Quick answer: Pepper soup is a light, spicy, deeply aromatic broth eaten across West Africa, made with meat or fish simmered in a blend of warming spices: uda (grains of Selim), uziza, calabash nutmeg and ginger. Despite the name, it is not defined by raw chilli heat. The flavour is layered: warm, herbal, woody, slightly bitter, and comforting. Costack Pepper Soup Spice Mix (Aromatic Hot Broth Spice) puts the full spice profile in one jar.
The full definition
Pepper soup is a broth, not a stew. The texture is light and watery by design, built to carry the aroma of the spices and the richness of the meat or fish. It is eaten on its own, with rice, or with boiled yam or plantain.
It is one of West Africa's most loved dishes: served at celebrations, ordered alongside cold drinks at bars, cooked for new mothers, and traditionally made as the warming meal when someone is under the weather. In the UK it has become a winter staple in many households for exactly that reason.
What spices are in pepper soup?
The classic pepper soup spice mix combines:
- Uda (grains of Selim): smoky, musky, slightly bitter pods. The signature note.
- Uziza seeds: peppery heat with a herbal edge.
- Calabash nutmeg (ehu or ehuru): warm, woody depth.
- Ginger: sharp warmth and lift.
- Chilli: the heat, usually adjusted fresh with scotch bonnet at the pot.
The Costack blend is built around uda, uziza, calabash nutmeg, ehu and ginger. The full ingredient list is printed on the label and listed on the product page.
What does pepper soup taste like?
Warm and aromatic first, then a gentle building heat. The uda and calabash nutmeg give it a flavour you will not find in any European soup: woody, floral, faintly bitter in the best way. It tastes like something a chef would charge ยฃ18 for, made from one jar and a pot of stock.
How to make pepper soup
Goat pepper soup (the classic)
Simmer goat meat with onion, ginger and scotch bonnet until tender, about 90 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of pepper soup spice for the final 20 minutes. Salt to taste. Serve hot.
Chicken pepper soup (the weeknight version)
Brown chicken pieces, add 1 litre of stock and 1 tablespoon of pepper soup spice, simmer 30 minutes. Done.
Fish pepper soup
Use catfish, sea bass or any firm fish. Make the spiced broth first (1 tablespoon per litre), then poach the fish gently in it for the last 10 minutes so it does not break up.
FAQ
Is pepper soup very spicy?
Medium by default. The deep heat comes from fresh scotch bonnet added at the pot, so you control it. The spice mix itself is aromatic first, hot second.
What is pepper soup spice made of?
Uda (grains of Selim), uziza, calabash nutmeg, ginger and chilli. These are West African spices you will rarely find on a UK supermarket shelf, which is why a pre-mixed jar is the practical route.
What do you eat pepper soup with?
On its own, with white rice, boiled yam, or plantain. It also works as a starter.
Why do people eat pepper soup when they are ill?
Tradition. A hot, gingery, aromatic broth is West Africa's answer to chicken noodle soup: comforting and warming when you are run down.
Where can I buy pepper soup spice in the UK?
Direct from costack.uk, made in Manchester, free UK delivery on orders over ยฃ35. Ships worldwide to 188 countries including the USA, duties and taxes shown upfront at checkout.
Cook it tonight
Get Costack Pepper Soup Spice Mix. One jar, the whole flavour. Every ingredient listed on the label.
