How to Make Nigerian Vegetable Soup

As much as there are countless cultures in Nigeria, just so is the diversity of the vegetable soup. Nigerian Vegetable soup differs from tribe to tribe and the only head way is that some vegetables are more popular than others. Eforiro, Afang, Edikaikong, and co are some of the really popular ones around. These vegetables are the constants in their native kitchens.

As much as we like trying our hands on something different, it wouldn’t be an anomaly for the Yoruba kitchen for example to try out Edikaikong soup, which is themed as a vegetable soup from the east. Follow the instructions below to try the Edikaikong soup at home.

How to make Nigerian vegetable soup: Tools needed

• Kitchen knife
• Chopping board
• 2 bowls (medium/large)
• Cooking pot
• Sieve

How to make Nigerian vegetable soup: Ingredients

• Fresh clean water
• 1 cup of palm oil
• 6 cups of ugwu leaf
• Chicken/Beef/fish
• 2 spoons of ofor
• 12 cups of waterleaf
• 2-3 onion bulbs
• 500g dried fish
• 1 cup of grounded crayfish
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• 1 cup of periwinkle
• Stock fish head (medium size)

How to make Nigerian vegetable soup: Instructions

1. Cut and wash the meat to prepare it for cooking.
2. Parboil the meat, slicing in 2 onion bulbs, seasoning cubes (to taste) and any other spice. Cook till meat is almost soft for consumption.
3. Boil water and wash the stock fish, removing the sand and other particles, then add to the meat on fire.
4. Rinse the vegetables in cold water and slice it into separate bowls (the waterleaf aside and the ugwu aside).
5. Pour hot water into the bowls to soak the leaves for at least 3 minutes, then sieve out the leaves and throw away the water.
6. Repeat the process until you are sure there is no more sand.
7. Add 1 cup of palm oil to the boiling meat on fire, add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Cook for 6-10 minutes, until there is very little traits of water.
9. Add grinded crayfish, periwinkles, a spoon of grinded ofor (sprinkled) and stir.
10. Leave to cook for 4-5 minutes.
11. Add the water leaf, stir very well and allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the ugwuleaf and stir.
12. Leave to simmer for 3 minutes.
13. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool off.

Your Edikaikong soup is ready to be served with your favourite solid meal, be it Eba, Wheat, Semo, Pounded yam or Fufu.

Notes

• Overcooking your vegetables doesn’t only make it overly soft; it also makes it lose its nutritional value. So be careful with the timing and better use some soup maker. For example, with Tefal BL841140
• This procedure is for the Edikaikong soup in particular and the procedure cannot be substituted for another vegetable soup.