Years ago, I tasted this finger-licking soup at Aunty Ngozi’s house in Nigeria. Aunty Ngozi, is one of my very kind ‘aunties’ I went to spend my school breaks with,. She fondly called me, “Kaymerun geh” (Cameroonian girl). On this particular day, we were preparing for a wedding and we needed to load our bellies with food before the wedding delays will kill us of hunger. I don’t want to get into how traumatising delays can be for a hungry wedding guest but if you’ve experienced that before, you know what I mean.
Aunty Ngozi presented me with this finger-licking hunger-curing, trauma-preventing bowl of Ogbono soup made together with okra.
And I haven’t looked back since then.
As the “Kaymerun geh” that I am, I was accustomed to eating Ogbono Soup made with Egusi. But this version showed me a new way. Ogbono soup made ‘plain’ with okra. And this slimy bowl of soup has a signature ethnic taste that is so pleasing to the taste buds. And this bowl of soup is low in calories depending on the meat you use. According to my friend who studied food science, Ogbono seeds have been found to have weight loss properties.
Ogbono seeds
These seeds which come from a specie of mangoes are used in Cameroon and Nigeria to make a variety of soups that are eaten with different kinds of fufu. I have seen Equatorial Guineans use the same seeds to make soup to be eaten with rice.
Today, we are talking about how to cook them together with okra. Ogbono soup with okra together with some garri or fufu is a match-made in heaven.
All you need is some meat and/or fish of choice. I used beef, smoked turkey and cow intestines.
You put in some ground Ogbono, crayfish and plam oil and let it boil. Then you add some seasoning cubes, the okra and some fresh green leaves and viola, ogbono soup with okra.
This soup is well-loved by every human being that lives in this place called my home. Hope you and the people in your life enjoy it too.
Don’t you just want to hug that???
Aunty Ngozi, this is for you. Thanks for introducing me to this delicious soup and for taking care of me selflessly. ♥
I first tried this Ogbono soup with okra years ago in Nigeria and I haven't looked back since then.
- 2 pounds (about 1kg) boiled meat/fish of choice
- 1 handful ogbono seeds ground
- 2 cups chopped okra
- 1 handful spinach leaves (or bitterleaf)
- 2 tablespoons palm oil
- 3 or 4 cubes seasoning cubes(Maggi or Knorr)
- 1/2 cup crayfish
- 1/2 medium onion (optional)
Put meat and/fish on fire together with the stock. The stock should be at the same level with the meat. If it isn't, add water to that level. Chop onions and add in if using. Bring to a boil.
Make a paste with some of the boiling water from the meat with the ground ogbono seeds. It will turn slimy. Pour paste into the pot and mix well. Add in palm oil and crayfish. Let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir from time to time with a wooden spoon.
Now add in the chopped okra as it is or you can blend it if you like before adding to the pot. Add in your seasonings cubes too. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust the consistency of the soup at this point. If it is too thick, add in some water to loosen it up. Also taste to ensure that seasoning is perfect.
Chop spinach (or your leaf of choice) and add in. Stir and turn off the heat.
Serve warm with cooked garri or a fufu of choice. I love it with white garri!
You'll notice that I didn't mention where to add in the salt. That's because I assume that your meat/fish stock must have salt in it. Feel ree to adjust your salt content as needed.
Options for meat/fish include beef, smoked fish, canda/ponmo (beef skin), beef feet, goat meat, stock fish and smoked turkey. Feel free to include what you enjoy or what you have on hand.
Ogbono soup can also be made without the palm oil and it will be taste great!
brenda says
October 28, 2016 at 11:53 amThat soup just reminded me of the one we cooked few days back.
I like ogbono soup when its not too thick… With lots of dry black fish, and, okporoko are what I must see in it before I taste… Not a fan of meat.
Precious says
October 30, 2016 at 2:38 pmDried fish in Ogbono is the truth!
naomi ezeugo says
August 13, 2019 at 1:20 amAdding a little ugba and uzziza leaves gives it another level of taste too
Precious says
August 15, 2019 at 10:27 amThanks for sharing, Naomi!
