Find out the secret and how to cook Ogbono soup, a rich and flavorful stew made from wild mango seeds, with our easy-to-follow recipe. Perfect for a hearty meal.

I bet the heading was a mouthful! Coupled with the confusion of referring to the same dish as a “stew” and a “soup”. Oh well, the main gist is that you have come to the right place for the best Ogbono soup recipe.

Back in Nigeria, it is called a soup but considering how less liquidy the final result is, it would very much pass as a stew. Okay, I figure we have given this distinction between a soup and stew enough attention, let’s get into this delectable and easy soup *wink*

The main star of the Ogbono soup is the Ogbono seed, which is also called wild mango seed. The dry seeds are milled till smooth, although, you would still have a somewhat grainy texture even in its ground form.

Alternatively, your local African store should have the ground Ogbono seeds and that just takes the burden of grinding off you.

The consistency of the soup is slimy and very similar to the consistency that okra stew will give you. Now that you know, if slimy is not your type, then you can skip this and try out either vegetable soup or egusi soup.

What is Ogbono Soup?

Ogbono is fully enriched with protein like beef, fresh or dry fish, dry cod, cow skin cuts, etc. and it is the chosen protein broth that determines the type of flavor your Ogbono soup will have.

For example, in this recipe, the chosen protein is goat meat. Hence, the base is the goat meat broth as it is in the broth that all the other ingredients will be added.

Ogbono soup is traditionally paired with a swallow which could be fufu, pounded yam, garri, and so on.

Ogbono Soup Ingredients

Here’s a list of some of the ingredients you will need for this recipe:

1. Ground Ogbono seeds (African mango seeds)

2. Assorted meats (such as beef, chicken, goat meat, or assorted offals like tripe, liver, etc.)

3. Assorted fish (such as stockfish, dry fish, or smoked fish)

4. Palm oil

5. Ground crayfish

6. Stock or water

7. Fresh or dried bitter leaves or spinach (substitute for the traditional bitter leaf)

8. Ground pepper (such as habanero or chili pepper)

9. Onions

10. Seasoning cubes or powder

11. Salt

12. Optional ingredients: vegetables like okra, pumpkin leaves (ugu), or any other leafy green vegetables you prefer.

How to Cook Ogbono Soup

Blend the red bell pepper, scotch bonnets, and onion until smooth and set aside.

Rinse the goat meat pieces into a large pot, and add in the blended pepper mix, dry cod fish pieces, salt, and bouillon cubes. Add in about 1/2 cup of water and let it begin cooking on medium heat.

In a bowl, debone the catfish and rinse thoroughly, set aside. After about 20 mins, check the boiling goat meat, combine, and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Add the deboned fish pieces into the pot and let it continue cooking for another 10-15 mins.

Go in gradually with the ground Ogbono seeds, you must continue to stir as you add it in to avoid lumps. You can stop adding Ogbono when the thickness is to your liking.

Add in the palm oil and let it now cook on low heat for another 10 minutes. Rinse and add in the chopped spinach and ground shrimp, combine well, and let it simmer for five minutes.