Nigerian soups are tasty, easy to make and nutrient-rich. Many Nigerian soups have crossed the Nigerian borders and become a delicacy favored in many other countries. Nigerian soups are recommended by health experts to improve weight loss, treat common diseases and maintain optimum health. If you are new to Nigerian soups and would like to find out which soups to add to your diet, you are in the right place!
Afang Soup
Afang is a dark green leafy climbing plant known scientifically as Gnetum Africana. It grows wild in jungles from the West African sub-region to the Congo basin. In Congo, it is known as “ fumbua or koko ”. Cameroonians call it “okok , m’fumbua , or fumbua , eru ” . Nigerians call it afang (among the Ibibios and Efiks ; okazi , or ukazi (among the Igbos).
- Afang soup is a Nigerian vegetable soup, native to the Efik people of the Efik kingdom and the Ibibio People of Akwa Ibom in South Nigeria.
- Afang soup is made from a combination of nutrient-rich vegetables (Waterleaf and Okazi leaves) , fish and or meat, lipids, minerals and vitamins, making it one of the most nutritious soups add to your diet.
Afang Soup has high dietary fibre, which helps in regulating blood sugar, reducing constipation and aiging weight loss. Okazi leaves have a high quantity of iodine and helps to prevent and treat goiter. It boosts immunity and helps improve the body’s natural defences against diseases. Waterleaf has also been proven to be useful in treating diabetes as it slows down the conversion of sugar and digestion.
- In addition, Afang soup is anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer. Traditionalists use afang leaves as a component in medicines used in treating children suffering from measles and as an antidote for many forms of poisons.
- The soup is so rich that it can be passed for a balanced diet. You can eat afang soup with different types of swallow including eba, amala, semovita; pounded yam, wheat.
Okra Soup
Okra soup is a staple in many West African countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Togo and Cameroon. Okra soup is satisfying, nutritious and loaded with proteins and healthy fat. It is a favorite in many Nigerian homes. Different tribes have their own variations and age-old recipes for Okra soup.
It can be eaten alone with pepper stew or cooked in a delicious mixture of palm oil with a variety of vegetables, meats and seafood. It is slimy, making it a great accompaniment to swallows.
The mucilage (sliminess) helps to coat the intestines and ensure smooth and regular bowel movements.Okra soup contains a ton of nutrients such as Vitamin C that supports the immune system .
which help with blood clotting. It features beneficial antioxidants such as polyphenols that prevent the adverse effect of harmful molecules called free radicals The meats,
Edikang Ikong Soup
Edikang Ikong soup is recognized as one of the healthiest Nigerian soups because of its rich nutritional contents some of which include; Protein, Vitamin B1, B2 and E, Fiber, Folic acid, Carbohydrate, Calcium, Iron, Phosphor, Selenium, Potassium. It is usually made with two main vegetables — fresh green fluted pumpkin leaves (Ugu) and waterleaf (“Efo gbure” and “Mgbolondi” in Yoruba and Igbo languages respectively).
- Edikang ikong soup is usually made from a combination of ingredients including pumpkin leaves, water leaves, beef, dried fish, crayfish, onions and some typical Nigerian spices.
- Spinach can also be used as a substitute for waterleaf in areas where waterleaf is unavailable. Edikang Ikong is a source of high energy and has been proven to improve bone health, prevent and aid in the treatment of anemia, maintain the health of the nervous system, and maintain healthy skin.
- In addition, waterleaf improves blood circulation, boosts immunity and aids weight loss. Edikang Ikong is popular in various countries because of its delicious taste and high nutritional content.
- It is common for many Nigerians to request this soup after a bout of illness to help in replenishing nutrient lost during sickness. The soup is normally eaten with swallows such as Garri (Eba), Semolina Fufu, Amala, Cassava, Fufu or Pounded Yam.
Ewedu (Jute Leaves Soup)
Ewedu (or jute leaves), also known as Corchorus, is a genus of about 40-100 species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world. Ewedu is called Rama or Ayoyo in Hausa, malukhiyah in Egypt, molohiya in Isreal, krain krain in Sierra Loene, Achingbara or Ahihara in Igbo and mrenda in Kenya.
Due to its low-calorie content, Ewedu is desirable for those looking to burn fat. It is also rich in essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants that are all vital to healthy living. This green, leafy vegetable is rich in beta-carotene for good eyesight, iron for healthy red blood cells, calcium for strong bones and teeth, and vitamin C for smooth, clear skin, strong immune cells, and fast wound-healing.
- Vitamins A, C and E present in Ewedu
“sponge-up” free radicals, scooping them up before they can commit cellular sabotage. The antioxidants found in the Ewedu vegetables help ease the impact of harmful sun rays. - Ewedu helps to strengthen the immune system, fights off stress and heart disease. It is a folk remedy for aches and pains, dysentery, enteritis, fever, dysentery, pectoral pains, and tumors.
- Although served in different parts of Nigeria, Ewedu Soup is popular among the Yoruba ethnic group, who usually eat it together with gbegiri (bean soup) and amala (yam flour swallow).
- Ewedu can also be eaten with Iyan (pounded yam), Fufu, Semo, Eba or your swallow of choice. The comfort that the soup adds to the eating of ‘swallow food’ is a part of its appeal, particularly to children.
Ofe Onugbu (Bitterleaf Soup)
Bitter leaf is one of the most versatile and popular cooking vegetables in Nigeria. Bitter leaf is a leafy green vegetable which is native to parts of Africa. It is known as Onugbu, Shiwaka & Ewuro by the Igbos, Hausas and Yorubas in Nigeria respectively and scientifically called Vernonia Amygdalina. Different tribes have different variations of Bitter leaf soup, but it is generally made with Bitter leaf vegetable.
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