⏱ Prep: 15 min 🔥Cook: 1 hr 👤Serves: 4–6 🌍Origin: Ghana
Ghanaian groundnut soup, nkatenkwan is the peanut butter soup that holds a permanent place on every Ghanaian table, at every family gathering, at every celebration, and on most weeknights when something deeply satisfying is needed from a single pot. Chicken seasoned and cooked in its own steam until tender, combined with a blended base of fresh tomatoes, onion and scotch bonnet, stirred together with natural peanut butter dissolved in broth until the soup thickens and the oil rises golden to the surface. One pot. Under an hour. Serve with fufu or rice balls and watch the bowl empty.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (900g) bone-in chicken pieces, thighs and drumsticks. Bone-in produces a richer broth. Season generously with salt, black pepper and 1 crumbled bouillon cube before cooking.
- 1 cup (250g) natural unsweetened peanut butter, smooth or crunchy. Natural peanut butter only, sweetened or flavoured varieties ruin the soup. Stir the jar well before measuring.
- 3 ripe medium tomatoes, roughly chopped, or 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 medium yellow onion, half blended with the tomatoes, half used as a seasoning base for the chicken
- 2–3 scotch bonnet peppers, blended with the tomatoes. Adjust for heat, 1 for mild, 3 for genuinely hot.
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste, deepens the colour and richness of the broth
- 2 bouillon cubes (Maggi or Knorr), crumbled
- 4 cups (960ml) water or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish
Step by step
- Season and steam the chicken. Season chicken pieces generously with salt, black pepper, 1 crumbled bouillon cube, half the onion and the minced garlic and ginger. Place in a dry pot over medium heat with no water. Cover and steam in its own juices for 20–25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid has reduced to a concentrated seasoned stock. Set aside.Steaming the chicken first in its own juices is the traditional Ghanaian technique, it concentrates the flavour and seasons the meat deeply before the soup is built. Do not skip this step, it produces significantly more flavour than adding raw chicken to the broth.
- Blend the tomato base. Blend the chopped tomatoes, remaining half onion, scotch bonnet peppers and tomato paste with ½ cup of water until completely smooth. Set aside.
- Build the groundnut base. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Pour in the blended tomato mixture. Cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring regularly, until the raw tomato smell cooks out and the mixture thickens and darkens. The oil will begin to separate at the edges, this is the sign the base is ready.Cooking the tomato base until the oil separates is the critical technique in Ghanaian soup-making. Under-cooked tomato base gives a raw, acidic soup. Properly cooked base gives a rich, rounded, deeply flavoured soup.
- Add the peanut butter. In a bowl, whisk the peanut butter with 1 cup of warm water or broth until completely smooth and pourable. Pour into the pot with the cooked tomato base. Stir well to combine. Add the remaining 3 cups of water or broth and the remaining crumbled bouillon cube. Stir until fully incorporated.
- Simmer and finish. Add the steamed chicken and all its cooking juices to the pot. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup is thick and creamy and the golden oil from the peanut butter rises and pools on the surface. Taste and adjust salt. Serve immediately.
The oil on the surface is the sign
A properly cooked Ghanaian groundnut soup has golden peanut oil visibly pooled on the surface, this is not a flaw, it is the signal that the soup has cooked long enough and the peanut butter has released its fat into the broth. A soup with no oil on the surface has not simmered long enough and the peanut butter flavour has not fully developed. Keep simmering until you see it.
Make it ahead
Claire’s note
Ghanaian groundnut soup improves the next day, the peanut butter deepens into the broth overnight and the spices mellow. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat gently over medium-low heat with a splash of water if too thick. Freeze for up to 3 months. For a smoked turkey version, replace the chicken with smoked turkey wings for a deeper, smokier broth that is a well-loved variation across Ghana. For a vegetarian version, replace chicken with diced sweet potato, firm tofu or a mix of vegetables, and use vegetable broth. The groundnut base is the soul of the soup, it works with any protein.
Serve with
Ghanaian groundnut soup is traditionally served with omo tuo, smooth rice balls shaped by hand, or fufu, banku or boiled yam for scooping up the soup. Plain white rice works equally well and is the most accessible pairing for first-time cooks. For everything across the Ghanaian and African collections, the waakye, the kelewele and the complete African food guide have it all.
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Ghanaian Groundnut Soup (Nkatenkwan)
- Total Time: 75 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Diet: Non-Vegetarian
Description
A hearty Ghanaian peanut butter soup with tender chicken, perfect for family gatherings and weeknight meals.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (900g) bone-in chicken pieces, thighs and drumsticks
- 1 cup (250g) natural unsweetened peanut butter
- 3 ripe medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2–3 scotch bonnet peppers
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 bouillon cubes (Maggi or Knorr), crumbled
- 4 cups (960ml) water or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil
- Salt to taste
- Fresh cilantro or parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Season and steam the chicken. Season chicken pieces generously with salt, black pepper, 1 crumbled bouillon cube, half the onion, and the minced garlic and ginger. Place in a dry pot over medium heat with no water. Cover and steam in its own juices for 20–25 minutes until cooked through and concentrated. Set aside.
- Blend the tomato base. Blend the chopped tomatoes, remaining onion, scotch bonnet peppers, and tomato paste with ½ cup of water until smooth. Set aside.
- Build the groundnut base. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Pour in the blended tomato mixture. Cook for 10–12 minutes until thickened and oil begins to separate.
- Add the peanut butter. Whisk the peanut butter with 1 cup of warm water until smooth and pour into the pot. Stir and combine with remaining water or broth and crumbled bouillon cube.
- Simmer and finish. Add the steamed chicken and cooking juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy. Adjust salt and serve immediately.
Notes
Ghanaian groundnut soup improves overnight, deepening in flavor. Refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for 3 months. For variations, use smoked turkey for deeper flavor or vegetables for a vegetarian version.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Steaming & Simmering
- Cuisine: Ghanaian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 32g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 90mg
