SOUP RECIPES (BLACK SOUP)

SOUP RECIPES (BLACK SOUP)

Black soup is popular and tasteful. It is native to the people from the south-south i.e (Benin) Edo state.  It is quite delicious and easy to prepare.  Black soup is tasty and very nutritional.  It is a staple soup made from a combination of ground leaves vegetables, which gives it a dark color hence the name black soup.
                                                            

Ingredients

• 1 cup of Efinrin - basil is a good substitute
• 1kg Assorted Meat
• 2 cups of Washed bitter leaves
• Half cup of sliced Scent leaves
• 2 cups of sliced uziza leaves
• 1 medium bunch ugwu leaves
• 1 cup of periwinkle
• 300g of roasted fish
• 1 big piece of stock fish
• 1 piece of smoked fish
• 2 - 3 pieces of ata rodo
• 1/2 cup of crayfish
• 2 cups banga juice (palm fruit extract) or palm oil
• Stock cubes/ salt (to taste)

Preparation Method

·         To prepare the leaves and already hand washed bitter leaves for extra precaution, it's best to par-boil for about 10 minutes before re-washing with clean water just like it's done when preparing bitter leaf soup. While doing this, make sure the pot is left uncovered otherwise it'd bubble out. Once you're done boiling, strain with a sieve and rinse severally with cold water. Squeeze off excess water - Set Aside. 

·         Soak the scent leaves, uziza leaves and ugwu leaves in salt water for 5mins and rinse with clean water, chop into smaller pieces with a knife and place in a blender with the washed bitter leaves. Add a little water just to make the blades of the blender move and grind. And set aside.

·         Boil and season the meats in small pot; add salt to taste.  Remember to cook the meats with a strong tasting smoked fish variety like stock fish, smoked red prawns, Eja Sawa and fresh fish. 

                                                                                                            

• Pick the Efinrin or basil leaves off the stalk, rinse and blend too, then set aside
• Blend the ata rodo and add to the pot of cooked meats and stock.
• Once the pepper has dissolved into the stock.
•  Add  banga juice,  crayfish, washed periwinkles and leave to cook  for about 10 minutes.
• Add the blended bitter leaf to the pot. Let the cook for 5 minutes
• Add the blended Efinrin. Let the soup cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve the black soup with Amala, Elubo, Pounded yams, Fufu (akpu), Eba or Tuwo Shinkafa .