SOUP RECIPES (NSALA OR WHITE SOUP)

Nsala soup or White Soup is one of the most delicious soups. It is very tasty, fast and easy to prepare.  Most homes enjoy eating nsala soup due to its spicy taste and it is the only soup that is made without palm oil. It originates from  Riverine areas.

Ingredients

• Raw White Yam / Yam Powder / Potato Puree
• Meat of choice (beef, goat, shaki cow tripe)
• Fresh/ dry Utazi Leaves or Uziza seed
•  Snail (Optional)                                          
• Cat fish (Optional)
• Dried fish (2 medium sizes)
• Ground crayfish (I cup)                                          
• Salt (to taste)
  
• Pepper (to taste)
• 1 stock cube
• 1 Ogiri Okpei (traditional seasoning optional)

 

Alternative Ingredients for Nsala Soup

• When using yam powder as thickener, mix the powder with hot water first to make a thick smooth paste (as if you are making pounded yam) before adding it to the soup. Adding the powder directly into the soup will make the soup mushy and you may end up with lumps.
• In the absence of habanero pepper, you can use dry chilli pepper.
• Utazi leaves do not have any good alternative. If you don't have it, no worries because it only adds a slightly bitter flavour to the soup.

Before you cook Nsala Soup                            

1.     Cut the catfish into 1 inch thick cylindrical discs and remove the intestines. Place in bowl and pour very hot water on the fish. This process of pouring hot water on the fish toughens the skin of the fish so that the pieces do not disintegrate while cooking the soup. Leave for about 2 minutes and wash the fish with cold water. You should also wash off any slimy substance on the outer skin of the fish at this time.

2.     If you are using goat meat parboil the meat with all the necessary ingredients for about 30-40 minutes, add stock cubes, a pinch of salt, add onions and any beef seasoning till it is soft enough for consumption.

3.     Boil a few cubes of raw white yam. When soft, pound with a mortar and pestle till a smooth paste is formed, then set aside. You can substitute white yam with yam powder or potato puree for the thickening.

4.     Wash and pound/blend the utazi leaves, the chilli pepper and the crayfish and set aside. Utazi is bitter in taste and only used for flavouring so one or two leaves should be enough especially when using the fresh leaves.

Cooking Directions

1.     Place the catfish in a pot and pour enough water to cover the fish. Add the seasoning and cook till done. When the fish is done add the necessary ingredients.

2.     Note: Catfish is what makes Nsala soup what it is, giving it the unique taste that it has so it is essential to this recipe.

3.      If  using meat, after parboiling the meat add the ground crayfish, Uziza seed and ground pepper (remember to taste before adding  uziza seed because uziza seed are also very pepperish).

4.     Also add the yam paste in small lumps and salt to taste.  

5.     Cover the pot and allow the contents to cook at high heat till all the yam paste have dissolved. While cooking, if you think that the yam paste will make the soup too thick, you can remove some that are yet to dissolve. 

Serve with Cassava fufu, Amala, Tuwo Shinkafa, Pounded Yam and Eba (Garri)