Hey, we are into Nigerian food today. Strictly Nigerian soup, though it is eaten in other parts of the world. Yes, it might be eaten in other parts of the world but the style explained here is strictly Nigerian.

Vegetable soup is eaten with any of the swallows in Nigeria and served as either lunch or dinner. This recipe shows you how to prepare a healthy soup with vegetables (ugu and water leaves) the Nigerian way.

I love this soup for several reasons:

For beginners, I made it with vegetables, and those are synonymous with health.

In Nigeria, we combine a lot of vegetables to make different soups. Okra soup, Afang soup, and even edikaikong are different combinations of different veggies.

Vegetables are good for the heart and body cells.

Ingredients for Vegetable Soup

Here are the required ingredients:

1. Big bowl Waterleaves

2. Big bowl ugu leaves (fluted pumpkin)

3. Roasted mackerel

4. 1KG or 35 Ounces of Goat meat

5. 1 cup crayfish

6. 6 scotch bonnet peppers

7. 400ml Palm oil

8. 2 seasoning cubes

9. Salt to taste

10. 2 tablespoons Ground Ofor

Vegetable Soup Preparation

Here is how the soup is prepared:

Step 1: Slice the water leaves and fluted pumpkin leaves with your kitchen knife, you want them thinly sliced. You need to wash ugu (fluted pumpkin) properly before slicing them.

Step 2: You can wash your water leaves after slicing them. Wash the leaves properly and transfer them into a sieve to strain too much water.

You don’t want excess water in your vegetable soup.

Step 3: Wash your roasted fish, remove the center bone, and break it into smaller bits. Season your goat meat with a teaspoon of salt, sliced onions, and two seasoning cubes. Allow the meat to boil, add two cups of water, and allow the meat to cook until it becomes tender and easy to chew.

Pound your scotch bonnet (peppers) and 1 cup of crayfish together. You could blend them if you wish. Keep aside on a small plate.

Step 4: To the boiling meat, add the washed, roasted fish. Allow them to cook until the water dries. Do not allow it to burn.

Most people do not like excess water in their vegetable soup, to achieve that, use some tricks – like boiling the meat/fish till the water is almost dried.

Step 5: When your meat is cooked and the water is almost completely dried, add the palm oil, 400ml. You need lots of palm oil when you cook vegetable soup.

Step 6
Now you add the vegetables, the water leaves should come first. It should fill the pot, it will go down in three minutes as you continue to stir.

You can add the leaves little by little, so it doesn’t fill the pot and become difficult to stir. After adding all the water leaves, allow it to simmer for two to four minutes while you stir occasionally.

Step 7: Add the pounded crayfish and peppers.

Stir all together and taste for salt, add salt to your taste. You don’t want too much salt.

Step 8: Add your ugu leaves (fluted pumpkin) at this point.

Stir in two tablespoons of ofor (used as a thickener). Turn it properly so it doesn’t form crumbs. Stir all together and allow the vegetable soup to simmer for three minutes.

That is how to cook vegetable soup the Nigerian way. Enjoy your delicious soup, but do not forget to drop a comment in the section below after going through this recipe.