Soups are a necessary part of our culture as Nigerians; little wonder there are different types of soups available in every community within the country. The Yoruba love their Ewedu, the Igbo have their Ofe Onubu, and the Edo enjoy their bitter leaf soup; let’s not forget the famous fisherman’s soup of the river’s people. In all my years, I have noticed that although each tribe have foods native to their locale, these foods are not just eaten by people of that culture; but also eaten by others too.

What is Miyan Kuka?

Miyan Kuka is a delicacy of Hausa origin. If you have ever been to the north, you must have noticed some dark green powder sold in northern markets by the traders; that is what northerners call Kuka. It is made from Baobab leaves. The leaves are usually dried in the sun and then grind into fine powder. Miyan kuka is also called Luru soup.

Prior to the day, I tasted this soup, I had always felt disinclined to partake of the dish because of its appearance. However, the day I had a taste I knew I had been missing out on an experience all this time. I really can’t explain how it tastes but, I am sure that anyone who loves Ogbono soup will enjoy this soup. Right now, Miyan Kuka is my 3rd favorite soup.

To enjoy Miyan Kuka, make sure your meat is properly seasoned. The stock from the meat will add flavor to the soup. While some people like this soup thick, others like it really watery. I personally love my Miyan Kuka moderately thick. However, the case may be, the amount of Kuka powder you use for this soup would influence the consistency of your soup. If you love thick soups, then you should add enough Kuka powder to make the soup thick.

The Kuka powder may contain a few tiny particles. You are advised to sieve the powder before using it to cook.

I have noticed that Miyan Kuka tastes better the longer it stays. For me, it tastes much better the day after it has been made. It’s not like I cooked the soup and waited till the next day before I dug in though. I had some leftovers I packed in my fridge and had to microwave the next day for lunch, that’s when I found out that a day-old Miyan Kuka tastes even more amazing.

Miyan Kuka is normally eaten with Tuwo Shinkafa but, you can enjoy it with any swallow of your choice; especially Fufu.

Let’s cook…

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How to Make Miyan Kuka

Miyan kuka is a delicacy of Hausa origin. If you have ever been to the north, you must have noticed some dark green powder sold in northern markets by the traders; that is what northerners call Kuka

Course Main Course

Cuisine African Food, Nigerian Food

Keyword African food, Nigerian food, Nigerian soup

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 195kcal

Author Ed Brown

Cost $15

Ingredients

• 1 pc Medium Sized Smoked Black Catfish
• ½ Kg Assorted Meat
• 2 tbsp Kuka Powder
• 1 tbsp Ginger Powder
• 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1 pc Small Onion (finely chopped)
• 2 Ozs Palm Oil 2 Ozs = cooking spoon (Approx.)
• 2 cubes Seasoning to Taste Maggi/Knorr
• 1 cup Water
• 3 tbsp Locust Beans
• 1 tbsp Ground Crayfish
• ½ tbsp Dry Pepper
• 1 tbsp Salt to taste

Instructions

• Wash the assorted meat and dry fish.
• Put the meat into a pot and season properly. Also add the powdered ginger and garlic.
• Add water and cook until the meat is tender.
• In a separate pot, heat up the oil and fry the onion.
• Gradually add the meat stock to the oil.
• Add the washed dried fish and more water if you desire. Cook for 5 minutes to get seasoning into the fish.
• Add crayfish, pepper, seasoning and locust bean to the boiling pot of meat stock and dried fish. Allow to simmer.
• Takeout the fish from the pot. The essence of taking out the fish is so you can have enough space to whisk the Kuka so that you don’t end up with a lumpy soup. But, if you are sure you can whisk it properly with the fish in there, then there is no need to take it out.
• Sieve the Kuka powder into a bowl before adding it to the pot. You are advised to add the powder with your hand. A little at a time and whisk consistently until you end up with a lump free consistency. You can add more water if the soup is too thick.
• Allow to cook for about 3 mins.
• Add the fish, meat, and salt to taste. Allow to simmer.
• Your soup is ready. Serve and enjoy your meal.

Notes

As already mentioned, Kuka powder is gotten from grinding dried baobab leaves. These leaves are highly rich in essential vitamins and minerals. They help balance blood sugar levels and also contain Antioxidants and polyphenol that reduce inflammations.

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If you live in southern Nigeria, you would have come across a few restaurants going by the name “Calabar kitchen” written boldly on their signposts. If you stepped in, you would meet people from different parts of Nigeria in there. They have all come for one thing; the famous Abak Atama soup. You might want to try out this soup before learning how to cook it. Just sit and order a plate. I am 100% sure that you would enjoy every single bite of this soup like I did the first time I tried it out.

It was at a friend’s child dedication in Port Harcourt (My friend was married to Calabar man.) During their child dedication, they served lots of Calabar delicacies; naturally, among these was the Abak Atama soup. Honestly, I wanted to go for the popular ‘Edikan Ikong soup’ when my younger sister screamed that they were serving Abak Atama. I was just thinking to myself, what’s really so special about this soup? Well, I asked to be served Abak Atama and semovita. When I tasted this delicious meal, I just had to make it my favorite soup of all time.

