Nigerian Ogbono Soup with Okra
Ogbono soup is a Nigerian staple built on the ground seeds of the wild African bush mango, which give it a thick, glossy texture that earns it the name draw soup. This version adds okra for extra slipperiness and finishes with peppery uziza leaves. Stockfish, ponmo and meat give the pot a deep savory base, while the ogbono and palm oil paste keeps the soup smooth instead of lumpy.
Instructions
Wash the meat, stockfish and ponmo, then put them in a pot with the onion, peppers, stock cubes and a little salt. Cook for 10 minutes.
Pour in 1 cup of water and bring the pot to a boil. Stir in the ground crayfish and let it cook for a few minutes.
Mix the ground ogbono with 2 tbsp of palm oil until you have a smooth paste. Stir the paste into the pot and simmer for 10 minutes, adding water as needed until it has the consistency of a soup.
Stir in another 2 tbsp of palm oil and the okra. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the chopped uziza leaves and simmer for 5 minutes more.
Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning. Take the pot off the heat and serve hot.
If you cannot grind the ogbono at home, have it ground at the market or pound it to a paste in a mortar. Mixing it with crayfish makes pounding easier. Bitter leaf or ugwu (Nigerian pumpkin leaves) can replace uziza.
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