Efo Riro (Nigerian Amaranth Soup)
Efo riro is a thick Yoruba vegetable soup from Western Nigeria, built more like a stew than a broth. Green amaranth wilts into a rich base of palm oil, peppers and crayfish, with stockfish, smoked fish, tripe and beef adding layers of savory depth. You cook it down until the oil turns from red to yellow, which concentrates everything. Serve it with pounded yam, garri or amala.
Instructions
Soak the stockfish and dryfish for a few hours, longer if they are very hard. When soft, clean them, remove the bones and break the flesh into small pieces.
Put the shaki in a pot with just enough water to cover it. This soup should stay thick with very little liquid, so add water in small amounts and top it up only as needed while it cooks.
Simmer the shaki for 30 minutes, then add the dryfish and stockfish. When the shaki is almost done, after about 1 hour on high heat, add the beef, bouillon cubes and onion. Keep cooking until all the meat and fish are tender.
Stir in the ground crayfish, smoked fish, tomato stew, salt and palm oil. Cover the pot and cook on high heat until the oil turns from red to yellow and very little liquid is left.
Add the habanero and the amaranth on top and do not stir. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the pot comes back to a boil. The greens will keep softening off the heat.
Stir the soup and serve. For a variation, cook the meats and fish without the tomato stew, then set them aside. Fry the onion and red bell peppers in hot palm oil for about 15 minutes until soft and reduced, stir in the iru and crayfish, then fold in the cooked meat, fish and greens, cover until heated through, and salt to taste.
Make it personal.
Custom engraved cutting boards, utensils, and kitchen accessories. Great gifts for anyone who cooks.
Shop Custom Chef →Affiliate link · PicksByRecipe may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
