LounjeLounjePlan my week

Omi Obe

Also known as Omi Obe (Yoruba Meat Broth)

Omi Obe — litreally 'water of the soup' in Yoruba — is a clear, light, aromatic Yoruba meat broth that is the foundation upon which many Yoruba soups are built. It is a simple, elegant soup consisting of well-seasoned meat and/or fish cooked slowly in a flavourful palm oil and blended pepper base that remains lighter and more liquid than the dense, thick soups of the Yoruba canon.

Omi Obe, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • A big handful of beef or goat meat, cut into pieces
  • 1 big handful of smoked fish, soaked and deboned
  • 2 cooking spoons of palm oil
  • 2 big ripe tomatoes, blended
  • 2 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 big onion — half blended, half sliced
  • 2 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 3 to 4 glasses of water or light stock
  • 1 handful of fresh herbs — basil (efirin/efinrin) or uziza — optional

Method

  1. 01

    Cooking the Meat. Season the meat with salt, 1 seasoning cube and sliced onion. Cook in 3 glasses of water for 25 minutes until tender. Do not drain — the broth is part of the soup.

  2. 02

    Adding Oil and Peppers. Add 2 cooking spoons of palm oil directly to the pot with the cooked meat and its broth. Add the blended tomatoes, Atarodo and onion. Stir well. Bring to a simmer.

  3. 03

    Building the Broth. Add the smoked fish, ground crayfish, remaining seasoning cube and salt. Add more water if needed — Omi Obe should be a proper broth, not a thick stew. Simmer gently on medium-low heat for 15 minutes.

  4. 04

    Finishing. Add the fresh herbs in the final 2 minutes if using. Taste and adjust seasoning. The broth should be clear, aromatic, lightly spiced and deeply comforting.

More soups & broths