Catfish Pepper Soup with Uziza and 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.