Groundnut soup is a popular Ghanaian soup made from, you guessed it, groundnuts. Depending on where you are in the world, you may refer to them as groundnuts or peanuts. Groundnut soup is a deeply satisfying dish that can be made with a variety of proteins.
This mouthwatering and slightly spicy, satisfying soup is made with chicken in this recipe. It can, however, be made entirely of beef or, more commonly, a combination of fish, crabs, and meat. This soup goes well with boiled ripe plantains, plain rice, yam, fufu, kenkey, kokonte, or gari.
Groundnut soup is also known as peanut butter soup, but it has always been known locally as groundnut soup. It is known as Azi Detsi (Ewe), Gige Honyu (Ada), or Nkatenkwan in some local languages (Twi). Groundnut soup can be prepared in a variety of ways, depending on the protein used, just as okro soup can be prepared in a variety of ways, such as this no-oil goat meat okro or this palm oil-based version with fish, shrimp, and crabs.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 2 medium onions or 1 large one
- 3 very ripe large tomatoes
- A whole chicken, chopped to pieces (we like “boiler” chicken, free range, “koko ya Setswana”)
- Garden eggs (optional)
- 12 okra (with ends trimmed)
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper or kpakpo shito
- Ginger
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1.75l chicken stock
- 4 tbsp peanut butter
- Water to mix with the peanut butter
How to prepare groundnut soup
- Add the stock to the pot with the whole onion, pepper, tomatoes, and chicken pieces. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and tender. Take out the vegetables.
- In a food processor, puree the vegetables and ginger, then return to the soup. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low heat while you prepare the peanut butter sauce. Because boiler chicken can be quite tough, it may require more cooking time.
- In the meantime, prepare the peanut butter sauce. There are several approaches to this; I chose the one that is the most convenient for me. Put the desired amount of peanut butter in a saucepan and heat it up.
- Adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve with boiled sliced yam, potatoes, or rice.
This is traditionally served with fufu, a starchy West African staple made of pounded cassava, yam, or plantain. Fufu powder, which is simple to make, can be found in the exotic or world foods section of most supermarkets.