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Nigeria is home to some of the most delicious dishes in Africa, If you know anything about Nigerian foods or West African foods in general, It is that their soups, in particular, are delicious and finger-licking good.

With the abundance of animal proteins, leafy greens, palm oils, and other tasty spices, the delightful tastes that give your mouth an orgasmic experience, or the lip-smacking variety of aromatic smells, It would not be so far-fetched if I said Nigerian soups are what delicious dreams are made of.

As delicious as these Nigerian soups are you would think they aren’t as healthy. Still, it is otherwise. Nigerian soups have a balanced mix of proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, and other healthy components to create an extremely nutritious delicacy.

•Okra Soup (Okro Soup)

Okra is a slippery type of soup or in Nigerian lingo “draw soup”.Its slippery nature might put you off at first but I guarantee you will fall in love with okra after just a bite.

Okra is naturally slippery when grated or chopped, okra itself is packed with so many health benefits. It is a low-calorie food and it is great for your digestion.

Okra soup is a very popular delicacy among the Yoruba Ethnic group in Western Africa. It is also known as Ila Alasepo by the Yorubas.

Ingredients:
•Sliced Okra (a medium-size bowl full)
•Stockfish head (medium size)
•1 kg of meat (chicken)
•5 shombo peppers
•2 scotch bonnet peppers
•500g mackerel
•2 seasoning cubes
•Salt to taste.
•200ml Red (palm) oil
•Half cup of ground crayfish

How to prepare
Step 1: Slice the okra and set it aside in a bowl, the trader in most Nigerian markets can assist you with slicing the okra, but you can also try using a kitchen knife, I like to slice Okra myself, although there is no harm in using the help of the market women. Remove center seeds from the Shombo, combine with scotch bonnet and blend or pound using a mortar and pestle. Also, blend or grind the crayfish.

Step 2: Wash the fish/chicken and season with a half teaspoon of salt, two seasoning cubes, a cup of water, and half a cup of sliced onions.
Allow it to boil together for 10-15 minutes. Remove them while leaving the stock in the pot.

Step 3: Add the stockfish to the boiling pot, one more cup of water, and cook for about 10 minutes till they are soft for consumption.
Add two cups of water.

Step 4: Introduce 200ml of palm oil, and add the crayfish, pepper/shombo, and salt to taste.
Let it boil for 8 minutes. Add the cooked chicken/fish and allow simmering for three more minutes.

Step 5: Add the sliced okra and stir. Drop the cooked mackerel fish on top.
Allow simmering for 3-4 minutes, and you are done with this delicious soup.

•Egusi Soup

Egusi Soup is one of the most popular soups consumed in Nigeria. This delicious soup is one of the highly sought-after soups in Nigeria and beyond, and it is equally enjoyed by everyone.

Egusi soup is made with Ground melon seeds and is typically cooked with meat, fish, and leafy vegetables.

The Yorubas make efo elegusi while the Igbos make ofe egusi, all with similar ingredients but with slightly different approaches.

Ingredients:
•1KG or 2.2lb beef
•4 cups of egusi
•1lb or 500g Roasted fish.
•Half cup of Ground Crayfish
•300ml of Palm oil
•A Handful of washed bitter leaves
•2 seasoning cubes
•Salt to taste
•Pepper to taste (scotch bonnet).
•One medium-sized Stock fish head (Okporoko)
•20g Dawadawa or Opkei (local ingredients)

How to prepare
Step 1: Set a cooking pot on heat and allow drying. add the palm oil and allow to heat for 2 minutes but don’t let it bleach.

Step 2: Dissolve the egusi seeds in a cup of water and add to the heated oil.

Step 3: Fry the dissolved egusi seeds in palm oil for the next 8-10 minutes. Always stir to avoid burning it.

Step 4: Once the egusi is fried, add 6 cups of water, the cooked meat, and stir. add the roasted fish, stockfish, ground crayfish, a seasoning cube, and ground scotch bonnet pepper then cover and allow to boil for the next ten minutes.

