Liberian pepper soup

Name: Liberian pepper soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 900 g chicken pieces, skin-on, cut into small pieces; 2 onions, chopped; 3 fresh red chilli, blended or pounded; 1 tsp black pepper; 1 fresh ginger, grated (optional); 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1½ tsp salt; 1.5 l water; 1 eggplant, cut into chunks (optional)

Non-vegetarian

A hot, thin broth of chicken (or goat or fish) with onion, plenty of scotch bonnet and black pepper, often with bitter balls. Liberians reach for it as a cure for colds, hangovers and rainy days.

Liberian pepper soup is a Liberian soup, ready in about 55 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on, fresh red chilli and black pepper. It serves 5 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 55 min
Serves: 5
Level: Beginner
Calories: 410

Ingredients

5 servings

900 g Chicken pieces, skin-on (opens in a new tab), cut into small piecesSwap: Goat meat (Simmer about an hour longer.); White fish fillet (Add for the last 10 minutes.)
2 (220 g) Onions (opens in a new tab), chopped
3 (18 g) Fresh red chilli (opens in a new tab), blended or pounded
1 tsp (2.5 g) Black pepper (opens in a new tab)
1 (15 g) Fresh ginger (opens in a new tab), grated (optional)
1 tbsp (16 g) Tomato paste (opens in a new tab)
1½ tsp (9 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
1.5 l Water (opens in a new tab)
1 (450 g) Eggplant (opens in a new tab), cut into chunks (optional)Stands in for bitter balls (a small bitter African eggplant).

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Season the chicken with the onion (opens in a new tab), half the salt and black pepper (opens in a new tab) and let it steam in a covered pot over medium heat for 10 minutes.
- 10 min
- medium heat
- Stockpot / large pot (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Add the water, chilli, ginger, tomato paste (opens in a new tab) and eggplant (opens in a new tab) and bring to the boil.
- 5 min
- high heat
3
Step 3
Simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Season with the remaining salt and serve very hot.
- 30 min
- medium-low heat
Food safety: Chicken should reach 74 °C at the bone.

About this dish

Origin: Liberia · Commonly attributedPepper soups are made throughout West Africa; this follows the simpler Liberian style.Also popular in Sierra LeoneMore food from Liberia
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Soups
Cooking method: Simmered, Boiled
Taste: spicy (chilli heat), peppery, savoury
Diet: No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carb · High-protein
All labels
Non-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · Paleo-style · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: One-pot · Budget-friendly · Everyday
Cook more with: Chicken pieces, skin-on · Fresh red chilli · Onion · Tomato paste
Techniques: Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

None of the 14 major allergens appear in the listed ingredients.

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

410 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 533 g · recipe makes 5

Where the energy comes from

Protein 34%
Carbohydrate 5%
Fat 61%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	410 kcal	77 kcal
Protein	34.2 g	6.4 g
Carbohydrate	5.4 g	1 g
Net carbohydrate	4.3 g	0.8 g
Sugars	2.5 g	0.5 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	1.1 g	0.2 g
Fat	27.2 g	5.1 g
Saturated fat	7.8 g	1.5 g
Trans fat	0.2 g	0 g
Cholesterol	135 mg	25 mg
Sodium	835 mg	157 mg
Salt equivalent	2.1 g	0.4 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 456 mg
Calcium: 64 mg
Iron: 1.9 mg
Magnesium: 49 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 78 µg
Vitamin C: 12 mg
Vitamin D: 0.4 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.6 µg
Folate (DFE): 20 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: fresh ginger, eggplant.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Bone-in pieces give a much richer broth than boneless meat.

Common mistakes

Adding too much water — pepper soup should be thin but intensely flavoured.

Serve with

Serve on its own, or with rice or fufu.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days; freeze up to 3 months.

Reheating

Bring back to the boil.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Chicken pieces, skin-on, cut into small pieces900 g
Fresh red chilli, blended or pounded3 piece · 18 g
Tomato paste1 tbsp · 16 g
Eggplant, cut into chunks (optional)1 piece · 450 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

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