BITTERLEAF SOUP/OFE ONUGBU

Bitterleaf soup – Ofe onugbu is  native to South East Nigeria. It is very delicious and one of the  popular soup recipes. Bitterleaf soup could be made in different ways. It can be made with either ede (cocoa yam), ofor, achi , ogbono or even egusi (melon seeds).

This soup is all about washing and squeezing the bitter leaves (and changing the water at intervals) till all traces of bitterness has been washed off.
 This soup takes almost the same process as the making of uha soup, you can even cook up to the point of adding the leaves then you divide it to add uha to one and bitter leaf to the other.

Ingredients For Bitter Leaf Soup

• Washed and squeezed bitterleaf - A handful
• 2kg Meat of choice (beef, chicken, pork, turkey)
• 8 small corms Cocoyam
• Half cup of ground Crayfish
• 3 stock cubes
• Ogiri (a product of castor seeds)(optional)
• Dry fish (2 medium sizes)
• Stock fish head and Dry Fish
• Palm oil (about 25cl)
• Salt and pepper to taste

                                                                           

Notes about the ingredients:                                                           

1.     If you are outside Nigeria, you can use dried, washed and squeezed bitter leaves but you need to first of  all make the bitter leaves soft and fresh again before adding them to the soup.

2.     If you cannot buy cocoyam corms where you live, you can use cocoyam flour. An alternative to cocoyam flour is potato flour.

Before you cook Bitterleaf Soup

1.     Make sure that the bitter leaves are well washed, such that there is no trace of bitterness left. If not, wash and squeeze it more. If the bitterness cannot be completely washed off (which is usually the case with most washed bitter leaves sold in the market), boil it for about 15 minutes and wash in cold water.

2.     Wash and cook the cocoyam till soft. Remove the peels and use a mortar and pestle to pound the corms to a smooth paste .

Cooking Directions

1.     Boil the shaki (cow tripe), stock fish and dry fish in 1 litre of water till they are well done. First sign of a done shaki is that the cuts will start curling on itself.

2.     Wash the beef and add to the pot of shaki etc. and continue cooking. When the meat is done, add 3 stock cubes and cook for 5 minutes.

3.     Add pepper, ground crayfish, bitter leaves (if they have not been parboiled) and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the cocoyam paste (in small lumps) and the palm oil then go to step 5.

Note: If the bitter leaves were parboiled to remove the bitterness, then for step 3; add pepper, ground crayfish, the cocoyam paste (in small lumps), the bitter leaves and the palm oil. In other words, add all the ingredients at this stage.

4.     Cover the pot and leave to cook on high heat till all the cocoyam lumps have dissolved. You can add more water if you feel that the soup is too thick.

5.     Add salt to taste and the soup is ready

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