How To Make Easy Nigerian Okra And Ogbono Soup
This super delicious okra ogbono soup recipe, packed with assorted meat, dry fish, okra, and spinach, is rich, hearty, and satisfyingly delicious. Okra with ogbono is a very famous Nigerian soup within Nigeria and on the West African continent. It is indeed one of Nigeria’s most sumptuous delicacies. There are several ways to serve okra soup. While this soup is hearty and filling by itself, you can enjoy a bowl by itself. Nigerians and most people typically pair okra with fufu (swallow).
Okra and Ogbono Soup for a win!
This super delicious okra ogbono soup recipe, packed with assorted meat, dry fish, okra (well obviously), and spinach, is rich, hearty, and satisfyingly delicious. Okra with ogbono is a very famous Nigerian soup within Nigeria and on the West African continent. It is indeed one of Nigeria’s most sumptuous delicacies. Make sure to check out my other Nigerian recipes including my goat meat pepper soup, authentic Nigerian Fried Rice, and my peppered beef tongue.
As one of the most popular Nigerian soups, most of the ethnic groups we have in Nigeria have a thing for okra. In other words, it isn’t a kind of soup reserved for one particular ethnic group. I grew up eating okra, and I loved it. As a kid, sometimes my mother would cook okra and ogbono together, and for today’s recipe, I am recreating my mother’s okra and ogbono soup recipe. Okra is generally the best Nigerian soup that most Nigerian parents use to start their kids on the part to eating traditional Nigerian soup and swallow. If you are new to this, swallow simply means fufu, oat fufu, garri, plantain fufu, or pounded yam. While this soup is hearty and filling, you can enjoy a bowl by itself. Nigerians and most people typically pair okra with fufu (swallow).
Okra and Ogbono Soup Swallow
“Swallow” is a starchy food usually eaten with a bowl of soup such as oat fufu, cassava fufu, yam fufu, Garri fufu, plantain fufu, etc., Typically, you will pick up small fufu or swallow, and you dip it generously in the soup, and then you will swallow it! Additionally, okra and ogbono soup are natural to swallow and likewise gentle in the tummy. Soup and swallow bellow. ⤵️
Why You Will Love Nigerian Soup!
- Okra and Ogbono soup is hearty!
- This soup consists of assorted meat, fish, vegetables, herbs and spices.
- Okra ogbono soup is unique in taste.
- You can easily double batch this soup and enjoy it whenever you wish!
- The flavors are unimaginable!
- Kid-friendly; this soup is super kid-friendly. My kids and other kids love it!
Note: In Nigeria, it is not unusual to see different kinds of meat inside a pot of soup. For instance, a bowl of okra soup may consist of beef, beef tripe, oxtail, cow feet, goat meat, fresh fish, dry fish, smoked fish, smoked turkey, and so on. The list is endless; I guess we cook extraordinarily and we derive joy in doing so. So, for this very soup, I will add and use different parts of meat and dry fish. Skip the meat and fish if you are vegetarian, and I encourage you to swap the meat to your preference if you do not like a particular part of the meat that I will be using today.
The Okra Health Benefits.
Okra is full of high-quality fiber, which aids in digestion and can stop constipation; an excellent source of protein, okra is also low in fat and sodium. Therefore, it can help with the improvement of cholesterol health. Oh, kay! This is impressive!!!
Okra and Ogbono Soup Ingredients:
- Beef (or more/less)
- Goat meat
- Cow feet
- Dry fish
- Bulb of onions (quartered; use for cooking the meat)
- Salt or less (for cooking the meat; the amount of salt you use will depend on the quantity of meat/your taste)
- Knorr seasoning powder or 4 Maggi seasoning cubes (for cooking the meat)
- Homemade beef broth (from boiling all the meat)
- Frozen okra or 2 lb. of frozen okra
- Frozen spinach (you can thaw or use from frozen)
- Dry Lante leaves (optional; for flavor)
- Nigerian red pepper or any chili/hot pepper
- Red (Nigerian) Palm oil
- Ground Ogbono
- Ground crayfish
- Red bell pepper (blend alongside the okra)
- Water (as needed)
Note: Remember, you can use any quantity of assorted meat and fish you want. You can reduce this recipe or increase it. Simply use this as a guide!
