Ghanaian Light Soup with Chicken and Boiled Yam

Ingredients

• 1000 g chicken drumsticks
• 2 onions
• 4 ripe tomatoes
• 2 scotch bonnet chilli
• 30 g fresh root ginger
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 aubergine
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 800 g white yam, peeled and cubed

Method

1. 1

   Put the drumsticks in a large pan with 1 chopped onion, half the grated ginger, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 tsp salt. Cover and steam in their own juices over a medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring once.

2. 2

   Add 1.5 litres water, the whole tomatoes, the second onion, halved, the aubergine cut into quarters (it stands in for garden eggs) and the whole scotch bonnets. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are soft.

3. 3

   Lift out the tomatoes, onion, aubergine and scotch bonnets, blend with the remaining ginger and garlic and the tomato purée, then push through a sieve back into the pan for a smooth, light broth.

4. 4

   Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 20 minutes until the chicken is tender, no pink remains near the bone and the broth is a deep orange. Season with salt.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, boil the yam in salted water for 15-20 minutes until tender, then drain. (Floury potatoes work if you cannot find yam.)

6. 6

   Serve the light soup in deep bowls with the chicken and a few pieces of boiled yam in each.