Palm Nut Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup palm nut paste (pure, no additives)
• ¾ lb beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
• ¾ lb bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 whole medium yellow onions
• 3 whole medium carrots
• 2 whole large tomatoes
• 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 piece fresh ginger, 2-inch piece
• 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (optional, whole)
• 1.5 tsp salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 5 cups water or beef stock

Instructions

1. 1

   Pat the beef chuck cubes and chicken thighs dry with paper towels — this helps them brown better and develop deeper flavor. Set aside on a cutting board.

2. 2

   Dice 2 medium yellow onions into 1/2-inch pieces. Peel 3 medium carrots and cut them into 1-inch-thick rounds. Core and roughly chop 2 large tomatoes. Peel and mince 4 garlic cloves. Peel a 2-inch piece of fresh ginger and grate it on a microplane. Keep the scotch bonnet pepper whole if using — do not cut it, so the soup stays at medium heat.

3. 3

   Set a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, working in batches, sear the beef and chicken until deeply browned on multiple sides, about 3-4 minutes per batch. You should smell a rich, caramelized aroma — don't rush this step. Transfer browned meat to a plate.

4. 4

   Add the diced onions to the pot with the browned meat drippings and sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute — you'll smell a warm, spicy aroma.

5. 5

   Pour in 5 cups of water or beef stock. Return all the browned beef and chicken to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce to medium-low. Gently simmer for 15 minutes — the meat should be partially tender but not fully cooked yet.

6. 6

   Spoon 1 cup of the hot broth into a separate bowl. Slowly whisk 1 cup of palm nut paste into the broth until completely smooth and lump-free — whisking separately prevents clumps in the soup. Pour this mixture back into the pot, stirring well to distribute evenly throughout.

7. 7

   Add the carrot rounds, chopped tomatoes, and whole scotch bonnet pepper (if using). Stir well. Bring back to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer uncovered for 15-18 minutes, until the beef and chicken are very tender and the carrots yield easily to a fork.

8. 8

   Taste and season with 1.5 teaspoons salt and 0.5 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. If you added the scotch bonnet, carefully fish it out with a spoon and discard — it has given all its heat to the soup. Stir gently and taste again, adjusting salt and pepper as needed.

9. 9

   Ladle the soup into deep bowls, dividing the meat, vegetables, and creamy broth equally. The soup should be rich, slightly thick from the palm nut paste, and deeply golden in color. Serve hot alongside boiled rice, fufu, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

Tools you’ll need

• large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven
• cutting board
• sharp chef's knife
• microplane grater
• wooden spoon
• whisk
• small bowl
• slotted spoon
• ladle
• instant-read thermometer (optional, for checking meat doneness)

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