Ghanaian Goat Light Soup (Nkrakra)
A light and flavorful broth-based soup made with tender goat meat, tomatoes, ginger, and aromatic spices. It's a popular and comforting soup often enjoyed on its own or with a side of rice or fufu.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 kg Goat meat(cut into 1.5-inch pieces, with bone-in for flavor)
- 2 medium Onions(1 chopped, 1 quartered)
- 400 g Tomatoes(chopped)
- 5 cloves Garlic(minced)
- 2 inch piece Ginger(grated)
- 1 small Scotch bonnet pepper(whole or pierced, for mild heat)
- 2 pieces Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Thyme(dried)
- 1.5 tsp Curry powder
- 1 tsp Salt(or to taste)
- 0.5 tsp Black pepper(freshly ground)
- 6 cups Water or broth(or enough to cover meat)
- 1 tbsp Tomato paste(optional, for color)
- 0.25 cup Coriander leaves(chopped, for garnish)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Rinse the goat meat thoroughly. Place it in a large pot with the chopped onion, quartered onion, minced garlic, grated ginger, bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper.
💡 Tip: Using bone-in goat meat adds more flavor to the broth. - 2
Add enough water or broth to cover the meat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the goat meat is tender. This can take 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on the meat.
⏱️ 1.5 - 2 hours💡 Tip: Skim off any scum that rises to the surface during the initial boiling. - 3
Once the meat is tender, add the chopped tomatoes, scotch bonnet pepper (whole), curry powder, and tomato paste (if using). Stir well.
💡 Tip: Piercing the scotch bonnet pepper allows its flavor to infuse without making the soup overly spicy. - 4
Continue to simmer the soup, uncovered, for another 30-40 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the broth to reduce slightly.
⏱️ 30-40 minutes💡 Tip: The soup should remain relatively light, not thick like a stew. - 5
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Remove the whole scotch bonnet pepper before serving if you prefer less heat.
💡 Tip: The scotch bonnet can be removed earlier if you want to control the spice level. - 6
Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.
💡 Tip: This soup is delicious on its own, or served with boiled yam, rice, or fufu.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Ensure the goat meat is well-cooked and tender for the best texture.
- ✓Adjust the amount of scotch bonnet pepper to control the heat.
- ✓For a clearer broth, skim off impurities diligently during the initial cooking phase.
🔄 Variations
- Add some sliced okra or garden eggs towards the end of cooking for added texture.
- Incorporate other aromatic vegetables like leeks or celery.
- For a richer soup, you can add a small amount of palm nut cream.