Nigerian Okro Soup

The green pods of the okro (okra) plant are used in a variety of dishes around the globe. Okra is boiled, fried, pickled, roasted, grilled or eaten raw. Some enjoy raw okro in salads or cook okro as gumbo with meat or seafood. I prepare a popular Nigeria soup known as okro soup and serve it with pounded yam (also known as as yam fufu) and eba (garri). There are many health benefits of okro and the central place that fufu has in Nigerian cuisine.

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Nigerian Okro Soup

Course

Main Dish, Side Dish

Cuisine

Nigerian

Servings

Ingredients

• 15-20 fresh okro or frozen “fingers”
• 1 teaspoon dried crayfish
• 1 cup shrimp medium sized
• beef stew meat (cubed or cut in small pieces)
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cups chopped fresh spinach (or 8 ounce package of chopped frozen spinach)
• 1 large onion
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• ¼ cup palm oil
• 1 tablespoon dried bitter leaf
• salt to taste
• 4 plum tomatoes optional
• 1 bouillon cube optional

Course Main Dish, Side Dish Cuisine Nigerian Servings Ingredients 15-20 fresh okro or frozen “fingers” 1 teaspoon dried crayfish 1 cup shrimp medium sized beef stew meat (cubed or cut in small pieces) ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 cups chopped fresh spinach (or 8 ounce package of chopped frozen spinach) 1 large onion 1 medium red bell pepper ¼ cup palm oil 1 tablespoon dried bitter leaf salt to taste 4 plum tomatoes optional 1 bouillon cube optional

Instructions

1. Chop onions and bell pepper and set aside in a bowl. If using tomatoes, chop them and add to the onions and bell peppers.
2. Cut and chop fresh okro or pour frozen okro into a bowl and set aside.
3. Chop fresh spinach or pour frozen spinach into a bowl
4. Wash beef and place in a medium pot.
5. Add onions, dried crayfish, bitter leaf, bell pepper, red pepper flakes and bouillon cube to beef, then add a little amount of water to prevent the beef from drying.
6. Cook beef till done, then add palm oil and shrimp and cook for another five minutes. Stir the pot. Add a little bit of water to prevent the contents of the pot from drying out.
7. Add spinach and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring the pot.
8. Add okro and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, stir the pot and reduce the heat for the last 2-3 minutes and simmer. Add salt for desired taste. The okro seeds will rise to the top of the pot.
9. Turn of the heat off and serve soup with fufu (pounded yam or garri/eba).

Recipe Notes

Place the okro soup into a bowl and serve with the pounded yam or garri.

Enjoy!

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