Cassava Soup Recipe

Origin: Liberia      Period: Traditional

This is a very traditional type of West African 'soup' (stew) that's essentially made from mixed carbohydrate sources (and served with rice!). Meat is involved, but it's there more as a flavouring than a protein source. This is a 'country' soup so that it's made from whatever's available at the time. However, the mix of carbohydrate sources is the important factor in the making of this soup. This is one of my wife's traditional recipes and is influenced by the spices of Nigeria.

Ingredients

8–10 Scotch Bonnet chillies, made into a paste
1 kg lamb pieces on the bone, cubed
100ml strong beef stock (or 2 stock cubes in 100ml water)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sumac (optional)
0.5kg cassava (peeled and cut into large chunks)
0.5kg yam (peeled and cut into large chunks)
3/4 kg sweet potato, peeled and cut into large chunks (red is best)
3 large plantains, peeled
3 onions, roughly chopped
3 *ehuole seeds
6 uzazi peppercorns
3 large sardines, baked
2 dried fish fillets
3 tbsp red palm oil (optional)

Cassava Soup Preparation:

Method:

Begin by pounding the uzazi and ehuole to a powder in a pestle and mortar. Add the chillies and pound to a paste then add 3 onions and pound those in.

Dry-fry the meat in a non-stick pan for a couple of minutes then add the remaining onion and the chilli paste, along with 1.5 l or water (including the stock). Bring the water to a boil then reduce to a simmer.

Meanwhile, soak the dried fish for about 20 minutes and prepare the sardines by removing the skin and bones and add the flesh to the broth. Strip the flesh from the dried fish as best you can and add this to the stew as well. Now add all the remaining ingredients to the stew (the cassava, yam and sweet potato should be cut in roast potato-sized chunks), bring back to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 80 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At the end of this time add about 3 tbsp red palm oil (if desired) and cook for a further five minutes, stirring frequently. This dish can be eaten on its own or can be served with rice.

*Ehuole is a Nigerian seed used as a spice. The flavour is both aromatic and citrusy with a peppery overtone. It's a very interesting spice that you probably won't be able to find outside West Africa. I've found that a mixture of 1 tsp ground black pepper, 4 tsp dried lime peel ground into a powder makes an acceptable substitute. Use 1 tsp of this mixture in place of each ehuole seed.

Read: Recipe Articles and Reviews

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