Pepper soup is a versatile Nigerian soup made with a variety of herbs, spices, and proteins.
A typical Nigerian pepper soup recipe includes ginger, garlic, cloves, scent leaf, bay leaf, calabash nutmeg, thyme, cinnamon, lemongrass, paprika, salt, and pepper.
The type of protein used—be it meat, fish, cow innards, or chicken—determines the specific flavour profile.
These ingredients are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, contributing to the soup's potential health benefits.
1. It aids digestion
The ginger, garlic, and black pepper in pepper soup help with digestion. It relaxes your gut and enhances bowel movement.
2. It keeps you hydrated
Pepper soup has water as one of its main contents, so anytime you are taking pepper soup, you are drinking water.
The spiciness of the soup also makes you drink a lot of water, which makes you properly hydrated.
ALSO READ: How to make the perfect catfish pepper soup for the rainy season
3. It boosts the immune system and serves as an antioxidant
Some of the ingredients in pepper soup, like turmeric, ginger, scent leaf, and black pepper, have antioxidants that protect cells from damage, thereby protecting the immune system.
4. It's great for weight loss
The spicy ingredient helps you lose weight by drinking so much water. When you drink a lot of water and eat less.
The heat from the hot pepper soup helps you sweat out, which burns fat in the process.
ALSO READ: How to cook Nigerian yam pepper soup
5. Maintains teeth
Nigerian pepper soup, rich in African nutmeg, is beneficial for teeth health, treating toothaches and preventing cavities, making it a popular choice for enhancing dental hygiene.
You can take pepper soup solo or with yam, plantains, rice, or really anything you want.