🇹🇿 Tanzanian / Swahili · Swahili & Coastal Cuisine
🍵 Swahili Chicken Soup
Supu ya Kuku ya Kiswahili
Swahili Chicken Soup — chicken simmered with Zanzibar whole spices, coconut milk, lemon grass, and coriander. More aromatic than plain chicken soup, more restorative, and carrying the full Swahili coast flavour signature.
Swahili chicken soup takes the simplest preparation — chicken in broth — and elevates it with the coastal spice palette. The lemon grass, cardamom, and cloves transform it into something uniquely Tanzanian coastal.
Ingredients
Equipment: Large pot
- 800g chicken — bone-in pieces
- 3 cups water
- 200ml coconut milk
- 1 onion — halved
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp ginger
- 1 stalk lemon grass — bruised
- 3 cardamom pods
- 3 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp salt
- ¼ cup coriander
- Lime wedges
Method
- Simmer chicken with water, onion, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, and all whole spices for 40 minutes.
- Remove chicken. Shred. Discard lemon grass and whole spices.
- Add coconut milk to broth. Simmer gently 8 minutes.
- Return shredded chicken.
- Season. Garnish with coriander. Serve with lime.
Chef Tips
- Discard lemon grass — it is woody and unpleasant to eat.
- Never boil after adding coconut milk.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Leaving lemon grass in.
- Boiling coconut milk.
The Science
See TZA044 for coconut chicken soup science.
Nutrition (per serving)
Health Benefits
- High lean protein.
- Coconut milk MCTs.
- Anti-inflammatory spices.
Cultural Note
Swahili chicken soup is the food of coastal recovery — given to the sick, the recovering, and the newborn. The whole spices of Zanzibar make it one of the most healing soups in East Africa.
Storage & Serving
Storage: Refrigerate 3 days.
Reheating: Very gently.
Serve with: Chapati (TZA004), As a standalone