Watch How To Cook Nigerian Okra And Ogbono Soup:
What is Ogbono Seed?
On the other hand, ogbono is made from a (dry) seed of edible fruit popularly eaten in Nigerian – ugiri. If you haven’t noticed, most Nigerian soups require thickeners, which are usually seeds (but mostly used in ground form). In case of this soup, alongside frozen okra I will also use ogbono; it will help both in the thickening or (draw as we say back home), and flavor. Okra and ogbono combo are a match made in food heaven; it combines the freshness of okra and on the other hand the magic-ness of dry ground ogbono seeds. Both tend to draw very well; when used together produces one of the best soups from Nigeria.
How To Make The Best Nigerian Okra and Ogbono Soup:
Let me show you how to make this easy-peasy, delicious okra soup with ogbono. See the recipe card for complete extensive instructions. I have other recipe videos on my YouTube Channel. Don’t forget to subscribe.
- Prepare the Meat
Boil all the meat until fork tender. Wash the dry fish and set aside.
- Prep the Vegetables
Wash/clean and cut the bell peppers, onions and habanero. Also, defrost the okra while your meat cooks/coils. This step may not be necessary if using fresh okra.
- Make the Soup
You will make this easy okra and ogbono soup using the detailed instructions that I have provided in the recipe card. Serve with fufu or enjoy by itself!
TIPS for the BEST Ogbono Okra Soup:
- Use homemade broth; do not use store-bought beef broth for this soup. I highly suggest using only the broth you get from boiling the meats.
- Add assorted meats and dry fish; using only beef or just one type of meat will not cut it.
- Do not puree the okra; the texture is essential in the soup.
- Go slow with the salt, especially if you add salt when boiling the meats.
- Make sure you prep the meats way in advance to save you time on the day of. Sometimes, I boil my meat weeks in advance. This way I can quickly blend the okra and make the soup with my eyes closed.
- Ensure the meat is fork-tender. There is nothing worse than unchewable meat in a yummy soup.
- When storing, pack in individual freezer-safe and microwave-safe containers.
Okra and Ogbono Soup Memories.
As kids, we would eat okra with anything, like anything. Sometimes at my house, we would eat okra with rice or yam. But, in reality, it is traditionally eaten with swallow – pounded yam, pounded cassava or fufu, garri or oat fufu. You can also lunch or dine on a bowl of okra without swallow!
How To Store Okra and Ogbono Soup:
When storing, pack in individual freezer-safe and microwave-safe containers. This way, when needed, you can pick up one serving (one bowl), defrost, reheat, and enjoy. If you make the mistake of storing all the soup in one big container, then it becomes a labor to defrost and scoop what you need when you need it.
See the photo below for how I suggest that you pack this soup for easy storage, which also helps it maintain optimum taste. If you store it this way, this Ogbono/okra soup will always taste new whenever you eat it. It can last up to 90 days in your freezer.
Recipe Card
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How To Make Easy Nigerian Okra And Ogbono Soup With Spinach Leaves
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 11 – 13 Servings 1x
- Category: Nigerian Soup
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Nigerian Cuisine
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This super delicious okra ogbono soup recipe, packed with assorted meat, dry fish, okra, and spinach, is rich, hearty, and satisfyingly delicious. Okra with ogbono is a very famous Nigerian soup within Nigeria and on the West African continent. It is indeed one of Nigeria’s most sumptuous delicacies. There are several ways to serve okra soup. While this soup is hearty and filling by itself, you can enjoy a bowl by itself. Nigerians and most people typically pair okra with fufu (swallow). You can serve okra with oat fufu, plantain, garri/eba, or the famous pounded yam!
