder: leave out the scotch bonnet and use half the pepper soup spice.

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