What I love most about the soup are the ‘obstacles’ (the fish and meat scattered all over the place). I honestly waited till the end of the celebration so I could ask my friend to pack me a little of that soup. Because, I just had to have another taste.

Abak Atama is a delicious soup popular in southern Nigeria, particularly amongst the Ibibio’s’ of Akwa Ibom State. Its name is derived from the two dominant ingredients used in making the soup; the palm kernel fruit extract (Abak) and Atama leaves. The palm kernel extract used in cooking this soup is similar to that used in Banga soup but the spices and vegetables are different.

The palm fruit extract used in cooking this soup is not in any way similar to the red oil used in cooking. Palm oil is pure oil extract from palm fruit at a very high temperature. While the palm fruit extract for Abak Atama soup is extracted at a low temperature and is a mixture of oil and water, it also contains less saturated fat than palm oil. So, whenever you are tempted to use palm oil instead to cook the Abak Atama always remember that you would change the flavor of the soup.

Let’s cook…

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Abak Atama Soup

Abak Atama is a delicious soup popular in southern Nigeria, particularly amongst the Ibibios of Akwa Ibom State. Its name is derived from the two dominant ingredients used in making the soup; the palm kernel fruit extract (Abak) and Atama leaves.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine African Food, Nigerian Food

Keyword African food, African soup, Nigerian food, Nigerian soup

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 203kcal

Author Ed Brown

Cost $19

Ingredients

• 1 lbs Meat Beef, Goat or Assorted
• 500 grams Palm Fruit (Use palm cream alternatively)
• 1 pc Dry Catfish
• 1 pc Stockfish (Head) Medium size
• 2 ounces Unshelled Periwinkle
• 4 ounces Atama leaves Handful sliced
• 2 tbsp Ground crayfish
• 1 pc Uyayak (local spice)
• 1 tbsp Garlic powder
• 2 tbsp Atarodo (pepper)
• 1 tbsp Black pepper
• 1 lbs Pomo (Beef Skin)
• 1 bulb Onion (Chopped)
• 2 cubes Seasoning Knorr/Maggi cubes
• 2 tbsp Salt Salt to taste

Instructions

• Wash your palm fruits and cook till it is very soft. Put in a mortar and carefully pound till the chaff is totally removed from the nuts. Be very careful while pounding so you don’t end up breaking the nuts into the extract. When all the chaff are removed from the nuts, wash with warm water to extract the juice or oil. Avoid adding too much water during this process. Use a sieve to separate the oil from the chaff and nuts. Put the oil in a pot and set aside.
• Wash all the meat and Pomo thoroughly. Season with onion, pepper, garlic, salt, and any seasoning cube of your choice. Add a little water and allow to cook.
• Add the stock fish head when the meat is almost cooked and cook till it is soft.
• Wash the Atama leaves and pound them till all the leaves are well pounded.
• Put the palm fruit extract on fire. Leave it to boil to remove excess moisture/water.
• Add the cooked meat, washed dry catfish, meat stock, periwinkle, crayfish, pepper, seasoning cubes and Uyayak. Stir and allow to simmer.
• Next, add the Atama leaves and boil without stirring for 10mins.
• Stir, add salt to taste.
• Allow to simmer for a few minutes until the soup becomes slightly thick.

Notes

Your Abak Atama soup is ready. Serve and enjoy.

The Abak Atama soup can be enjoyed with Garri, Pounded yam, Fufu or Amala.

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Ewedu soup is one very popular soup among Nigerians. Particularly among the Yoruba’s, who are notorious for consuming it with Amala. However, most people prefer it combined with Gbegiri (bean soup) and Stew. Ewedu leaves are popularly known as Jute or Molkhia leaves. It is highly nutritious and tasty. Little wonder people love it so much.
Amongst the Yoruba’s, this dish is not just part of their everyday life, it is also a very important part of their religious and ceremonial activities. In fact, it is the hallmark of any ‘Yoruba’ themed gathering.
Ewedu is the Yoruba name for the plant Cochorus olitorius; which is a very green leafy vegetable cultivated as vegetable fibre. The fresh seeds of this plant are used as a flavoring agent, and when dry, they are used to make herbal tea. This particular green leaf is greatly rich in essential minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. It contains a high amount of Iron, Calcium, Sodium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Proteins, Fibers, Vitamin A, C and E, Riboflavin, Niacin and Folate. All of these nutrients help the body stay healthy by fighting off infections.

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How to Make Ewedu Soup

Ewedu soup is one very popular soup among Nigerians. Particularly among the Yoruba’s,who are notorious for consuming it with Amala.

