Ghanaian Chicken Light Soup with Sankofa Soup Seasoning

Light soup is Sunday in a bowl: tender chicken in a peppery tomato broth, poured over fufu or rice balls. This version uses Sankofa Soup Seasoning in place of bouillon cubes, so you get the depth without the MSG.

Serves 4 to 6 · Prep 15 minutes · Cook about 50 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 lb (about 900 g) bone-in chicken pieces, or goat meat
• 1 large onion: half finely chopped, half left whole
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 1 or 2 scotch bonnet peppers, or Sankofa Pepper Seasoning to taste
• 1 small eggplant or 2 garden eggs (optional)
• A thumb of fresh ginger and 3 cloves garlic, or 1 sachet Sankofa Ginger & Garlic Seasoning
• 1 sachet (5 g) Sankofa Chicken Seasoning
• 1 sachet (5 g) Sankofa Soup Seasoning
• About 6 cups water
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Rub the chicken with the Chicken Seasoning, the chopped onion, the ginger and garlic (or Ginger & Garlic Seasoning) and a pinch of salt. Leave for 10 minutes.
2. Put the chicken in a large pot with ½ cup water. Cover and steam over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once, so it releases its juices.
3. Add the whole tomatoes, the onion half, the peppers and the eggplant, plus 2 cups water. Cover and boil for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
4. Lift out the tomatoes, onion, peppers and eggplant. Blend them smooth with a little of the broth, then pour back into the pot through a sieve.
5. Add about 3½ cups water and the Sankofa Soup Seasoning. Simmer uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
6. Taste and add salt. For more heat, add Pepper Seasoning a little at a time.

Serve with fufu, omo tuo (rice balls) or plain rice.

Tips

• Don't skip steaming the chicken in step 2. It gives light soup its deep flavor.
• The chicken is done when its juices run clear, or at 165°F on a meat thermometer.
• Like it thicker? Simmer for 10 more minutes with the lid off.

Shop this recipe

• Sankofa Soup Seasoning
• Sankofa Chicken Seasoning
• Light Soup Sunday bundle: soup, chicken, ginger and garlic, and pepper together