Crème of Peppersoup shots

This Crème of Peppersoup soup gets served in shot glasses for fun and aesthetics (serious shakara).

Nigerian peppersoup is an aromatic, intensely flavoured soup made with a blend of native African spices which is good for the body and soul; warming and comforting. It is better than any cold/flu medicine, no joke!

People say it is not really peppersoup if the hot delightful soup doesn’t make you cry and sweat at the same time, this may be true but you know there are also different expressions of food…… So today we bring you beautifully presented peppersoup which won’t make you cry but would definitely have you marvelling at the flavours and wanting for more. So make the soup on a cold night which is every night these days and you will be better for it or serve it at your next dinner party – perfect entrée for that 5 course meal you have been planning to make for your loved ones J

Recipe

4 cups of water
2 teaspoons of pepper soup spices*
2 crayfish/chicken/beef/vegetable stock cubes
1 teaspoon of dry pepper (hot chilli) – more or less according to taste
Sea salt to taste
Crème fraîche
Chopped chives to garnish

Method

Pour water in a soup pot, add pepper soup spices, stock cubes, dry pepper and the lemon grass stalks if using. Allow to simmer on low heat till it comes to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, stir well to combine and gently simmer to allow the flavors develop.
Taste-test the soup for salt and spice, add more salt to taste or more pepper as desired. If too spicy for your taste, add some chicken/vegetable/beef stock.
Strain the soup using a strainer, add 2-3 dollops of crème fraîche and stir really quickly
Divide soup among small cups or shot glasses and garnish with freshly chopped chives

* You can make your own pepper soup spice blend if you have access to the native spices or you can buy pepper soup spices from any African shop or from www.dvees.com/shop or better still Kitchen Butterfly has a suggested mix for non-Nigerians and Nigerians who don’t have access to the traditional spice mix.

Non-traditional peppersoup spice blend

60g aniseed pepper

50g coriander seeds

50g cumin seeds

50g fennel seeds

30g whole black peppercorns

25g cloves

50g allspice

50g dried ginger

25g ground cinnamon