Course Main Course

Cuisine African Food

Keyword African food, African soup, Ewedu, Ewedu soup, Nigerian food, Nigerian soup

Prep Time 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours

Servings 2 people

Calories 176kcal

Author Dennis Errikson

Cost $35

Equipment

• skillet
• spatula
• whisk
• electric range
• blender

Ingredients

• 1 bunch Ewedu Leaves
• 2 cups Water
• 1 tbsp Locust Bean (Iru)
• 1 tbsp Ground Crayfish
• 1 cude Seasoning (Maggi/Knorr)
• 1 tbsp Salt

Instructions

• Carefully pick Ewedu leaves avoiding the stems.Wash the leaves properly with enough water to remove any traces of sand.
• Add the washed leaves to a pot of 1.5 cups of boiling water and cook the leaves until it is soft.
• Allow the leaves to cool a bit before blending it.
• When the leaves have cooled enough, blend them until they are very smooth.
• Transfer the Ewedu back into the pot. Now addground crayfish, locust bean, seasoning and salt to taste.
• Allow to simmer for a few minutes.
• Your Ewedu is ready.

The scientific term for Ewedu; Cochorus olitorius was derived by Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist, Carl Linnaeus from an ancient Greek word Korkoros. He explained that the leaves were consumed in cuisines of various countries. Mainly in cuisines native to Southern Asia, the Middle East, North and West Africa, Japan and China.

Ewedu leaves when cooked generally have a slimy texture similar to that of Okro. And for a long time, the look of this soup made me never try it (I know a lot of persons feel or at some point have felt same way about its look).

But…

Trust me, if you have never had a taste of this dish you are missing something special. I still remember vividly the way I felt the first time I had a taste of this soup and I really want everyone to feel the same way.

Well, I have written this article to help you learn how to make this soup so that the can be part of the ‘Ewedu Geng’…

This soup is very easy to prepare and doesn’t take time to cook at all. Traditionally, the Ewedu leaves are mashed with a broom which the Yoruba’s call ‘Ijabe’. Ijabe is a small broom with very sharp tips, this broom can be purchased in any local market. However, these days with the invention of technologies that make cooking less stressful, the use of Ijabe has been replaced with the use of Blender.

It is important to mention that some Ewedu leaves do not produce the elasticity that they are known for. When this happens, you can add a little edible potash to give the Ewedu soup that slimy feel.

We start off by listing the ingredients needed to make this soup.

Ingredients

• 1 big bunch of Ewedu leaves
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tablespoon Locust Bean (Iru)
• I tablespoon ground crayfish
• Seasoning
• Salt to taste

Procedure

I never use the broom method to make this soup. So, I will suggest you use a blender to smoothen the Ewedu leaves.

1. Carefully pick Ewedu leaves avoiding the stems. Wash the leaves properly with enough water to remove any traces of sand.

2. Add the washed leaves to a pot of 1.5 cups of boiling water and cook the leaves until it is soft.

3. Allow the leaves to cool a bit before blending it.

4. When the leaves have cooled enough, blend them until they are very smooth.

5. Transfer the Ewedu back into the pot. Now add ground crayfish, locust bean, seasoning and salt to taste.

6. Allow to simmer for a few minutes.

7. Your Ewedu is ready.

Ewedu soup is usually paired with peppery stew and assorted meats.

Ewedu is good for people who intend on losing weight because of its low calorific content. Also, it helps strengthen the immune system, fight off stress and heart disease. This vegetable is rich in B-carotene which helps to maintain a good eyesight, iron for healthy red blood cells, calcium for strong teeth and vitamin c for smooth clear skin.

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Groundnut soup, also known as peanut soup, is one of those soups you look forward to after a long stressful day. Native to the Bini’s, this dish is easy to cook and delicious as well. I remember back then, in my undergraduate days at the University of Benin, I had a friend in my hostel who enjoyed groundnut soup. Whenever I came back from a long lecture, she was generous to share her meal with me, and that was how I learnt how to cook it. Groundnut soup, also known as peanut soup, is known to be nutritious and can be eaten with any kind of swallow.

INGREDIENTS

The following ingredients are used when cooking groundnut soup for a family of six:

• 2 cups of roasted groundnuts
• 250g of cow skin/kpomo
• 500g of beef
• 2 tablespoons of palm oil
• Dry fish
• 2 tablespoons of Crayfish
• Bitter leaf
• 2 bulbs of onions
• 1 tablespoon of Black pepper
• Maggi crayfish cubes
• Uda or uziza seeds
• Dry Efirin leaves or basil
• Salt

PREPARATION

The cooking procedures are as follows:

1. Wash the beef and cow skin with water and salt. put in a pot and season with salt, crayfish cubes and onions. Cook until it is tender. I usually buy soft cow skin because the hard ones tend to take a longer time to boil.
2. The dry fish should be deboned and washed to remove dirt. This can then be put into a pot of boiling meat and cooked for 10 minutes.
3. While this is cooking, blend the roasted groundnuts in a blender till it is smooth. Pour in a little water and add the remaining bulb of onions (already chopped) and the uziza seeds. Blend until it becomes a paste.
4. When this has been achieved, pour slowly into the pot and stir. If you notice the soup has become too thick, add water to make it less thick but not too watery.
5. Add the powdered crayfish, black pepper, and two tablespoons of palm oil. It’s very important not to add too much oil to this soup because the groundnut itself has its own oil. So you would want to keep it minimal.
6. Let this cook for about 5-10 minutes, then add the soaked bitter leaf and efirin leaves. A little bitterness from the leaf gives the soup a sweet taste after swallowing. However, if you cannot get bitter leaves, you can also use pumpkin leaves or spinach.
7. Check for salt; if it is not tasty enough, add one cube of Maggi crayfish and salt. Stir and let it cook for a few minutes.
8. Bring the pot down and serve with any swallow of your choice.

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Soup dumpling (Xiaolongbao) is an exquisite pleated dough made by adding aspic – or jellied meat stock – to pork mince so that the aspic would melt upon steaming, filling the inside of the dumpling with a tasty broth. It is a meal unique to the people of China and eaten during traditional ceremonies.

Soup dumplings (Xiaolongbao) are usually served hot in a bamboo steamer. It is strongly advised that you don’t make the mistake of eating them right away – the hot liquid can burn your mouth. You should allow cooling for a little while before you consume it.

An excellent dumpling must have plenty and delicious filling; for the best result, use chicken stock and gelatin. Also, to be on the safer side, purchase the already made dumpling wrapper from supermarkets so that they are not too soft or too hard. If you are having friends or family members over, I strongly suggest you make lots of dumplings as they can disappear quickly.

To prepare dumplings, you would need:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Packet of the dumpling wrapper
• 1 Teaspoon of crushed ginger.
• 2 Green onions, divided
• 1.3 Cup Chicken stock, homemade or store-bought low-sodium
• 1.5 Tablespoon. Gelatin, or 1.5 tablespoons of agar-agar powder
• 7 Tablespoons of water, just boiled
• 1.2 Tablespoon of rice wine
• 1.5 Tablespoon of Sesame oil
• 1 Tablespoon of light soy sauce
• 1.5 Tablespoon of Sugar
• 0.5 Tablespoon of Salt
• 0.12 Tablespoon of White pepper (ground)
• 0.25 Cup Chinkiang vinegar, or 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
• 225g Ground pork, the fattier kind preferably, roughly chopped.

EQUIPMENT

• Bamboo steamer
• Parchment paper
• Fine-mesh sieve
• Baking pan, 8″ x 8.”
• Yield: 24 dumplings.

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop the ham (or bacon),

Chop the green onion into two and crush each piece with the blade of your knife.

Put the stock, green onions, ham, and ginger into a small saucepan and cook for about 10minutes or until the stock has reached a measurement of 150ml (2/3 cup)

Strain the soup and remove the ham. Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes, and mash it a bit.

After 15 minutes, return the stock to the saucepan and sprinkle in the gelatin. Place over medium heat, continually stirring until the gelatin dissolves completely. Pour it into the 8″ by 8″ baking pan. (This will make a thin layer that will be easy to cut up)

Place the in a refrigerator until it is gelled; scrape with a fork and remove from the pan.

Chop the green onion and put it in a bowl, add the ground ginger, rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil, soya sauce, cinnamon, salt, and the white pepper. Mix all the ingredients until they are smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to mature. Add the small cubes of the frozen stock and combine until well mixed.

For each dumpling, take a wrapper and hold it in your slightly cupped hand. Scoop up about a tablespoon of mashed ham, put it in the center. Put a teaspoon of filling, use both sets of index fingers and thumbs to pleat and pinch the rim of the dough together to form a closed satchel. Make sure to pinch and twist the dough at the end to completely close your dumpling for the soup to stay in.

Place each finished dumpling in a steamer tray, sealed side up, spacing them about 1 in (2.5 cm) apart. When you use a metal steamer tray, keep the dumplings at least an inch away from the edge, because this is where all the condensation will collect.

In parchment-lined bamboo steamers, cook each batch of dumplings over boiling water for 6–8 minutes. The dumplings are ready when they puff up slightly and become translucent.

Place it in serving bowls and allow to cool a bit before eating.

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Groundnut Soup (Peanut Soup). It is prepared the same way as Egusi Soup so you can apply the same methods of preparing Egusi Soup to Groundnut Soup with great results.

I’m going to talk about two recipes.

