For a long time I wanted to celebrate my mum's cooking, but I didn't know how, now I know everyone believes their mum has the best cooking hands down my mum wins, if you don't know you better ask. It only felt right t share her yummy dishes we have been enjoying for years with you.

Whilst everyone around the world is having turkey for Christmas, in the warm sunny kitchens of Accra, Chicken Light Soup is a strong staple for Christmas dinner. With the warm simmering flavours and fufu that is good enough to give you a hug. It was imperative to start off Mummy's recipes with this gorgeous dish.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Shop ingredients here

1 Boiler chicken
1 Garlic
4 Onions
1 Shallot
1 knob of ginger
3 Sprigs of basil
7 Cups of water
2 Chicken maggies cubes
3 Plum tomatoes
2 tbsp of salt
2 Scotch bonnets
3 Tbsp of tomato puree
2 Garden Eggs
Half a tin of butterbeans
1 tin tomato
2 Okra

Preparation

Step 1

Ask the butcher to clean your chicken and cut it into medium pieces. Wash your chicken with water, then place it into a dutch pot dice one onion, and add one whole onion. Add plum tomatoes and sprinkle the chicken Maggie cubes over the chicken.

Step 2

Add the ginger, half the garlic, 2 onions, 2 sprigs of basil and 1 shallot then blitz in a blender.

Step 3

Pour the blitzed ingredients over the chicken and 2 tbsp of salt, add the scotch bonnets and 4 large cups of water. Cover the pot and place on medium heat for an hour. After 20 minutes add the tomato puree.

Step 4

After 20 minutes take the whole tomatoes, whole onion, and scotch bonnets out of the soup, and place them into a blender. Add the garden eggs and butter beans and tin tomato into the blender then blitz. Pour over the chicken, then add half a litre of water then leave the soup to simmer, until the oil has come to the surface.

Step 5

Cut the ends of the okra and boil in a small pot with three cups of water. When the okra has softened take out.

Step 6

For the best fufu, we recommend buying Mama's choice and following the directions to suit your taste.

Bonus Tip

Add butterbeans for extra flavour and depth. 

If you want extra heat add 8 belle peppers, once the soup has come to the boil.

To add depth to your soup use a pestle and mortar and mix belle peppers, 1tbsp of salt, and mash to a textured consistency. Add a teaspoon to the final dish.

For more food recipes check out our blog posts here