I remember the night I ate Groundnut soup for the first time ever! Oh my my! I still can't get the taste of that first-time sumptuousness out of my tongue; I kid you not! Groundnut soup is heavenly!
MY GROUNDNUT SOUP STORY
A few years ago, I traveled down to visit one of my uncles for the holidays. His wife who happened to be a very good cook, one day decided to give us an unforgettable dinner experience!
'Bola, have you eaten Groundnut soup before?' She had asked and I replied in the negative.
After laughing at me for 'dulling' and missing out on the delicacy, she started to hype the soup till I had no choice but to enter the kitchen with her to see how the delicious Groundnut soup is made.
As a Yoruba girl who was only majorly used to Okra soup, Ewedu Soup, Gbegiri soup and the likes, I just couldn't bring myself to imagine Nigerian swallow foods being eaten with Groundnut!
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Like, groundnuts?
Doesn't groundnut have a subtle sweet taste to it?
How will a nutty, sweet soup taste with our local swallow? I would have gagged at the thought but the excitement of the whole family as they expected dinner to be ready, made me anticipate it.
I don't need to go too far, do I? 😂😂 Brethren (Haha) I am here to testify that I have never overeaten any soup the way I ate the groundnut soup that day! I ate a first and second round and didn't leave a drop! I only couldn't go for the third round so I wouldn't appear too greedy at my uncle's house. Haha, etiquette things (winks)
I don't think the deliciousness of any soup would be ever etched on the table of my tongue as that soup did forever! This is no exaggeration.
So, let me introduce this delicacy to you. Shall I?
WHAT IS GROUNDNUT SOUP?
Groundnut soup is a popular West African peanut butter stew. It is also known as Peanut soup or Nkatenkwan in the Akan language.
Groundnut Soup is similar to egusi soup in preparation. So, if you live in a place where you can't get access to egusi soup, Groundnut soup will beautifully fit in as a substitute.
Every process of making delicious groundnut soup is amazing and easy. In fact, the whole house would be fully engulfed with yummilicious aroma during and after the preparation. Your neighbors might even have to pretentiously come to visit you during that period, because, you know... (😂)
So how do you make this sumptuous goodness for your family? I will be exposing it to you very shortly. In the meantime, let's look at the ingredients we'd need. Come with me to the kitchen, friend!
INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING GROUNDNUT SOUP
- Two cups of raw groundnuts (peanuts)
- Assorted meat like: Tripes, beef, chicken cuts etc.
-Soaked stockfish, dry fish and ponmo (Soak in hot water for one hour or more)
- Palm Oil (For added taste and colour. Add according to your preference)
- Nigerian Pumpkin leaves. (If you are a Nigerian or an African living abroad, a few cubes of frozen Spinach or bitter leaf would do.
- 2 tablespoons of ground crayfish
- 2 stock cubes
- Salt & ground dry cayenne pepper/fresh habanero peppers, to taste.
These are all the ingredients that you'd need for a delicious and easy groundnut soup. So how do you cook it the way my uncle's wife did and won my heart forever?
Come to the kitchen worktop, let me show you.
HOW TO COOK EASY AND DELICIOUS GROUNDNUT SOUP:
- First, wash those soaked stockfish, dry fish, and ponmo. De-bone the dry fish and 'dismantle' them (haha) into small pieces.
- Two, roast the raw groundnuts in a pan, stirring constantly till they look golden (if peeled already) or till they can easily peel when you rub them between your fingers (if unpeeled)
(By now, you should be perceiving some nutty aroma in your kitchen already. Yummy!)
- Now, let the groundnut cool down. Then, grind into powder with a dry mill or food processor.
- Wash and cut the Nigerian pumpkin leaves into tiny pieces. For the frozen spinach, let it defrost on the counter, cut into small pieces and squeeze out the excess water.
- Grind the dry pepper
- Grind the crayfish.
So, we've got our ingredients. Let's cook.
COOKING GROUNDNUT SOUP
- Cook the tripes and stockfish together. After about fifteen minutes, add your filleted dry fish.
- About ten minutes later, add your meat of choice, and some stock cubes. Cook till everything is well done.
- Add the ground crayfish, salt and pepper, cover and cook till everything simmers evenly.
-Pour the content in a sieve, then transfer the stock back to the soup pot.
- Now add the ground Groundnut into the stock and stir very well till there are no lumps. (Ensure you are cooking on low heat)
- Stir every 5 minutes and top up with hot water if necessary. (This mixture can easily burn, so watch it closely and stir as often as possible)
-About 15 minutes later, you should see some clear oil appearing on the surface.
- Add palm oil according to your preference and stir very well.
- Add the meat and fish mixture, stir very well and continue to cook on low heat till it simmers.
- If you prefer your groundnut soup without vegetables, the soup is ready at this time.
- If you prefer it with vegetables, now, add the vegetables, stir and leave to simmer. Stir again and it is done.
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ROUNDING OFF
Can you imagine the yumminess already? Okay, let's have a taste.
Tell me. Aren't you falling in love with me already for making this soup for and with you? Hahaha.
Serve Groundnut Soup with any Nigerian swallow, especially Fufu or Pounded Yam.
Let me know in the comments. Are you as crazy as I am about Groundnut soup? What swallow do you love to eat with it? Would you give this a try?
Thanks for stopping by! See you soon 😍♥
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