Rich, Warming & Deeply Rooted in Tradition
Palm Nut Soup is a deeply nourishing West African soup made from palm nuts cooked into a rich, oily broth. In Togo, it is often prepared with meat, fish, or chicken and enjoyed with rice, fufu, or akume. This soup is known for its bold flavour, warming quality, and its place at family tables during special and everyday moments.
🍽️ Servings
Serves 4 people
📝 Ingredients
- Palm nut concentrate (unsweetened) – 500 g
(or freshly extracted palm nut pulp) - Beef, goat meat, or chicken (cut into pieces) – 700 g
- Smoked fish – 200 g
- Fresh fish (optional) – 300 g
- Onion, chopped – 1 medium
- Garlic, crushed – 2 cloves
- Fresh chilli pepper – 1–2 (to taste)
- Ground crayfish or dried shrimp – 2 tablespoons
- Stock cube – 1 (optional)
- Salt – to taste
- Water – 1.5 litres
👩🏽🍳 Instruction
- Cook the meat
In a large pot, add meat, onion, garlic, salt, and half of the water.
Cook for 25–30 minutes until tender. Keep the stock. - Prepare the palm nut base
If using concentrate, dilute it with warm water until smooth. - Add palm nut extract
Pour the palm nut mixture into the pot with the meat. Stir well. - Build the soup
Add smoked fish, ground crayfish, chilli pepper, and stock cube (if using).
Stir gently and bring to a slow boil. - Simmer slowly
Reduce the heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens and the oil rises to the top. - Add fresh fish (if using)
Add fresh fish gently and cook for 10 minutes without stirring too much to avoid breaking the fish. - Final seasoning
Taste and adjust salt. Remove from heat.
Serve hot with rice, fufu, or akume.
🌸 Mani’s Tips
- Always simmer palm nut soup; rushing it affects the flavour.
- Stir gently to prevent the soup from sticking to the bottom.
- Let the soup cook long enough for the palm oil to rise naturally.
- Palm nut soup tastes even richer the next day.
🤍 Mani’s Blessing
May this warming soup bring comfort to your body and peace to your heart.
As you share this meal, may your home be filled with love, strength,
and the joy of gathering around one table. 🌴🤍