Imaobong says
October 28, 2016 at 12:19 pmOgbono with okra? I wonder what I’d think about that.
Ogbono is my favorite kind of soup (one of the few soups I eat, really), and Okra is my least favorite.
Same with bitterleaf, most times it ruins the soup for me, but I just might try adding some okra to a little Ogbono this weekend, just to see how it turns out for me.
Thanks for sharing!
Ima | LemonsLemonade.com
Precious says
October 30, 2016 at 2:37 pmI think the Ogbono/Okra combo is worth trying, Ima.
Thanks for stopping by, dear.
Arrey Echi says
November 3, 2016 at 5:57 amYou can also replace the bitterleaf with okongobong. It tastes great.
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Bola says
October 28, 2016 at 6:23 pmHehehe! OluwaPrecious (Oluwa means God in Yoruba language), you just brought my fav soup the blog today.
Smoked catfish and thick ponmo must answer ‘present ma’ in my ogbonno though and my preferred vegetable is uziza (don’t know the English name) or bitterleaf (sparingly), I don’t like it with ugwu at all.
Eba is bae with it, but pounded yam killeth it more! Step it down with a chilled bottle of coke or pepsi ( me n fizzles).
Thanks for posting madam, might just prepare this for the weekend. Don’t forget to gist us about Saturday meeting o. Love you!
Precious says
October 30, 2016 at 2:29 pmHahahaha that your description on how to rock Ogbono soup killeth me.
Saturday meeting gist is coming up soon.
I love you too!
Ope says
October 29, 2016 at 3:42 amOgbono soups are fine when grilled with basic ingredients.
Remove those pics am salivating
Precious says
October 30, 2016 at 2:30 pmHi Ope, is Ogbono soup grilled?
Amaka says
October 31, 2016 at 4:58 amOne of my faves! It was a life-saver back then in school – the cheapest after okra soup. Who doesn’t like it?
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Precious says
October 31, 2016 at 1:10 pmLol I wonder oo, Amaka.
Olaitan says
October 31, 2016 at 10:55 amI love soups that draw. They give me so much life. I’m definitely going to try this. Your recipes are always easy to follow.
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Precious says
October 31, 2016 at 11:39 amPlease let me know how it goes, hun.
Hadiza French says
November 2, 2016 at 2:37 amOh, you know one thing? I don’t know how to cook this soup. But if I see, I will eat well. I’LL follow your instructions and cook it may be this week. I pray it comes out well.
Precious says
November 2, 2016 at 6:27 amI’m sure it will, Hadiza!
Thanks for stopping by, sis.
Arrey Echi says
November 3, 2016 at 6:03 amI grew up eating it but not exactly like this. My mum used to add it to Ogbono soup when the ogbono was not enough to give that perfect consistency. One way I managed to eat okro as a kid and really enjoyed it. Like this without egusi I never tried it. But I will be trying it soon. Thanks for the tips.
We sure do learn daily.
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Precious says
November 5, 2016 at 9:04 amI wasn’t used to r=this method too but when I tried it, it was so finger-licking good.
Hope you enjoy it!
CheecheeLIVE says
November 5, 2016 at 1:22 amLove ogbono especially with something they call okpeyi.I’m sure I got the spelling wrong.What leaves did you use?The pictures are beautiful ??
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Precious says
November 5, 2016 at 9:05 amNever heard about okpeyi. I used spinach, dear.
Thank you!
CherishExpress says
November 18, 2016 at 2:06 amI never used to eat ogbono until recently. It reminds me of good ‘ol catarrh… yuck! My friend prepared this exact delicacy a week back however, okra and ogbono and I knew I just had to eat the food because it was just calling my name “Cherish Cherish”. Of course, I enjoyed every bit of it and went for a second round.
Cristel says
May 10, 2017 at 3:05 amI love eating this with garri.Didn’t hear of egusi can it be added??
Precious says
May 10, 2017 at 5:48 amYes Cristel, egusi can be added!