Ogbono Soup is a delicious, nutritious, and hearty Nigerian soup cooked with ogbono seeds (African wild mango seeds), traditional West African spices, and your choice of meat or fish. Ogbono soup is appealing and satisfying. It’s equally a substantial draw soup. 

Recipe Ingredients for Ogbono Soup

• Meat – Oxtail, stew beef, tripe, and kpomo (cow skin) are all great options for this savoury soup. If you prefer all fish, simply skip the beef.
• Smoked Fish – This is my favourite ingredient for ogbono soup. The original surf and turf dish, with a nice smokiness added.
• Ogbono, the tasty star of this performance, is high in vitamins and minerals. It also contributes to the appeal of this stew. Ogbono seeds go by a variety of names. While ogbono seeds cannot be substituted, egusi and okra do come close. To make the signature slime, twice the okra.
• Red Palm Oil – Making a paste of oil and ogbono dissolves lumps and thoroughly incorporates the ogbono into the broth for faster cooking.
• Crayfish – Another seafood ingredient that will elevate the flavour of this soup. Grinding dried crayfish also serves as a thickener. If fresh prawns is unavailable, dried prawns can be used instead.
• Chicken Bouillon – Add bouillon to the soup to enhance its flavour. If you manufacture your own bone broth concentration, this is a perfect time to use it.
• Greens – To this already nutritious stew, add spinach, collard greens, kale, or callaloo (African greens). However, you can leave them out if you wish.

How to Make Ogbono Soup

• Cook the beef: In a medium-sized saucepan, bring the beef to a boil and season with salt and pepper until cooked (around 30-60 minutes depending on the meat). You can cut this time in half by using a pressure cooker.
• Cook Tougher Cuts Separately – Boil the cow skin and tripe together or separately until cooked, using your best judgement. Remove the cow skin tripe and add it to the pot of boiling meat. If you are using smoked fish, add it to the pot.
• Make enough stock from the meat (approximately 3-4 cups).
• Cook the soup.
• Ogbono Paste – Combine ground ogbono and red palm oil, then add to the boiling meat, followed by crayfish and scotch bonnet pepper. Bring to a boil. Then let it simmer for ten minutes or more. If desired, add some chicken bouillon or cubes.
• Adjust Texture and Add Greens – To get the required thickness, add extra stock or water. Then add the spinach (or other greens), simmer for another 2-3 minutes, switch off the fire and serve sizzling hot.

Recipe Variations

Vegetarian ogbono soup will not have the same flavour, but it is still tasty. The stock can be replaced with veggie broth, the meat with tofu, tempeh, or shitake mushrooms, and the ground crayfish with half as much kelp powder.

Most African soups include a variety of meats and fish; it all depends on personal desire and affordability. Ogbono soup is no exception. I like to utilise a variety of fish, including smoked and dried.

Tip to  Make the Best Ogbono Soup

• Mix the ground ogbono with the palm oil to make a smooth paste that will dissolve better in the stew.
• To lower the viscosity of the ogbono, cook it before adding it to the soup.
• If you’re using a variety of meats, boil them separately because they cook at various rates. Some are already cooked. When it comes to cooking and selecting meat, use your best judgement.

What are the Components of Ogbono?

Ground ogbono seeds are added to thicken the soup and give it a black colour. Aside from seeds, water, and palm oil, it usually includes meat and/or fish seasonings such chilli pepper, leaf vegetables, and other veggies. Common leaf vegetables include bitterleaf and celosia.

How Long Does it take Ogbono to Cook?

Mix ground ogbono with red palm oil, then add to the pot of boiled meat, followed by crayfish and scotch bonnet pepper. Bring to a boil. Then simmer it for 10 minutes or more. Add chicken bouillon or cubes if desired.

What Can make Ogbono not Draw?

Poor storage is a common reason why Ogbono Soup does not “draw” well. Other reasons your Ogbono soups may not draw properly include: Fry the ogbono before adding the beef stock. Ground ogbono should only be dissolved in palm oil.

What is Nigerian Ogbono Soup Made of?

Aside from seeds, water, and palm oil, it usually includes meat and/or fish seasonings such chilli pepper, leaf vegetables, and other veggies. Common leaf vegetables include bitterleaf and celosia. Other commonly grown veggies include tomatoes and okra.