Cassava Leaf Soup with Peanut Butter
Liberia
Senior Editor
Abuja, Nigeria ·
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Abuja, Nigeria ·
Cassava leaf soup is eaten across West and Central Africa, and its names map the geography: saka saka and pondu in the Congo basin, and simply cassava leaf in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Wherever cassava is grown for its root, the leaves are eaten too, and a great many countries have arrived at some version of this independently. The West African version this recipe follows is built on groundnut. Peanut butter goes in with the leaves and palm oil, which gives a thicker, richer, nuttier result than the Central African versions that lean on palm oil alone. Smoked turkey, fish or chicken supplies the savoury depth, and scotch bonnet supplies the heat. The leaves themselves carry very little flavour, which is precisely why the dish works: they absorb whatever they are cooked with, so the palm oil, the groundnut and the smoked protein are doing all the talking. That also means the quality of those three decides the pot. It is served over rice, and the one non negotiable is cooking: cassava leaves must be thoroughly cooked, since they are not safe raw. Frozen leaves sold commercially have generally been blanched already, which is why this version cooks relatively briefly.
Cassava leaf soup is documented across West and Central Africa, known as saka saka and pondu in the Congo basin and as cassava leaf in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Cassava was carried to Africa from South America through Portuguese Atlantic trade from the 16th century, and its leaves entered regional cooking alongside its root.
Dietary tags are provided by contributors as a guide, not verified by AFN, and they depend on the products you buy. If you have a serious allergy, check every ingredient yourself.
If using fresh cassava leaves, wash them thoroughly and remove any tough stems or veins. Finely chop the leaves.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped cassava leaves, chopped onion, minced garlic, minced scotch bonnet peppers and peanut butter.
Heat the palm oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
Add the cassava leaf mixture and fry for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the leaves wilt and the peanut butter melts into the mixture.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for a further 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water or broth as needed so it does not stick.
In a separate large pot, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium high heat.
Add the chopped onion and minced garlic and fry until translucent.
Add the protein and brown it on all sides.
Add chicken broth to your preferred consistency, and crumble in the stock cubes if using.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes.
Once the protein is cooked, add the cassava leaf paste and stir well to combine.
Simmer for a further 10 minutes, adjusting the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve hot over rice or with fufu.
Personal notes from Deborah Olayiwola3 reviews
Made this last night with chicken thighs and chunky peanut butter. I could only find frozen cassava leaves in the shop on Moore Street so I thawed them out first. The scotch bonnets gave it a serious kick! Was worried about 1/4 cup of palm oil at first but it tied the whole sauce together nicely.
Frying the peanut butter together with the palm oil and chopped leaves right at the start was new to me, but e sweet o! I used beef and smoked fish for mine. Just had to keep adding small small broth while simmering so the bottom wouldnt scorch.
fresh cassava leaves are impossible to find here in manchester so I used the frozen ground ones from the afro shop in cheetham hill. mixing the peanut butter directly with the leaves before putting in the palm oil worked surprisingly well, reminded me of home sha. did you use smooth or crunchy peanut butter? smooth gave me a really rich texture.