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Bon Appétit

Obe Ata Stew With Chicken and Spinach

4.6

(41)

Image may contain Dish Food Meal Bowl and Stew
Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kat Boytsova

We've crushed on Egunsi Foods' over-the-top flavorful, West African soups for years, especially the Obe Ata Soup, a bright tomato stew that incorporates floral habanero chiles and bell peppers. Founder ’Yemisi Awosan developed this version, which includes chicken and sweet potatoes and is streamlined for the home cook. 

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4–6 servings

Ingredients

¼

cup canola or extra-virgin olive oil

4

chicken legs (thigh and drumstick; about 3 lb. total)

Kosher salt

2

red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, coarsely chopped

1

large onion, coarsely chopped

2

beefsteak tomatoes, seeds removed, coarsely chopped

2

habanero chiles, stemmed, halved, seeds removed

1

tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2

cups low-sodium chicken broth

2

small Japanese sweet potatoes or yams, sliced into ½" rounds (or 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1" pieces)

1

small bunch of spinach, stems trimmed

Cooked rice and sliced chives (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and cook (skin side down), undisturbed, until skin is browned and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Turn and cook just until lightly browned, about 3 minutes longer. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a plate (it will not be cooked through).

    Step 2

    Cook bell peppers and onion in same pot, stirring often, until onion is golden brown and vegetables are softened, 6–8 minutes. Add tomatoes, chiles, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until tomatoes are broken down and softened, about 6 minutes longer. Transfer to a blender (reserve pot) and pour in broth. Purée until very smooth.

    Step 3

    Return purée to pot along with chicken and potatoes. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, partially cover pot, and reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Cook until chicken and potatoes are very tender, 45–50 minutes. Season with salt to taste and stir in spinach. Cook, stirring, until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute.

    Step 4

    Divide stew among bowls. Spoon rice into soup alongside chicken and chives.

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Reviews (41)

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  • This was a fantastic dish, definitely a keeper. The only thing I changed was adding less than a third of a cup of broth so that it would produce a sauce rather than a soup. The chicken and vegetables emit liquids. Served over pasta , it's the perfect cool weather dish. Great flavors of the red pepper, the chili, sweet potato and the chicken.

    • Mara

    • Jerusalem, Israel

    • 10/18/2021

  • This came out so good! BUT you have to take your time to develop the flavors. This recipe is missing a lot of important spices. I added Garlic, Madras Curry Powder, Smoked Paprika, Cumin, and Cayenne Pepper and a lot more salt and pepper. In total, I let it simmer on super low heat for about 4 hours to braise the chicken and get that 'fall off the bone" goodness. Also added some Thai Basil for some sweetness. The end goal is Spicy, Smokey, and Sweet. Would make it again.

    • Bobby Flay

    • Boston

    • 10/15/2021

  • I absolutely LOVE this recipe. Was a hit amongst spice enthusiasts as well as those with a more sensitive palate. However, I wasn't able to achieve that robust, sexy red color so i added some tomato paste and it worked great. Also, I did end up adding 5 cloves of garlic, 1 1/2 tsp of cumin, 1 1/2 tsp of curry powder, a little basil and parsley. I didnt have any chicken broth on hand so i used a can of cream of chicken soup which gave it a more rich creamy stew like consistency. Once it was finished, I topped mine with some greek yogurt, chives, cilantro and lime and scooped it up with some garlic bread. I know i modified this recipe a bit here and there, but holy moly it was amazing and such a hit. Thank you for sharing the recipe and inspiring more African cuisine!

    • Sam

    • Olympia, WA

    • 2/10/2021

  • I've seen people in other reviews saying this is bland. Not so! If you take your time with it, you end up with a beautiful, subtle dish.

    • Anonymous

    • Montreal, QC

    • 2/3/2021

  • A little too spicy for my liking. Ended up adding some honey to the simmer and mixed in some yogurt when serving to help offset it. Might only use 1 habanero and some offsetting seasonings the next time. FWIW, I'm generally a heat wimp, so maybe it was dumb of me to make this.

    • Anonymous

    • 11/9/2020

  • Sadly I have to agree with some other reviews- it just wasn't really flavorful at all. It was spicy but still somehow bland and I followed the recipe to a T. The chicken is also just kind of cumbersome with the bones. I ended up adding in some curry powder and cumin which helped. All and all, it was good and feels healthy and hearty, but I probably wouldn't make it again unless I borrowed a spice mixture from a different recipe.

    • Anonymous

    • Pittsburgh, PA

    • 10/8/2020

  • The complete and total absence of any spices other than salt and pepper was a little alarming. The stew came out quite bland. When comparing with other Obe Ata recipes, they use loads spices and herbs, ranging from cilantro and thyme to garlic, ginger, and curry powder. Was this an intentional omission? I have no clue. But if you're gonna make this recipe, I'd encourage you to find another and use their ratios for spices and herbs.

    • Anonymous

    • Denton, TX

    • 8/11/2020