Chicken and Fish Soup with Vegetables Recipe

Chicken and smoked mackerel replace beef and koobi, a popular Ghanaian fish, in this version of light soup.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

3 (3-ounce) trimmed, boneless, skinless chicken thighs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 large plum tomato
2-inch piece peeled ginger root, cut in half lengthwise
¼ small purple eggplant, peeled
¼ small onion
½ serrano chili pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon shrimp powder
6 ounces smoked mackerel, diced (optional skin removed)
1⅓ cup frozen cut okra
⅔ cup fresh basil, chopped

Directions

1. In a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, add 4 cups water, chicken, salt, tomato, ginger, eggplant, onion and serrano and cover with lid.
2. Maintain a rapid simmer and cook 15 minutes or until eggplant is knife-tender and chicken is cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
3. Turn off heat and use tongs to remove chicken and place on a cutting board to cool.
4. Using tongs, place vegetables in a blender with tomato paste, shrimp powder and 2 cups water. Blend until smooth.
5. Dice chicken and add to saucepan with blended vegetables, smoked mackerel and okra. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until hot. Add most of the basil, keeping some out for garnish.

Cooking Note

For a spicier flavor, substitute habanero pepper in place of serrano chili pepper. Dark miso can be used in place of shrimp powder.

Nutrition Information

Serves: 5
Serving Size: 1⅔ cup (404 grams)

198 calories, 11g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 69mg cholesterol, 554mg sodium, 7g carbohydrate, 2g fiber, 3g sugar, 18g protein, NA potassium, NA phosphorus

This recipe originally appeared in Food & Nutrition Magazine^®, published by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.