First Up let’s talk about Omisagwe; Edo/Standard Groundnut Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raw un-skinned groundnuts
• ¼ cup Oziza seeds
• 1 handful of chopped Efinrin
• 1 medium sized smoked fish
• 1 medium sized Stockfish
• An assortment of boiled meats
• Beef stock
• 3 – 4 Ata Rodo or more – I will say more because you’ll enjoy this soup spicy
• 1 red onion
• 1 cooking spoonful of Palm oil
• 1 cup periwinkle
• Salt

Preparations:

1. In a stew pot, braise the goat meat over low- medium heat with the onions, bullion and salt for 30-35 minutes. If you are cooking goat meat from an older or male goat, you may need to cook the meat for longer for it to be tender.
2. Next, toast the peanuts in a pan, stirring continuously over low heat, till the nuts turn toasty in color. It should take about 15- 25 minutes depending on how hot the pan is.
3. Allow the nuts to cool completely before grinding.
4. In a blender, food processor, mortar and pestle, grind the peanuts into a rough powder. Be mindful not to blend into a butter (it really doesn’t hurt if blended to a butter, this is just how I learned to do it).
5. Mix the braising the liquid from braising the goat meat and water (should make up about 3 cups of liquid) with the ground peanuts and scotch bonnet peppers in a pot making sure there are no peanut lumps. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil over low- medium heat for about 10 minutes, mixing continuously to prevent burning.
6. At this stage, you may add more or less water depending on the consistency you prepare. If you prefer a lighter soup, add more water. If you prefer a thicker soup add no more water. Note that as the stew continues to cook, it usually thickens up. It also thickens a little more once it cools down.
7. After 10 minutes, add in the palm oil, braised meat, crayfish, and cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Add in the chopped spinach and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Now Let’s Talk about The Ground Soup prepared like it’s Egusi (The Egusi Alternative Groundnut Soup)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of Groundnuts (500grams)
• Any desired protein (Fish, beef, chicken, chevon, Shaki, etc). I prefer using Shaki and beef.
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons of ground crayfish.
• 4 cooking spoons of red palm oil.
• Two medium dried fish
• Stockfish (head or flakes)
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of ground pepper.
• 3 seasoning cubes
• A small bulb of chopped onions.
• A small bunch of pumpkin leaves

Preparation:

1. Grind your Groundnut seeds in a blender. When grinding with a blender, ensure that you do not put too much water. For the four cups of Groundnut, you would need one cup of water. The result will be a thick paste. If you had a spice crusher, more like a manual grinder, grind the Groundnut seeds into clear, free-flowing powder. With the spice crusher, you do not need to use water, because it will make the crusher stiff and make the Groundnut seeds to cake in the blade. Most people, however, prefer to grind theirs in the market or buy theirs already grinder and packaged. It is all good. However, to get the fresh feel of Groundnut, it is best to grind the seeds when you are ready to cook. Grind and set aside.
2. Wash the pumpkin bunch with clean water, at least twice. Shake the leaves vigorously to remove sand if any. Then shred to thin slices and set aside.
3. Wash the beef and shaki, season with half of the tablespoon of salt, one seasoning cube, and chopped onions. (If you decide if to use chicken, do not use the dry fish and stockfish because of the clashing flavor.) Place the seasoned beef and shaki in the pot, allow it to steam for a while, say 5 minutes, with medium heat. Do not add water; instead, let the water from the meat seep out and cook the meat. This is to ensure that the seasoning goes into the meat. Make sure you always check on the meat to ensure it doesn’t burn. Once the water has dried up, add enough water to cover at least three inches above the beef and shaki. This water will be used to cook the soup later.
4. While the beef is boiling, boil a kettle of water. This water will be used to wash the dried fish and stockfish. Before washing the dried fish, remove the entrails. That is if they are still present. Put the stockfish and dried fish in a bowl, soak in hot water for about 6 minutes. Drain the hot water, rinse with cold water, and add to the pot of soup. Leave it to boil, till everything is tender to your satisfaction. Empty the pot and set it aside.
5. Heat the pot, till it is dry, add the 4 cooking spoons of red oil. Allow it to heat until the oil is translucent. Once this happens, add the Groundnut, whether in a paste or powdered form. Mix the Groundnut with the oil until every grain of Groundnut turns yellow.
6. Start stirring the Groundnut on low, medium heat. Keep stir-frying for about 10 minutes. Ensure that it doesn’t burn while you stir. If it begins to burn, check your heat level. Reduce it to medium.
7. While stirring, add the stock (water from cooking the meat and fish), little by little. Keep doing this until the stock is exhausted. If you feel that the soup is too thick, add hot water in the same way until you get the consistency you want. (If your leaf choice is bitter leaf or uziza, add it at this time because it is tough.)
8. Cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes, and keep stirring at intervals. Also, top with hot water when necessary. Note that if you do not stir the soup, it will burn. It takes about 25-30 minutes to cook Groundnut properly. If it doesn’t cook properly, it may cause stomach upset. When the Groundnut is done, you will notice that the oil has separated from the mix.
9. At this moment, add your ground crayfish and pepper. Stir and add the pumpkin leaves.
10. Also add the cooked beef, shaki, dried fish and stockfish.
11. Then add the remaining two seasoning cubes and stir properly. If it is still too thick, add water and bring it to the consistency you like.

