Light Soup
Aperçu
Light soup is Ghanaian, and the name describes its body rather than its strength. It is a thin, clear, tomato-based broth with no thickener at all, no palm nut, no groundnut paste, no ground seeds, which sets it apart from most of the soups it sits beside on a Ghanaian table. It is documented as originating with the Ga-Dangme people of the Greater Accra region, and specifically as a fishermen's soup. The early form was tomato-based and made with sea fish, called aklo or aklor, cooked on the coast around Accra. Over time it broadened to take goat, lamb or chicken, and today it is as likely to be made with meat as with fish. Its reputation is partly medicinal. A hot bowl of light soup, made properly peppery, is what many Ghanaian households reach for when someone has a cold, and it is common comfort food in a way that goes beyond flavour. The standard partner is fufu, and the pairing is close to fixed, fufu and light soup is a single idea in Ghanaian eating rather than two things served together. It is also eaten with omo tuo, the rice balls, and with banku. Because there is no thickener, everything depends on the stock: the soup tastes of what went into it and has nowhere to hide.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
Light soup is documented as originating with the Ga-Dangme people of the Greater Accra Region, in an early form called aklo or aklor, a tomato-based sea fish soup made by fishermen off the Accra coast, before broadening to include goat, lamb and chicken.
Ingrédients
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient. Cuisine, allergies et votre propre jugement
Préparation
- 1
Wash and clean your fish and meat thoroughly in a bowl of water. Remove bones if any
- 2
Wash pepper garlic, onion and ginger and blend together.
- 3
Season with garlic, ginger, pepper and onion mixture. Add a moderate amount of salt to taste.
- 4
Marinate for about 30 minutes.
- 5
Steam under medium heat for about 8 minutes. Take out the fish from the stock to prevent it from dissolving.
- 6
Peel and wash onions, tomatoes and peppers. Add to the stock and add fill 2/3 of the cooking pot or saucepan with water.
- 7
Boil under medium heat until the vegetables (onion, pepper and tomatoes) are soft.
- 8
Remove the vegetables, blend until smooth and pout it back into the saucepan.
- 9
Add a desirable amount of water.
- 10
Add the fish and little amount of salt to taste. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes.
- 11
Your light soup is ready
Notes de l’Africook
- Build the stock first and do not rush it. With no thickener, the broth is the dish, and a thin stock cannot be corrected later.
- Blend only part of the tomato and pepper, and leave some in pieces. Fully blending it turns the soup cloudy.
- Skim the surface as it simmers. Clarity is part of what makes it light soup rather than a stew.
- Add the pepper early so the heat has time to spread through the broth rather than sitting on top.
- It should never be thick. If it has reduced too far, add hot water rather than serving it heavy.
Questions fréquentes
Why is it called light soup?
Because of its consistency, not its flavour, which can be very strongly peppered. Most Ghanaian soups are thickened with something substantial: palm nut in palm nut soup, groundnut paste in groundnut soup, ground seeds in others. Light soup uses no thickener at all, so it stays thin and clear. It is light in body while often being anything but mild.
Where does light soup come from?
It is traced to the Ga-Dangme people of the Greater Accra Region in Ghana. The original version was a tomato-based sea fish soup known as aklo or aklor, made by fishermen working off the coast near Accra. It later expanded to include goat, lamb and chicken, which is how it is most often made today.
What is it eaten with?
Fufu, most commonly, fufu and light soup is close to a single dish in Ghana rather than a pairing. It is also served with omo tuo, the rice balls eaten particularly on Sundays, and with banku. Because it is thin, it can also be drunk from the bowl, which is part of why it is a standard when someone is unwell.
Can I make it with chicken instead of goat or fish?
Yes, and chicken light soup is very common. The soup began as a fish soup and broadened over time, so there is no single correct protein. Goat is often considered to give the best flavour because of the bone and fat it contributes to the broth, which matters more here than in a thickened soup.
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Steaming the chicken and cow meat together gave the stock so much flavor, but taking the dry fish out early was the real saver o. Last time I tried making this soup I left the dry fish in and it scattered inside the pot completely. Added extra fresh pepper sha because we like heat in lagos. E sweet well well.
tried this last night with about 500g beef and chicken pieces. garden eggs were hard to find in woolies so i used small aubergines instead. removing the dry fish after the 8 min steam works like a charm so it doesn't disintegrate into the broth. proper lekker soup, very light as promised