Step 5: Stir occasionally to avoid burning.

Step 6: Add the already washed bitter leaves, one spoonful of ground dawadawa (local ingredients), and taste for salt and pepper.

Step 7: Allow to boil for ten minutes, stir in between.

•Efo Riro

Efo Riro needs no introduction as it is one of the most popular and well-loved soups in Nigeria.

Efo Riro is a rich vegetable soup that is native to the Yorubas of Western Nigeria.

Ingredients:
•1kg of beef
•Cow tripe (Shaki)
•Cowskin (Ponmo)
•Dry fish
•200ml of Palm Oil
•500g of Efo Shoko
•Pepper mixtures(Red bell peppers, Scotch •Bonnet peppers, chili pepper)
•Half cup of ground crayfish
•1½ Onions
•2 Seasoning cubes
•2 tablespoons of locust beans (iru)
•Salt to taste

How to prepare
Step 1: Start cooking the cow tripe on high heat with little water. When the cow tripe is almost done, add meat, chopped onions, salt, and seasoning cube and continue cooking.

Step 2: In another pot, pour the palm oil and heat it. Once hot, add the remaining onions and fry for 2 minutes.

Step 3: Then add locust beans and fry for a minute. Now pour your blended pepper mixture, and stir together. Add salt, seasoning cube, and crayfish. Allow cooking for about 20 minutes.

Step 4: Once the oil is floating at the top, add smoked fish, ponmo, and meats. Stir and taste for salt.

Step 5: Add the vegetables to the sauce and stir very well, cover the pot and allow to cook for about 4 minutes. After some minutes, take the pot off the heat.

•Ogbono Soup

Ogbono Soup is another slippery type of soup or “draw soup”. Its main ingredient is ground African mango seeds also known as Ogbono seeds.

If you are a draw soup lover but not too keen about the chunky feel of the okra soup, Ogbono soup is for you. The smooth slimy texture helps your fufu goes down your throat very smoothly.

Ingredients:
•1 cup ogbono seed
•1 small ogiri okpei
•1 medium sized stockfish head
•400g of ponmo
•500g of sharki
•1kg Beef
•2 medium-sized fresh pepper or 2 tbsp. dry pepper
•6 small snails
•1/2 cup crayfish
•Salt to taste
•3 Seasoning cubes
•1 small onion
•1 cup palm oil
•1 small bunch of Pumpkin leaves

How to prepare
Step 1: In a medium-sized pot, place the meats: Sharki, Ponmo, beef, and snails in the pot. Add your chopped onion, crushed seasoning, and salt to taste. Cover the pot and leave the meats to cook in its juices for 5-10 minutes. This ensures the seasoning gets into the meat.

Step 2: Add water and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the beef and snail so they don’t get overcooked. Add the stockfish into the pot and cook alongside the Sharki and Ponmo for extra 20 minutes.

Step 3: Heat palm oil in an empty pot for 30 secs and Add pepper. Stir fry for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Turn down the heat from the burner and add the Ogbono. Stir on very low heat for 30 secs then add the meat stock. Mix well.

Step 5: Add water to the pot. If you want it to be very thick, add little water. if you don’t want the soup to be too thick, add water as desired.

Step 6: Here’s the tricky part. If you’re sure you’re using the real Ogbono, you can cover your pot. If you’re using Ugiri (An Ogbono substitute), DON’T COVER YOUR POT else the soup will lose its viscosity. Once the Ogbono thickens, Add the crayfish and cooked proteins into the pot.

Step 7: Mix to combine, then add your chopped vegetables. Leave to simmer for 2 minutes on low heat then turn off your burner and your Ogbono is ready.
You can serve with Eba (Garri), Semovita, Pounded Yam, or Fufu.

Thanks for reading.

Firefunmi Akin-Akinlabi

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