Food is ready, serve your Groundnut soup or peanut stew. It is a nutty, savory, spicy and totally delicious peanut stew usually eaten with a starch like rice or eba.

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First up there are a number of ways to spell the name of this dish;

• Owo
• Owho
• Owgho

This is one of the most famous dishes for the Urhobo people from Delta State, Nigeria. But to be honest the Bini People from Edo State will give the Urhobos a fight for the origin of this beautiful soup.

First off let’s talk about the Urhobo Owo Soup:

Ingredients for Urhobo Owo Soup

Assorted Meat and Fish;

• Beef
• Cow Skin
• Cow Trip
• Snails
• Dry Fish
• Shell Fish
• Stock Fish
• Palm Oil
• 2 Teaspoons powdered edible potash (Akanwu, Kaun, Keun)
• 3 Tablespoons ground crayfish
• 1 Cup Garri
• Hot and spicy pepper (to taste)
• 2 stock cubes
• Native Urhobo Salt (A particular type of Potash/native salt called Ugwerue)
• Banga Oil

Preparation:

This my interpretation of the Urhobo Owo Soup, and is not the only way it can be prepared but let’s get down to business, there’s my Step-by-Step guide to making the Urhobo Owo Soup:

First thing you need to do is boil your assorted meats and fish to soften it.

Once it’s soft, debone the fish and meat.

Add a little extra water, so you have this bubbly crayfish and pepper stock. Once the stock has started boiling, add palm oil and allow it to dissolve.

Pound potash to a powdery form and mix with water and a pinch of Salt (or Ugwerue Native Salt). Ugwerue is used traditionally, but if you can’t source that, your friendly old potash will serve. You only need a small quantity of potash. I did not use all the potash you can see in the picture below. I only took about half a teaspoon.

Slowly add the potash solution to the stock. After adding the potash solution to the water, you will notice the contents of the pot foaming up. Allow this to foam up and for the heat to also cook the potash. Be careful not to add too much of the potash solution. Otherwise, the soup will have a nasty metallic taste. At no point should you cover the pot, otherwise it will boil over.

While the potash is cooking in the stock, soak Garri in water. You need to soak Garri in water, to allow it soften to a thick paste. Otherwise, the Owo soup will have a grainy feel to it. You don’t want that. With Owo soup, you have 2 choices of thickeners. Starch or Garri. You can also use both. I ended up with this glob of soup, which just had a yucky look and texture to it. I was pissed, to say the least. I could have added hot water to make the soup more fluid, and it would have been okay, but I couldn’t get the image of the glob out of my mind, so I binned it. If I were using the local edible starch, I know I wouldn’t have had any problems. I binned that pot, tried again and this time using only Garri.

Add the soaked Garri to the pot and stir vigorously, to prevent it from forming lumps. In a few minutes, the soup will thicken as it should. Let it continue cooking.

I decided to finish off with a little extra water, to make it more fluid, shredded smoked fish, and I readjusted for salt. You will know the soup is ready when patches of palm oil begin to float to the surface. At this point too, the Garri had dissolved completely, leaving a creamy soup. You may wish to leave it on low heat to thicken a little longer.

Dish you Owo soup and Serve with Yellow Garri, Delta Starch, Semolina, Pounded Yam and lots more.

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Let’s talk about my two favorite Oha Soup Recipes.

Of which my favorite is Oha with Achi. Oha with coco-yam almost tastes the same, but the creamy nature of Achi is exceptional compared to the creamy quality of coco-yam. Oha soup cooked with coco-yam usually tend to get lumpy if not well prepared. Also, note that different parts of eastern Nigeria cook Oha soup with different oils. Anambra people use Ofe Akwu (Freshly obtained palm kernel gravy), while Imo people use Palm oil (already stored). You will get the same result, but the one cooked with Ofe Akwu has this distinct traditional taste you will never get from palm oil.

Oha Soup with Achi

This style of Oha soup is almost the same as the one I just described. The only difference is the Achi, and in my case, I prefer using the Uziza leaves instead of the seed.

Ingredient:

• Handful Uziza Leaves.
• 3 teaspoons of Achi
• Smoked Fish
• Stock fish, the head especially (Okporoko)
• 4 Tablespoons of Ground Crayfish
• 2 teaspoons of Cameroon pepper
• 2 Maggi Cubes (Crayfish Flavor)
• 3 Table Spoons of Salt
• Assorted meats (Beef, goat meat, Pomo, Shaki are ideal)
• 2 Cooking Spoons of Palm oil
• 1 Bunch of Oha leaves

Preparation:

Just like the previous soup;

You will start by washing your beef and seasoning it with salt, and Maggi. Do not add water; leave it to boil. The water from the meat will seep out and cook the meat. Doing it this way will ensure that the seasoning flavor will be tasted when eating the meat. While the meat is boiling, use hot water to wash the stock fish, and smoked fish. Wash properly and separate the entrails because you wouldn’t want to get the taste of bile while eating. Rinse in cold water and add the fish to the pot where the meat is already boiling. This will be the best time to add the water needed to make the soup. When adding water, let it be 4 inches above the stock (a combination of meat and fish for soup). This will give you enough moisture to cook the Achi.