Scroll up to see what I served this okra and ogbono soup with oat-fufu. This healthy okra and ogbono soup recipe is also easy to follow as soon as you boil the meat, you are pretty good to go!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. of beef (or more/less)
- 1 lb. of goat meat
- 2 lbs. of cow feet
- 1 lb. of Dry fish
- 1 bulb of onions (quartered; use for cooking the meat)
- 1 TBS. salt or less (for cooking the meat; the amount of salt you use will depend on the quantity of meat/your taste)
- 1 tablespoon Knorr seasoning powder or 4 Maggi seasoning cubes (for cooking the meat)
- 7 cups of beef broth (or more/less. Broth/stock from all the meat)
- 4 (12oz) bags of frozen okra or 2 lb. of frozen okra
- 1 (12oz) bag of frozen spinach (you can thaw or use from frozen)
- 2 TBS of dry Lante leaves (optional)
- ½ teaspoon Nigerian red pepper or any chili/hot pepper
- ¼–½ cup of red (Nigerian) palm oil
- ¼–½ cup of ground Ogbono
- ¼ cup of ground crayfish
- 1 – 2 red bell pepper (blend alongside the okra)
- Water (as needed)
Instructions
Prep/boil the Meat
- Wash and cut all the meat as desired. NOTE: I typically cook the meats separately, such as cow leg, beef, smoked turkey, etc. in different pots! If possible, boil and prep all the meat a day or two ahead. This way, it only takes you a portion of the day to make the soup!
- To boil the meat(s). Set a clean pot on the stove, add the meat (you wish to cook) to a clean pot, and add quartered onions, 1 – 2 teaspoons salt, 1-2 teaspoons Knorr seasoning powder, or 2 Maggi cubes. Then add water until it is well over the meat. Set the heat to medium, cover, and cook until fork tender (add additional water if needed). Then, separate the meat from the broth and set aside. You can sieve the broth if you want a clearer broth.
- Clean/wash your dry fish by soaking it in salted hot water. Then, remove all the bones and rinse properly. This step only applies if you are using dry fish (which I highly suggest, by the way). Set the washed fish aside for use when cooking. If your fish seems very dry, I suggest you boil it after washing it. Boil it for 20 minutes, adding a small amount of salt and Knorr. Then, separate the fish from the broth and discard the broth. Set the fish aside for use when cooking.
Prep the Vegetables:
- Wash/clean and cut the bell peppers, onions and habanero. Use a food processor or blender to chop/process. I prefer a food processor for this job. However, a blender works just fine! Scoop out and set aside.
- Ensure your okra is defrosted. Bring out okra from the freezer to thaw hours prior to cooking your soup. Then, use a clean blender or food processor to roughly blend the okra. Use the pulse setting and pulse a couple of times. Repeat the process to blend all the okra as needed. Place blended okra in a big bowl and set aside until needed.
For the soup
- Set a clean pot on the stove and set your stove on low – medium. As soon as the pot warms up, add palm oil, allow the palm to heat up just a little bit, and then add the pepper-onion blend. Cook for 3 – 5 minutes and stir in the ground Ogbono and continue to stir. Keep stirring gently for 2 minutes (or more) to dissolve all the Ogbono into the mix. Then gently add the broth (every liquid from cooking the entire meat) except the liquid from smoked Turkey and beef tripe. Then, add the already-cooked meats, ground crayfish, and fish. Stir in between to avoid burning or sticking to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 8 – 10 minutes.
- When the soup starts to simmer, crush in seasoning cubes or add the Knor seasoning powder. Add one teaspoon and taste, then add additional seasoning if needed. Remember, your broth has been well seasoned. Next, add the ground red pepper or chili pepper (remember that you blended a habanero with your bell peppers, so add hot red chili pepper with caution). Stir very well, and allow to cook for about 2 minutes. Then, add the washed Lante leaves (if using it). Cover the pot and cook for about 8 – 10 minutes, adding a little water in between this time if necessary. Taste and adjust flavors and add the okra.
- Add the okra, distributing it well with your cooking spoon. Then cover, bring the pot to a simmer, and continue to cook for about 8 – 10 minutes. This cooking time also depends on the quantity of the okra. If you are using the same amount in this recipe, then it will take about that time (that’s what it takes me). Stir the pot within intervals of 3-4 minutes to ensure that the soup is cooking evenly and avoid burning of any sort.
