African Pepper Chicken Soup with Fufu
Here is a spicy chicken soup that is popular in West Africa served with fufu.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken entire roaster, 3-4 lbs, cut into pieces
- 1 bay leave
- 8 cups water
Pepper Paste for Soup
- 1 onion medium, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp chicken bouillon
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp cilantro chopped
- ¼ cup njansa optional
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tbsp basil chopped
- 2 habanero peppers cored and seed
- 2 green onions white and green parts chopped
Fufu
- 2 plantains green or unripe
- 16 oz cassava aka: yuca
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 2 cups water (1.5 cups for firmer fufu)
Instructions
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Cut the chicken into pieces and discard the backbone.
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Place the onion, garlic, bouillon, paprika, cilantro, njansa, parsley, basil, habanero and green onion in a food processor. Grind into a puree. Add a little water to get it flowing if needed.
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Add the chicken pieces to a large soup pot or Dutch oven then add the water and pepper paste.
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Bring to a boil then simmer until the chicken is tender. Add salt to taste before serving.
Prepare the fufu:
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Peel the yuca with a potato peeler to remove the outer layer down to the white inner part. Cut into pieces and remove the inner fibrous strands. Cut into 2 inch cubes.
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Peel the plantain by taking a small sharp knife to split the peel and pry with your thumb. Cut into 2 inch cubes.
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Place all the cubes into a blender or food processor, add 1.5 cups to 2 cups of water and blend into a fine purée or paste. 2 cups of water works better if you want it softer.
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Heat the paste in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously with a wooden spoon or spatula for 8 to 10 minutes. Keep stirring to remove any lumps. The paste will turn more yellow as it cooks.
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Add ¼ cup water, reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for another 8-10 minutes.