Most people buy the Achi seeds and grind, while others buy the powder. But in my case, I prefer buying the powder. Mix the three spoons of Achi with water and leave it. Mixing it with water prevents it from clogging in the pot.

Check your pot of stock. If it is already boiling all-round, add the two spoons of red oil, and the two spoons of pepper. Leave to simmer for another two minutes, then add the Achi mixture. Leave to simmer for another 6-8 minutes. The soup would have a creamy feel and texture, and the Achi would have dissolved completely; blending correctly with the oil. The color this time will be a bright yellow color. Add the already washed Uziza leaves, Maggi cube, and crayfish. Leave to simmer for a minute. Then add the previously washed and shredded Oha leaves. Turn off your fire, and let the steam cook the leaves. If you put the Oha leaves when the pot is still on the fire and leave it to cook for long, the leaves will turn black and taste bitter. It is very tender and sensitive to excess heat.

Your Oha soup is ready to eat. You could take it with either Eba, Fufu, or Semovita, depending on what you want.

Oha with Egusi

A few Igbo people only cook this particular combination. In this case, the soup is expected to be thick.

Ingredients:

• Handful Uziza Leaves.
• 1 teaspoon of Achi
• I small chunk of Usu
• A cup of Egusi
• Smoked Fish
• Stockfish, the head especially (Okporoko)
• 4 Tablespoons Ground Crayfish
• 2 teaspoons of Cameroon pepper
• 2 Maggi Cubes (Crayfish Flavor)
• 3 Table Spoons of Salt
• 2 bulbs of onion
• Assorted meats (Beef, goat meat, Ponmo, Shaki are ideal)
• 3 Cooking Spoon of Palm oil
• 1 Bunch of Oha leaves

Preparation:

Just like the previous soup,

You will start by washing your beef and seasoning it with salt, Maggi and this time chopped onions. Do not add water; leave it to boil. The water from the meat will seep out and cook the meat. Doing it this way will ensure that the seasoning flavor will be tasted when eating the meat. While the meat is boiling, use hot water to wash the stock fish, and smoked fish. Wash properly and separate the entrails because you wouldn’t want to get the taste of bile while eating. Rinse in cold water and add the fish to the pot where the meat is already boiling. Add water, like 4 inches above the stock, and leave it to cook.

While the stock boils, mix your Usu with water, enough to make it a paste (not light). Carry out the same procedure for the Egusi.

Once the stock has boiled, add oil and pepper to it. Leave it to simmer for 6 minutes. At this point, the oil and water would have blended. Add the Achi paste, stir and leave to boil for four minutes. After this is done, add the Egusi paste and stir. Leave to simmer for another four minutes. When this is done, pour the powdered Usu into the pot and leave for two minutes. When you open your pot, you will notice that the soup is bubbly and thick. Add the Uziza leaves and leave it to boil another two minutes.

Finally, add your Oha leaves, and turn off the light. The steam will cook the Oha vegetable. You can eat it with any swallow of your choice.

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Nsala soup or white soup as commonly called by Nigerians is a meal famous to the eastern tribe and riverine area of Nigeria. The unique feature of this soup is that you do not cook it with Palm oil. The major components of this soup are yam and catfish. However, you can use any other proteins of your choice for cooking, although catfish is an essential requirement.

Ofe nsala is a bit similar to the Efik soup called Afia Efere, but the extra condiments make it different from Nsala. In this article, however, we would be discussing how to cook Nsala soup with goat meat and catfish.

To cook Nsala soup with goat meat, you would need the following ingredients:

Print

Nsala Soup (White Soup)

Nsala Soup or White Soup as commonly called by Nigerians is a meal famous to the
eastern tribe and riverine area of Nigeria.

Course Main Course

Keyword Nsala, Nsala soup, Soup, White soup

Cook Time 1 hour hour 47 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 47 minutes minutes

Servings 3 People

Calories 250kcal

Author Dennis Erickson

Cost $55

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Ground Crayfish
• 2 Cubes Seasoning
• 2 TBSP Ground Uziza Seeds
• 1 Cup Uziza Leaves
• 2 Mid-size Dried Fishes
• 2.5 Kg Goat Meat
• 2 TBSP Ground Pepper
• 1 TBSP Salt
• 1 Small Bulb Onion
• Pepper
• 5-7 Mid-size Yam Cubes
• Utazi Leaves

Ofe Nsala (White Soup) Preparation:

The first step, peel the yam cubes, wash and boil. After 10 minutes, drain the yam slices then pound till it is a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle. If you do not have a mortar and a pestle, you can put the boiled yam cubes in blender or food processors, and add a little water, until it is a smooth paste. (You can use the water used to cook the yam).

