You know one of the things that makes me happy as a mom? When there is a huge pot of okra soup in my kitchen. You know why? Because my girls love okra soup to the T. They never get tired of it!
You know, one would think that living in the western world their tastebuds would mostly crave pizza, burgers, yada yada. But no! They love traditional meals like this okra soup especially when it is going down with corn fufu. Even my picky eater eats and licks her fingers.
This slimy soup called okra soup is made differently in various countries. I also make it it various ways in my kitchen. Sometimes plain, sometimes with ogbono (a slimy friend to okra) and sometimes with egusi.
We all love this version made with egusi. It is easy to put together and it tastes so good! Okra doesn't have a particular overwhelming taste so it is hard to describe. But it is mild and the addition of melon seeds (egusi) brings some nuttiness and earthiness to the soup.
I made it with some homemade smoked fish. If you haven't checked out my tutorial on how to make your own smoked fish at home, you absolutely should. It will change your life.
This Cameroonian okra soup recipe can be enjoyed with any fufu you like from garri to corn fufu to yam fufu (pounded yam). You could even eat it on boiled rice if that's your thing!
I made a video to show you how to make this soup from start to finish. To make sure you do not miss any of my cooking videos, subscribe to my channel on YouTube.
Watch how to make Cameroonian Okra soup:
Recipe
Cameroonian Okra Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ pound okra (about ¼ kg) finely chopped or roughly blended
- 1 cup egusi (melon seeds) ground
- 1 pound fish, meat or both (I used smoked fish and beef)
- 1 large crayfish seasoning cube (Maggi Crevette) or 3 small seasoning cubes (regular Maggi)
- 1 small onion chopped
- ½ cup crayfish
- Salt
- 1 hot pepper (habanero) optional
Instructions
- If using meat, start by boiling the meat with water at the same level of the meat until tender. Half way through the cooking, season with salt and ¼ of the chopped onions.
- Mix egusi with water to form a paste. Add to boiled meat and let it cook for 10 minutes. Add in smoked fish and let them cook for another 5-10 minutes. Be sure to check the consistency of the soup as you go, adding more water as needed.
- Now add in Maggi, salt to taste and crayfish. Mix well and let them simmer for two minutes.
- Add in chopped or roughly blended okra (please watch video to see how I prepare the okra). Mix well with the rest of the soup. Add in water as needed. If you want it lighter, add in more water. Let it cook for 2-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the okra. It should still look green and vibrant. Taste to make sure seasoning is perfect.
- Serve with cooked garri or any fufu of choice.
Notes
Nutrition
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Dominika Goodness says
What a coincidence, I made a pot of Okra soup mixed with ogbono,eventhough it's almost finished but Okra soup is a life saver.
Precious says
Yes, okra is a lifesaver! I also love it with ogbono!
Kwandah T says
Yes oh...it's okra bay-bay! One of my all-time favourites. I will eat (abi drink) it in any form but i love it best with seafood; and every time it has to be with garri only lol. Please take your fufu & rice etc away. Thank you very much haha.
Whenever i percieve the smell, my face lights up & that puts me in a slightly happier mood 🙂 . It's also quite simple to make hence can satisfy one's cravings timeously.
Precious says
Hahaha ele ya okro soup rules eh!
Okay I have taken my fufu and rice away!
Bianca says
What happened to the rest of the 3/4 onions
Bianca says
What happened to the rest of the 3/4 onions? Now i hv left over onions i dont know what to do with 😩😩😩
Bianca says
What happened to the rest of the 3/4 onions? Now i hv left over onions i dont know what to do with 😩😩😩😩
Precious says
Hi Bianca, I normally place the remaining onion in a ziplock bag and place in the fridge. Most often I'll just use it the next day in a different meal.
Dave says
Hi precious, Please is oil not needed here??
Precious says
No, I didn't use oil in this recipe. But you could add some palm oil if you want to. Add the palm oil when you add the smoked fish. Hope this helps.
Francis says
Thanks very much precious i have been cooking okra soup for the past 3years now, just because i had to cook for my mum i checked out your scores and for the first time in ma life i feel happy and excited about a meal coz i tasted it and it's amazing seems it's ma first time of cooking it perfectly. thank you Precious
Precious says
OMG, you are so welcome. Glad you enjoyed the Okra Soup!
Celine says
Hi Precious. Thanks for always coming through with wonderful recipes.
I tried the okro recipe and added garlic and ginger to it (Coz I'm a garlic and ginger kind of person) and it was great. Looking forward to cooking 50k to more often now that I have found the perfect recipe
Precious says
Glad to hear that, dear.
Elizabeth Forteh says
Dear Precious, I tried this recipe today and it is so delicious. Thank you for all your efforts.
Precious says
You are so welcome, dear.