Catfish Pepper Soup with Uziza and Scent Leaf
A warming Nigerian pepper soup simmered with catfish steaks, ground uziza seeds, ginger, and fresh scent leaf.
Pepper soup is what gets made on a cold or under-the-weather day in many Nigerian households, and catfish is one of the classics it's built around. The broth stays light and clear, simmered with fresh ginger, garlic, and ground uziza seeds, which give it a distinctive peppery warmth that's different from regular black pepper.
Fresh scent leaf and uziza leaf go in right at the end, wilted just enough to release their aroma without turning bitter. There's no thickener and barely any starch in the pot, so this stays a light, brothy bowl.
Warming spices like ginger and garlic are often reached for when people want something that feels supportive during colder weather or when appetite is low, and this soup leans into that tradition. It's also naturally low-carb and fits well within a keto approach, since the bulk of the bowl is fish and broth rather than starch.
Ingredients
- 600 g catfish, cut into steaks
- 4 cups water or low-sodium fish stock
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tsp uziza seeds, ground — or substitute black pepper
- 1 handful uziza leaves, chopped — or basil as substitute
- 1 handful scent leaf, chopped — or basil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced — to taste
- to taste salt
Most ingredients here are everyday market staples across West Africa. A handful of specialty items may be easiest to find at a local open-air market or an African grocery store if you're elsewhere.
Instructions
- 1Place catfish steaks in a pot with water or stock, ginger, garlic, onion, and scotch bonnet.
- 2Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-18 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
- 3Stir in the ground uziza seeds.
- 4Add the chopped scent leaf and uziza leaves in the last 3 minutes of cooking.
- 5Season with salt to taste and serve hot in bowls.