Fufu with Light Soup (Ghanaian Pounded Cassava with Clear Chicken Soup)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Country of Origin
Ghana
Description
Fufu with Light Soup is Ghana's communal centerpiece: silky, elastic pounded cassava and plantain served alongside a clear, amber-colored soup of chicken, tomatoes, and scotch bonnet that is simultaneously light in texture and profound in flavor. 'Light soup' is a Ghanaian term of art — it refers to the clear, broth-based soups that contrast with the thicker palm nut or groundnut soups of the same cuisine. The lightness is deceptive: built from whole chicken pieces boiled with onion, tomatoes, garlic, and fresh scotch bonnet, the broth develops extraordinary depth from the long, unhurried simmer. Fufu is its perfect companion, its dense elasticity absorbing and holding the soup with every pinch.
Presentation & How It's Eaten
The fufu is shaped into a smooth dome in a large bowl and the hot light soup is poured around and over it. In traditional Ghanaian eating, each diner tears off a small ball of fufu, presses a hollow into it with a thumb, and uses it to scoop a piece of chicken and some broth. No utensils are used. The soup bowl is shared among the table and additional soup is spooned in as the fufu is eaten down.
Ingredients
For the Fufu
600g fresh cassava, peeled and cut into chunks
2 ripe yellow plantains, peeled and cut into chunks
Pinch of salt
For the Light Soup
1 whole chicken (about 1.2 kg), cut into 8 pieces
3 ripe tomatoes, blended
1 medium onion, half blended, half diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 whole scotch bonnet peppers
1 tsp salt, or to taste
1 tsp ground ginger
1 litre water
Step-by-Step Directions
Start the Soup: In a large pot, combine the chicken pieces, blended tomato, blended onion half, garlic, whole scotch bonnet peppers, diced onion, ground ginger, and salt. Add 1 litre of water. Bring to a boil over high heat.
Simmer the Soup: Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 45–50 minutes until the chicken is very tender and the broth is clear and deeply flavored. Skim any foam from the surface in the first 10 minutes.
Boil Cassava and Plantain: While the soup simmers, place the cassava and plantain chunks in a separate pot of salted boiling water. Cook for 25–30 minutes until very soft when pierced with a fork.
Pound the Fufu: Drain the cooked cassava and plantain. Transfer to a large wooden mortar in batches. Pound firmly and rhythmically, adding a splash of warm water as needed, until the mixture becomes smooth, elastic, and stretchy with no lumps. This takes 10–15 minutes of sustained pounding. (Alternatively, use a stand mixer with a dough hook on medium speed for 8 minutes.)
Shape the Fufu: Wet your hands with cold water. Divide the fufu and roll into smooth, tight balls. Place one ball per serving into individual deep bowls.
Serve: Ladle the hot light soup generously around and over the fufu. Place one or two pieces of chicken in each bowl. Serve immediately.
Optional
Smoked Fish Version: Replace the whole chicken with 2 smoked fish (such as smoked tilapia or mackerel) for a lighter, smokier variation common in coastal Ghana. Reduce cooking time to 20 minutes.
Cooking Tips
The fufu must be pounded while the cassava and plantain are still very hot — cold starch does not pound to the same elasticity. Work fast and pound consistently. The ratio of cassava to plantain (roughly 3:1) gives the correct balance: mostly cassava for structure, plantain for a slight sweetness and that distinctive ivory color. The scotch bonnet peppers in the soup are left whole so diners can adjust their own heat level — do not pierce them during cooking unless you want the soup very hot.
Nutrition Facts
(Estimated per serving, based on 4 servings)
Calories: ~580 kcal
Total Fat: 14g
Saturated Fat: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 130mg
Sodium: 590mg
Total Carbohydrates: 74g
Dietary Fiber: 5g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 38g
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