Ogbono soup is a popular Nigerian dish that can be enjoyed on its own or with other foods like fufu. Ogbono soup like many Nigerian soups has many varieties, but the one thing you’ll always find in any Ogbono soup recipe is Ogbono seeds. So, let’s find out how to cook Ogbono Soup, the health benefits and ingredients you need to prepare Ogbono Soup.
Health benefits of Ogbono Soup
Ogbono soup is not just a delicious treat for the whole family, but also a powerful aid for your health! That’s right! Here are 3 most important health benefits of Ogbono soup:
- Ogbono is a great food product for weight management: the soup isn’t too high in calories, and the Ogbono seeds have been proven to reduce appetite.
- The riboflavin, thiamine, and niacin contained in Ogbono seeds help the organ cells regenerate and build new tissue.
- Recent studies of Ogbono have revealed that the seeds of the plant have anti-diabetic properties, both in terms of prevention and treatment of the existing diabetic condition in patients.
How to cook Ogbono soup
There are three most popular ways of making Ogbono soup.
- Classic/Traditional Ogbono Soup
>>>Ingredients for Classic Ogbono Soup Recipe
>>>Step by step Recip for Classic Ogbono Soup - Ogbono Soup Recipe with Ugwu (Pumpkin Leaves).
- Ogbono Soup Recipe with Okra
How to cook Classic/Traditional Ogbono Soup
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for the classic/traditional Ogbono Soup:
- Ogbono seeds – 2 handfuls
- Assorted meat or fish
- Spinach leaves
- Onion – 1
- Crayfish – 2 tbsp
- Red palm oil – 2 tbsp
- Stock cubes – 2
- Salt
- Pepper
Follow these easy steps to make your Ogbono soup:
- Grind the Ogbono seeds, crayfish, and pepper.
- Cook the assorted meat with an onion and stock cubes. Don’t cook all the meat at once – start with the meat that takes the longest to cook and gradually add the rest.
- Chop the leaves you’re using for the soup.
- Put the palm oil into a pot and put on low heat, allowing the oil to melt without becoming too hot.
- Add the ground Ogbono seeds and turn off the heat. Stir to dissolve the Ogbono powder and add a bit of the stock from the meat or fish.
- Put the pot back on low heat and continue stirring the Ogbono mixture. You will notice the mixture starting to thicken. Add some hot water, stir, and leave the pot ope. One mistake most people make is to cover the pot which will prevent the Soup from thickening.
- Cook the Ogbono mixture for an additional 20 minutes in a covered pot. Every 2-3 minutes you need to stir the mixture and scrape off any Ogbono that sticks to the pot.
- After 20 minutes pass, add the chopped and cooked meat, crayfish, salt, and pepper. Stir well, add more liquid if needed, and cook on low heat under a lid until the soup heats up.
- Add the defrosted and chopped spinach leaves; turn the heat off, cover the pot, and let the soup sit for 5 minutes to cook the spinach.
- Serve Ogbono soup on its own or with your favourite fufu recipe.
See also: Recipes to Prepare Chicken Pepper Soup
How To Cook Ogbono Soup with ugwu (Pumpkin Leaves)
Ugwu, or pumpkin leaves, can be a great addition to your Ogbono soup. You can substitute spinach with ugwu leaves or use both for a richer flavour and the many health benefits of both.
Pumpkin leaves are tougher than spinach, which is why you need to cook them for approximately 5 minutes before turning off the heat. The rest of the cooking process is completely identical to traditional Ogbono soup.
How To Cook Ogbono Soup with okra
See also: Health and Beauty Benefits of Okra
Ogbono soup with okra is a combination of two things – the hearty Ogbono seeds and the flavourful okra. You’ll need 200 grams of okra for the soup. Finely chop the the okra and add it as the last step of cooking Ogbono. Stir the soup well, allow it to heat up, take off the heat and serve!
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