Ghanaian Light Soup with Chicken Thighs & Eggplant

Ingredients

• 1¼ lb Chicken Thighs, in bone-in pieces
• 4 ripe tomatoes, halved
• 1 Eggplant, quartered
• 1 onion, half chopped and half left whole
• 1 Scotch bonnet
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled
• 1 tsp ground dried shrimp or 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 5 cups water
• Salt to taste
• Fufu, rice balls, or boiled yam, for serving

Method

1. Season the Chicken Thighs with salt and the chopped onion and let it sit 10 minutes while you set the pot on medium-high. Sear the pieces briefly to firm the surface, then add the water and bring to a bare simmer.
2. Drop in the tomatoes, Eggplant, whole onion half, Scotch bonnet, and ginger. Simmer partly covered 20 minutes until the vegetables are collapsing and the broth smells sweet.
3. Fish out the softened tomatoes, Eggplant, ginger, onion, and chili. Blend them smooth with a ladle of broth, then strain the purée back into the pot. Straining is what makes it 'light' instead of muddy.
4. Simmer another 15 minutes until the Chicken Thighs reaches 175°F (79°C) at the bone for dark meat and the broth tastes round rather than raw. Season with the dried shrimp and salt.
5. Ladle into deep bowls around a smooth ball of fufu and eat with your hands if you know how, a spoon if you don't.