Bitter leaf soup is one of the most delicious soups in Nigeria.
By the end of this article you would have learned how I made the delicious looking plate of bitterleaf soup below with cocoa yam and few other ingredients
The Igbo people of Nigeria refer to it as “ofe onugbu”, it is one of the most popular soup in Igboland.
I am just going to be as precise and candid as possible with this soup recipe
Like I initially stated, ofe onugbu is my favorite amongst Nigerian soups.
The bitter leaves are either washed at home or bought in the market(already washed).
The name ‘bitter-leaf soup’ is derived from the fact that a particular leaf which is bitter (until washed) is used in cooking it.
The Ingredients includes: serving (6X2)
Red (palm) oil 10 to 15cl.
1 cup of crayfish(blended).
2KG of Meat(beef, turkey, goat, chicken).
2-3 Dried or roasted fish.
1 Stock fish head(okporoko).
washed bitter leaves(onugbu).
2 cubes of maggi(seasoning).
Ogiri or dawadawa(optional).
Cocoa yam (ede) as thickener.
Salt and pepper to taste.
1.5L of water
In the case of the plate of bitter-leaf soup below, cow meats was used.
How To Prepare Bitterleaf Soup
Let’s make ‘ofe onugbu’ with the assorted cow meat. Wash thoroughly with boiled water and parboil with onions, maggi(seasoning) for 5-10 minutes then add water and cook till it is soft for consumption.
You will add salt later, it is not good to add salt while parboiling meat.
Cook the ede(cocoa-yam) until it is soft(feel it with your hands), peel off the back and pound with a mortar and pestle, pound until you have something soft and seedless then set aside.
Use hot water to soak the dried fish and stock fish separately for 1 minute and wash thoroughly to remove every pinch of sand then set aside as well.
Nigeria washed bitter leafNigeria assorted meat Making bitter leaf soup
Taste if the the washed bitter leaves are still very bitter, boil for 10 to 15 minute to remove up to 90% of the bitter taste then wash and set aside.
Blend the crayfish alongside red pepper and set aside. You are just about to start the second part to making bitter leaf soup (ofe onugbu)
To the boiling meats in the pot, add a teaspoon of salt, the washed dried fish, stock fish and crayfish/pepper, then add about 10 to 15cl of red (palm) oil, stir and allow to boil for 10 to 20 minutes (you may cook the dried fish alongside the assorted meats from the beginning if it is the very hard type)
Now you will have a visible combination of meats, dried fish and stuck fish as they boil together.
Add the soft pounded ede(cocoa-yam), ogiri(optional) and allow them to dissolve, add the bitter leaves, maggi(seasoning) and more salt to taste then cover and cook for five minutes
Now you have a pot of bitterleaf soups, one of the best of Nigerian soups
Bitterleaf soup (ofe onugbu)
Serve hot bitter leaf soup with pounded yam, fufu, semo, wheat or garri.
Find out how I made
Easiest Nigeria Soup With Fresh Fish (point and kill), with video included.
I bet you would surly love to read more about this
Other Nigerian Soups
Here is the Video on How to Make Nigerian Bitter Leaf Soup (ofe Onugbu)
Compare Bitter leaf Soup & Other Nigerian Facts