The pounded yam serves as a thickener for the soup, once this is done, put it aside. The next thing to do is to wash the goat meat, and spice it with onions, a seasoning cube, and salt. Leave to parboil for at least thirty minutes. While the beef is parboiling, wash the dried fish in a bowl. While washing, remove the entrails to avoid eating the bile, which is bitter and unpleasant. After cleaning the fish, add it to the meat that is being parboiled.

After the proteins in the soup have been softened, the next thing to do is to add the quantity of water needed to make the soup. The amount of water you add depends on the number of ingredients you have, plus the number of people who would be eating.

While the stock (a combination of fish and meat and water) is boiling, add pepper and the thickener (Pounded yam). Ensure that the thickener melts into the stock water. This is to avoid lumps while eating the soup with a swallow. After 10 minutes, add the ground Uziza seeds and leave to boil.

Wash the Utazi leaves; they should be in small quantity because they are bitter. Chop the Utazi leaves.

Add the ground crayfish and Utazi leaves, leave to boil for 2 minutes, and then turn off the light.

Your Nsala soup is ready to be eaten. You can either eat it with semolina or fufu.

Moving on, this is the procedure for cooking Nsala soup with catfish. Though similar, there are a few differences.

To cook Nsala soup with catfish, you would need the following ingredients.

1. One medium-sized catfish.
2. 5-7 medium yam cubes.
3. A handful of Utazi leaves.
4. A cup of ground crayfish.
5. One teaspoon of Ogiri.
6. One teaspoon of Uziza seeds.
7. Quarter teaspoon of Ehuru.
8. 1 Small-sized bulb of onion.
9. Two teaspoons of ground pepper.
10. Three seasoning cubes.
11. Salt
12. Two medium-dried fish.

Preparations

The first step, peel the yam cubes, wash and boil. After 10 minutes, drain the yam slices then pound till it is a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle. If you do not have a mortar and a pestle, you can put the boiled yam cubes in blender or food processor, and add a little water, until it is a smooth paste. (You can use the water used to cook the yam). Set the pounded yam aside for later.

Remove the entrails of the dried fish, wash with hot water, and season with salt, a spice cube and half part of the small onion bulb (diced). Cook it until it is soft, then set aside.

For the catfish, it is advisable to get it de-enthralled at the shop if you do not know how to do it properly. Place the cleaned-out catfish in a pot, pour enough water to cover the fish, add the remaining chopped onions, seasoning cube, and salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Add the pepper, crayfish, Uziza, and Ogiri. Also, this is an excellent time to add the dried fish you have already cooked. Leave to simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add the yam paste bit by bit so that they can dissolve without turning into lumps. Leave to simmer for a short while. Wash the Utazi leaves and chop into small bits. Finally, sprinkle the chopped leaves, add salt and the last seasoning cube. Allow the soup to simmer for another 25 minutes, then turn off the heat.

You can eat it with fufu, semolina, Eba or pounded yam.

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Edikang ikong is a native soup of the Efik and Ibibio (Cross River and Akwa Ibom states) people of Nigeria. It is a very nutritious soup made with a generous quantity of fresh vegetables, dried fish and assorted meat. Edikang ikong used to be known as the “soup of the wealthy” due to the variety of rich proteins used in cooking the soup.

It is cooked with a combination of two different vegetables (Ugwu leaves and water leaves) but in the absence of ugwu leaves, spinach leaves can be used.

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg of spinach or Pumpkin leaves (Ugwu)
• 200g water leaves
• Assorted meat of choice including kanda (Kanda is optional)
• Smoked fish
• Stockfish (Optional)
• 250 ml of Red palm oil
• Periwinkles (Optional)
• Bouillon cubes to taste
• Ground crayfish
• Medium size onions (optional)
• Fresh pepper
• Salt to taste
• All the ingredients can be obtained from most African shops

PREPARATION

• Prepare the vegetables by washing and cutting them into tiny pieces, keep them aside.
• If you are using Kanda, cut them into small pieces and cook till its tender (Because it is a tough meat)
• Place the assorted meats and kanda into a pot, add water, pepper, onions, bouillon cube and salt. Then cook it till it’s properly done. Make sure it has just a little liquid left inside

COOKING

• Add the dried fish and periwinkle into the pot of properly seasoned meat. Add the palm oil, ground pepper (to your tolerance level) and crayfish. Then leave to boil for about 10 minutes. The palm oil serves as the liquid in Edikang ikong soup, try as much as possible to make it the only liquid in the soup.
• Add the periwinkles and water leaves (Lamb lettuce) and leave to cook for about 5 minutes or less so that you don’t overcook the water leaves.
• Add the pumpkin leaves, add salt to taste. Stir the pot very well and turn off the heat. Cover the pot for about 5 minutes and then you can serve!

Bon appetit!

Serve with Garri, pounded yam, amala or cassava fufu.

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