Welcome to Chefsbase. On this page, you will learn how to make Banga soup by yourself without needing to employ the services of a cooking instructor or a coach.

Learn how to make a delicious Banga Soup, a traditional Nigerian dish bursting with rich flavours and cultural heritage. This hearty soup, also known as Ofe Akwu, is made from palm fruit extract, which gives it a distinctive taste and vibrant colour.

To start, gather your ingredients including palm fruit concentrate, assorted meats, dried fish, and traditional spices like crayfish and scent leaves. Begin by boiling the palm fruit extract until the oil rises to the surface, then add your choice of protein and seasoning to infuse the soup with depth and complexity.

Simmer the ingredients together until the flavours meld beautifully, resulting in a thick, aromatic soup that pairs perfectly with a side of fufu or rice. Whether you’re new to Nigerian cuisine or a seasoned cook looking to expand your culinary repertoire, mastering the art of Banga Soup will surely delight your taste buds and impress your guests with its irresistible taste and cultural significance.

Ingredients that Can Be Used in Making Banga Soup

Here are the major ingredients used in making Banga soup:

1. kg palm fruits or 800g tinned Palm Fruit Concentrate

2. Beef

3. Dry fish

4. Vegetable: scent leave for Ofe Akwu or dried and crushed bitter leaves for Delta-style Banga Soup

5. 2 medium onions

7. 2 Tbsp ground crayfish

8. Salt and chilli pepper, to taste

9. Ogiri Okpei (Iru) (seasoning mix)

10. 1-2 big stock cubes

Banga Soup Cooking Directions

Step 1

Extract your palm fruit concentrate from the palm fruits.

Step 2

Cook the beef and the dry fish with one bulb of diced onion and the stock cubes till done.

Step 3

Wash and cut your scent leaves into tiny pieces. The scent leaves gives the Banga Stew (Ofe Akwu) its unique aroma and taste. If you are outside Nigeria, this may be hard to find, so you can use pumpkin leaves or any other vegetable in place of scent leaves.

If cooking Delta-style Banga Soup for starch, you should either cook this soup without vegetables or use dried and crushed bitter leaves.

Step 4

Cut the remaining bulb of your onion. Pound the crayfish, ogiri okpei and pepper in a mortar and set aside. You can also grind them with a dry mill.

Step 5

Set the pot of palm fruit extract on the stove and begin cooking at high heat. Leave to boil till you notice come red oil at the surface of the Banga Stew. If you think that the Banga Soup is watery, cook till the soup has thickened to the consistency you like for your stews.

Step 6

Now, add the beef, dry fish and stock, onions, crayfish and pepper and leave to boil very well.

Step 7

Add the scent leaves or other vegetables and salt to taste. Leave to simmer for about two minutes. The Banga Soup is done. Serve with white rice or use the Delta-style Banga Soup to eat Starch, Garri, Semolina, Amala or Pounded Yam.