A warming Nigerian pepper soup made with assorted meat, pepper soup spice, crayfish, fresh herbs, and a clean spicy broth.

Ingredients

• 2 lb assorted meat, tripe, goat meat, and beef, cut small
• 8 cups water
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp ground pepper soup spice
• 1 tbsp ground crayfish
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers, minced
• 2 seasoning cubes
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground uziza seed, optional
• 1 cup scent leaf or basil, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

Preparation Steps

1. Rinse the assorted meat thoroughly and place it in a large pot with onion, ginger, salt, seasoning cubes, and 6 cups water.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and cook for 50 to 60 minutes until the tougher cuts soften.
3. Top up with the remaining water as needed to maintain a brothy consistency.
4. Add pepper soup spice, ground crayfish, scotch bonnet, and uziza seed. When to Mix: stir these spices in only after the meat is mostly tender so the broth stays bright and aromatic.
5. Simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam from the surface.
6. Taste and adjust salt or pepper. After 5 more minutes of simmering, fold in the scent leaf.
7. Cook for 2 minutes after adding the herbs, then turn off the heat and serve hot.

Serving Notes

Serve hot and adjust pepper, salt, and stock to your preferred taste. This recipe is designed for home cooks who want authentic West African flavor with clear timing cues.

Recipe Schema

{
  "Title": "Nigerian Assorted Meat Pepper Soup with Scent Leaf",
  "Prep Time": "25 minutes",
  "Cook Time": "1 hour 20 minutes",
  "Servings": "6",
  "Difficulty": "Medium",
  "Ingredients List": [
    "2 lb assorted meat, tripe, goat meat, and beef, cut small",
    "8 cups water",
    "1 medium onion, chopped",
    "2 tbsp ground pepper soup spice",
    "1 tbsp ground crayfish",
    "2 scotch bonnet peppers, minced",
    "2 seasoning cubes",
    "1 1/2 tsp salt",
    "1 tsp ground uziza seed, optional",
    "1 cup scent leaf or basil, sliced",
    "1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated"
  ],
  "Preparation Steps": [
    "Rinse the assorted meat thoroughly and place it in a large pot with onion, ginger, salt, seasoning cubes, and 6 cups water.",
    "Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and cook for 50 to 60 minutes until the tougher cuts soften.",
    "Top up with the remaining water as needed to maintain a brothy consistency.",
    "Add pepper soup spice, ground crayfish, scotch bonnet, and uziza seed. When to Mix: stir these spices in only after the meat is mostly tender so the broth stays bright and aromatic.",
    "Simmer for 15 minutes, skimming any foam from the surface.",
    "Taste and adjust salt or pepper. After 5 more minutes of simmering, fold in the scent leaf.",
    "Cook for 2 minutes after adding the herbs, then turn off the heat and serve hot."
  ]
}