- After 10 minutes or so, it will be time to add the spinach. Stir in the spinach (I would usually squeeze water out of the spinach before adding if it is thawed.) Use the cooking spoon to ensure the spinach is well distributed. By this time, your soup is looking yummy; feel free to taste it and add additional salt and seasoning if desired. Allow everything to simmer for another 2 – 4 minutes, and your yummy okra and Ogbono soup is ready! Serve with fufu, Garri pounded yam or oat fufu or just eat a bowl by itself.
Notes
Use homemade broth; do not use store-bought beef broth for this soup. I highly suggest using only the broth you get from boiling the meats.
Add assorted meats and dry fish; using only beef or just one type of meat will not cut it.
Chop the okra using a food process; Do not puree it; the texture is essential in the soup.
Go slow with the salt, especially if you added salt when boiling the meats.
Make sure you prep the meats way in advance to save you time on the day of. Sometimes, I boil my meat weeks in advance. This way I can quickly blend the okra and make the soup with my eyes closed.
I do boil the meats separately.
Ensure the meat is fork-tender. There is nothing worse than unchewable meat in a yummy soup.
When storing, pack in individual freezer-safe and microwave-safe containers.
The meat boiling time is not included in the cooking time for this soup.
You can always use less meat or no meat at all! You are in charge of the amount of meat you may decide to use. You can substitute the entire meat and fish with mushrooms instead. Sometimes I alternate, you can see that in the video I used chicken instead of goat meat or cow feet.
Add extra time to cooking the cow feet; it takes about 2-3 hours to make them tender unless you are using a pressure cooker. As you cook the cow feet the water will continue to decrease, keep adding water as you go. You will need this water as it becomes the base for the soup.
You may need additional salt or seasoning cubes/powder if you are using low sodium or non-sodium broth or plain water. Also, taste the soup as you go along to make sure it is coming along well, and then adjust appropriately.
Please remember that the primary determinant of how much time it will take you to make this soup is the quantity/amount of soup.
Cook this soup on medium to avoid burning or sticking to the pot.
Please note that the quantity of soup that I made in the video is double the amount that I typically make. The ingredient list in this recipe will be less than what you see in the video, (for a full disclosure)
Please note that the suggested timing in the instructions may differ because of, say, how your stove operates. For instance, it may take you more time to bring your pot of soup to a boil, etc. Use this instruction as a guide.
Enjoy and let me know when you make this recipe.
Do you eat okra soup? Tell me in the comment below, how you like to cook yours. Annnnd, do let me know when you make this soup.
More Nigerian Foods To Make:
- Nigerian Goat Meat Pepper soup
- Nigerian Basmati Party Jollof Rice
- Delicious Plantain and Eggs Frittata.
- The Best Nigerian Moi-Moi Recipe.
- Insanely Delicious Nigerian Coconut Jollof Rice.
- Nigerian Baked Ripe Plantain Recipe.
- Nigerian Classic Red Tomato Stew
Finally, let’s connect on social media, am on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. If you like video recipes, then be sure to head over to my YouTube Channel. Share this post, and SAVE/PIN THIS IMAGE ON PINTEREST! ⤵️
With love,
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY! Stay well, safe and keep living your life to the fullest!
Okra is my fav veggie since childhood but now it doesnt suit me at all 🙁 This soup looks awesome Nkechi. Myh mom used to make crispy okra with gramflour. WE get fresh okra here never saw it frozen 🙂
WOW! Growing up I loved okra as well and still loves it very much now😂
Same here, I didn’t know about frozen okra until I came to live in America. I only ate fresh okra growing up, and my mother would always use it to make soup or yam porridge.
Currently, my kids love my okra soup, and it melts my heart because I feel I am passing down our okra tradition to the next generation.
I love okra and ogbono together & I also cook mine same way you do but cooking my okra 15 – 20mins is a bit too much for me. I love my okra a little crunchy so I like to go for fresh okra. Thanks for sharing
Hello, Theresa!
Thanks for stopping by.
Oh, I see what you mean. Whenever I make okra by itself, I cook it for less time. But when am making it with ogbono, I would normally want it to blend in. And I also, I make it in very large quantity, so this cook time allow it to properly heat up real good. 🙂
It is awesome to see that you enjoy my kind of food. Nice to meet you!
Hope to see you often.