West African Groundnut Spicy Chicken Soup Recipe
This West African Groundnut Spicy Chicken Soup is a rich, hearty, and flavorful stew featuring tender chicken drumsticks simmered in a fragrant peanut butter sauce infused with spices, garlic, ginger, and fresh Scotch bonnet chili. Perfectly caramelized and aromatic, this comforting dish captures the essence of traditional West African cuisine and is ideal served with rice, plantains, or bread.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: West African
Ingredients
Chicken and Seasoning
- 12 chicken drumsticks
- 2 tsp ground coriander (divided)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- Ground white pepper, to taste
- Salt, to taste
Cooking Base
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (divided)
- 1 onion, peeled and finely diced
- 2 red bell peppers, deseeded and finely diced
- 400 g chopped tomatoes
Peanut Sauce
- 5 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 cm piece of peeled ginger, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- Scotch bonnet or other chili, to taste
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 stock cube
- 500 ml water
Instructions
- Season the Chicken: In a large bowl, season the chicken drumsticks with 1 tsp of ground coriander, garlic powder, dried thyme, ground white pepper, and salt. Ensure all pieces are evenly coated with the spices.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat 1 tbsp of peanut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken drumsticks in batches, browning all sides until they develop a golden color. Remove and set aside once browned.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the remaining 1 tbsp of peanut oil to the same pan. Add the finely diced onion and red peppers, cooking for about 5 minutes or until the onions have softened and become translucent.
- Prepare Peanut Sauce: Place 1 tbsp of chopped tomatoes, 2 tbsp water, peanut butter, garlic cloves, chopped ginger, and the Scotch bonnet chili into a mini chopper fitted on a Kenwood Titanium Chef machine. Stir the mixture briefly to loosen the peanut butter before blending into a smooth paste.
- Combine and Simmer: Stir the blended peanut butter sauce along with the remaining chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, stock cube, water, and browned chicken back into the pan with the sautéed onion and peppers. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a rolling simmer.
- Cook the Soup: Leave the pan cover slightly ajar to allow the peanut sauce to reduce and thicken. Simmer gently for about 60 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent peanut butter from settling at the bottom.
- Final Texture and Flavor Check: The soup should darken and develop a sweeter, caramelized flavor as it cooks. You will notice a few small oil spots floating on the surface when it is ready. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then turn off the heat.
- Serve: Serve the West African Groundnut Spicy Chicken Soup hot with rice, plantains, or bread. Garnish with additional nuts, fresh herbs, and spring onions if desired for extra flavor and texture.
Notes
- Adjust the heat level by modifying the amount of Scotch bonnet chili according to your spice tolerance.
- If you don’t have a Kenwood Titanium Chef, you can use any blender or food processor for making the peanut sauce paste.
- Stirring occasionally during simmering is important to prevent the peanut butter from sticking to the bottom and burning.
- Allowing the sauce to reduce enhances its flavor and texture, aiming for a thick, caramelized peanut soup consistency.
- This soup stores well and flavors deepen when reheated, making it excellent for leftovers.
