Mushroom Pepper Soup

This mushroom pepper soup is spicy, comforting, and warm, making it perfect for a cold day, especially a sick day. This Nigerian-inspired soup is brothy and flavoured with diverse indigenous West African spices, giving it a unique aroma and taste. This fully plant-based take is hearty and delicious. The plantain adds a sweetness that balances out the slightly bitter undertones of the indigenous spices, melding together flavours. This blog post will introduce indigenous West African spices and walk you through the pepper soup cooking process.

What is pepper soup?

Pepper soup is a spicy, brothy soup from Nigeria. Typically, pepper soup is made with a meat broth, seasoned with onions, ginger, and pepper blend, flavoured with indigenous spices and finished with local herbs or leaves like scent leaf (African basil). Some add the West African yam or plantain to add bulk to the soup. There are also renditions that include West African melon seeds (egusi).

Across West Africa, there are various renditions of brothy spicy soups, many of which are tomato-based (example Ghanaian light soup or Ivorian Sauce Claire), lightly seasoned and packed with flavour. What makes pepper soup unique is a specific blend of spices that incorporate various indigenous West African spices. It is one of the more popular Southeast Nigerian recipes typically made for new mums or when one is unwell. To learn more about Pepper Soup, please check out this post by Kitchen Butterfly.

Why you will love this soup

• The fantastic medicinal properties. Spices in West African cooking are used to add flavour, seasoning, and medicinal properties. Spices like Selim grains, alligator pepper, and Aidan fruit are linked to alleviating a diversity of diseases. My mother always recommends grains of Selim when I have a sore throat. Aidan fruit has been linked to alleviating cardiovascular ailments and wound healing, and more health studies are required. Pepper soup is also made with ginger and scotch bonnet pepper that has the power to clear your airways instantly. It is my go-to soup when
• The unique flavour is warming and comforting. In addition to the medicinal spices, spices like umilo, gbafilo, and country onion offer a savoury, fragrant and warming flavour. The Aidan fruit also has a subtle sweetness to it that provides flavour diversity.
• The soup can be made in 30 minutes. Since this is a plant-based take on pepper soup, mushrooms and tofu serve as the bulk of the soup. As these cook very quickly, the soup does not take long.

What you will need to make Mushroom Pepper Soup

Pepper Soup Spice

Pepper soup spice uses a mix of indigenous West African spices. Most people buy already-made pepper soup spice, which you can purchase at any African store. I recommend an already-made mix because it takes away the stress. But in the hopes of shedding more light on West African spices, I have provided details on the individual spices typically used to make pepper soup spice and used this YouTube video by Pot of Flavours as a reference to make my spice blend, making a few adjustments based on my preferences. For more details, check out Kitchen Butterfly blog for more in-depth exploration of Nigerian spices.

Essentials in pepper soup spice mixes

• Calabash nutmeg (ehuru, hwediaba, ariwo or gujiya dan miya). A distant cousin of the nutmeg plant but does not have the same flavour profile. it is a warm spice with notes of vanilla and cloves
• Guinea Cubeb (uzizza/oziza/esoro wisa). The spice is our version of black peppercorn but has a sharp, almost sour flavour. It is incredibly fragrant.
• Cocoplum (Umilo) – This warm spice is challenging to describe. I will say it has a subtle vanilla flavour but a bit of a pungent undertone. Some also describe it as having a nutty/walnut flavour. But you have to try it to know.
• Ataiko/Orima – these seeds look very similar to the koririma, which is an Ethiopian grain of paradise. Like the Ethiopian spice, it has a subtle cardamom flavour.
• Guinea Plum (Gbafilo) – These are basically bigger versions of umilo with a similar flavour profile.
• Grains of Selim (known as hwentia or uda), this flavourful spice consists of mini pods filled with bitter seeds. These have a woody earthy flavour to them, and sometimes, it smells like wheat bread to me.
• Grains of Paradise. These false peppercorns are in the ginger family and have a tart, floral, and spicy flavour. I have written extensively on this spice for my Christmas cookie box.
• Aidan Fruit (prɛkɛsɛ or uyayak), is a four-sided fruit. It is known to be an incredible ingredient for soups because it adds a beautiful aroma. It has a sweetness to it and, in some ways, reminds me of chocolate.

Popular Additions – depends on who is making it

• Akpi/Njangsa – this oil seed is used in various recipes across West Africa. It has a strong, oily, buttery flavour that has a woody undertone. It adds a nice savouriness to soups. I have a sourdough recipe that celebrates this flavour.
• Country Onion – this is a local spice that smells like a cross between a garlic and onion. In some instances, it also reminds me of barbecue sauce. A little goes a long way.

Where to purchase spices for this recipe.

Your first option is your local African store. African stores are pretty common in many urban areas (and some rural areas) and stock most of these spices. Please use Google to find the ones closest to you. An online retailer I recommend is MyChopChop. If you are in the US, Etsy and Amazon are also great places to look.

Pepper Soup Spice Subsitutions

Pepper Soup Spice substitutions While pepper soup is not pepper soup without indigenous spices, you can make some adjustments based on what is available. I think garam masala and curry powder paired with a bouillon cube can work. You can also use pho spices for this soup. The most important thing is that it is delicious and spicy.

Leftover pepper soup spice can be used for other warming comforting soups as well as stews.

Pepper Soup Broth

• Mushrooms – I like a combination of oyster mushrooms both dried and fresh, all to add diversity of texture and flavour.
• Smoked tofu (optional) – This adds more protein but the smoked tofu adds an additional flavur that makes this broth exquisite
• Aromatics – onion, ginger, and garlic build the foundation of flavours for this soup. More ginger is great for cold and flu season and an upset stomach.
• Scotch bonnet pepper/habanero – Pepper soup is not pepper soup without pepper. The typical choice is scotch bonnet peppers or any spicy pepper. I will be doing a disservice if I say this pepper is optional, but you can always choose a less spicy chilli like jalapeno or Thai chilis.
• Bouillon paste – My only choice for additional seasoning is better than bouillon paste. I like the seasoned vegetable as vegetables are the first ingredients.
• Plantains. Pepper soup can either have plantain, yam or neither. I added plantain because the natural sweetness helps balance out the pepper soup flavours, making it perfect for people who have not been introduced to West African spices.

How to make Pepper soup.

• Start the broth with dried mushrooms
• Once the broth has come to a boil and the mushrooms have softened, add the rest of the ingredients
• Allow it all to cook until the plantains have fully cooked.
• See, very simple

What to serve with Pepper soup.

When you add the plantains, it can really be a full meal. But rice on the side is also great.