Ghanaian Chicken Light Soup
Overview
Light soup is one of Ghana's most eaten soups, and the name is descriptive rather than dismissive. It carries no palm oil, no groundnut paste and no thickener, so what remains is a clear, hot, deeply flavoured broth built on tomato, onion, ginger and habanero, with the chicken cooked in it rather than added to it. That absence is what defines it against the country's other soups. Palm nut soup and groundnut soup are both rich and heavy; light soup is the counterweight, and Ghanaians reach for it when they want something restorative. It has a widespread reputation as the soup given to people who are unwell and to women after childbirth, which reflects both its clarity and its heat. Fufu is the standard partner, and the combination of light soup and fufu is the one most often named when Ghanaians are asked about their national dish. It is served at restaurants and at events more than it is made casually at home, partly because pounding fufu is work. The technique that matters is the steaming of the seasoned chicken before any water goes in, which builds the stock the soup is made of.
AFN Heritage Note
Light soup is a Ghanaian soup distinguished from the country's other principal soups by the absence of palm oil, groundnut paste or any thickener. It is conventionally paired with fufu.
Ingredients
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. Cooking, allergies and your own judgement
Directions
- 1
Wash the chicken thoroughly and pat it dry.
- 2
Place the chicken in a saucepan and season with salt, the seasoning tablet, and one medium onion and the ginger blended together.
- 3
Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, letting the chicken steam in its own juices.
- 4
Add the washed tomatoes, habanero peppers and the remaining onions to the steamed chicken, along with some water.
- 5
Cook until the tomatoes and peppers are soft, about 20 minutes.
- 6
Take out the tomatoes and peppers and blend them until smooth.
- 7
Strain the blended tomatoes and peppers back into the saucepan, adding water as you go.
- 8
Blend the remaining onions with a little water and pour into the saucepan without straining.
- 9
Add extra water, adjust the salt, and cook on low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.
- 10
Serve hot with fufu or any swallow of your choice.
Africook’s Notes
Personal notes from Amanda Dadson- Steam the seasoned chicken before adding any water. That first 15 to 20 minutes builds the stock the whole soup depends on, and skipping it leaves you with chicken in flavoured water.
- Strain the blended tomato and pepper. Light soup should be clear, and unstrained pulp clouds it and changes the texture.
- The onion goes in unstrained while the tomato and pepper are strained. That is deliberate and it gives the soup body without thickening it.
- Five habaneros is standard in Ghana and is genuinely hot. Reduce them if you need to, but the heat is part of what the soup is for.
- Goat, beef, guinea fowl and fresh fish all work in place of chicken and are all made in Ghana. Adjust the cooking time to the meat.
Questions cooks ask
Why is it called light soup?
Because it contains no palm oil, no groundnut paste and no thickener, unlike the other principal Ghanaian soups. The broth stays clear and thin rather than rich and heavy. The name describes the body of the soup rather than its flavour or heat, both of which are substantial.
What is light soup served with?
Fufu above all, and the pairing is close to a national dish in Ghana. It is also eaten with banku, omo tuo or rice balls, and kokonte. It is served as a soup to scoop the swallow into rather than eaten with a spoon on its own.
Can I use a different meat?
Yes, and Ghanaians do routinely. Goat is very common, as are beef, guinea fowl and fresh tilapia, and smoked fish is sometimes added alongside the main protein. Adjust the initial cooking time to the meat: goat and beef need considerably longer than chicken, fish much less.
Why is my light soup cloudy?
The blended tomato and pepper went back in without being strained, most likely. Straining is what keeps the broth clear, which is the defining characteristic of the soup. Boiling hard rather than simmering also clouds it, so keep the final cook at a low heat.
Reviews
3 reviews
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herh chale you didnt mention straining the tomatoes and onions after boiling them! If you dont blend and strain them back into the broth, it wont have that smooth light soup consistency oo. But steaming the chicken with that fresh ginger first is key paa. I got my habaneros from the African market on Grand Concourse and they were potent.
Steaming the chicken first in just the blended onion and ginger gave the meat so much flavour before adding the water. I only used 3 habaneros instead of 5 because my kids cant handle too much heat, but it was still lekker. Paired it with mealie pap since I couldn't get fufu just now. Very warming broth.
5 habaneros for 1 pound of chicken? Abeg the pepper enter well well! I cooked it yesterday evening when I was feeling under the weather. The ginger and habanero combination cleared my chest immediately sha. The meat became very tender after that initial 20 minutes steaming in its own juices. E sweet o.