Bitter leaf soup is another good deal in Nigeria. The citizens do not like it only for its unique taste but also for its unique bitterness.

Preparing this soup is very demanding, a slight mistake from the cook, the product becomes a compound of unsavoriness and oddity.

I grew up believing that bitter leaf soup are not supposed to be prepared by adults except with the supervision of their parents or elderly guardians.

My case was different, and that is why I could prepare the soup effortlessly before turning 17. What happened? I grew up with my grandma and she wouldn’t hesitate to show me everything one needed to know within the ambience of the kitchen even as a male grandchild.

I could cook bitter-leaf soup using different leaves and thickeners (water leaf, melon, ogbono, okro, achi, ofor, etc). Just stay right there while I show you how to make the soup.

How One Should Cook Bitter Leaf Soup

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

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

Boil the shaki (cow tripe), stock fish, and dry fish in one liter of water until they are well done. The first sign of a done shaki is that the cuts will begin curling on itself.

Wash the beef add to the pot of shaki etc. and continue cooking. When the meat is done, add three cubes of Maggi/Knorr and cook for five minutes.

Add pepper, ground crayfish, and 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.

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

Add salt to taste and the soup is done. Enjoy it with Garri (Eba), Semolina Fufu, Amala, Cassava Fufu, or Pounded Yam.