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Ofe Onugbu

Also known as Ofe Onugbu (Bitter Leaf Soup)

Ofe Onugbu — Bitter Leaf Soup — is the most iconic and culturally revered soup of the Igbo people and is widely regarded as the king of Igbo soups. Made from fresh bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) that has been carefully washed and squeezed to tame its bitterness, then cooked with palm oil, egusi or cocoyam as a thickener, assorted meats, stockfish, smoked fish and crayfish, Ofe Onugbu is a soup of extraordinary depth and complexity.

Ofe Onugbu, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 6 big handfuls of fresh bitter leaf (onugbu), thoroughly washed and squeezed
  • Half a medium-sized goat or a big handful of assorted beef and goat meat
  • 2 big handfuls of stockfish (okporoko), soaked and broken into pieces
  • 2 big handfuls of smoked fish (eja aran), soaked and deboned
  • 3 cooking spoons of red palm oil
  • 3 big handfuls of ground egusi (melon seeds) — as thickener
  • OR 4 to 5 medium cocoyams (ede), boiled and pounded — traditional Igbo thickener
  • 3 big handfuls of ground crayfish
  • 3 to 4 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
  • 1 big onion, sliced
  • 3 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tablespoon of ogiri okpei (fermented castor seed) — for authentic Igbo depth

Method

  1. 01

    Preparing the Bitter Leaf. This is the most important step. Wash the fresh bitter leaf in many changes of cold water, rubbing and squeezing the leaves vigorously between both palms each time. You must repeat this 5 to 7 times until the water runs nearly clear and the intense bitterness is reduced to a mild, pleasant level. Taste a small piece after each wash — it should become progressively less bitter. Too much bitterness ruins the soup; too little loses its character. Squeeze out as much water as possible after the final wash. Set aside.

  2. 02

    Cooking the Meat. Clean all meat thoroughly. Season with salt, 1 crushed seasoning cube, sliced onion and a little uziza seed if available. Place in a pot with enough water to just cover. Boil for 30 to 35 minutes until the meat is tender. Add the stockfish in the last 15 minutes of cooking. Remove all meat and stockfish, set aside. Reserve the rich cooking stock.

  3. 03

    Preparing the Thickener. If using cocoyam: boil the peeled cocoyams in water for 25 minutes until very soft. Pound in a mortar until smooth with no lumps — this cocoyam paste is the traditional Igbo thickener for Ofe Onugbu. If using egusi: mix ground egusi with a little water to form a thick paste.

  4. 04

    Building the Soup Base. Pour the reserved meat stock into a wide pot and bring to a simmer. Add 3 cooking spoons of palm oil. Add the blended Atarodo, ogiri okpei and ground crayfish. Stir well. Add the cooked meat and stockfish back into the pot. Add the smoked fish. Season with remaining crushed seasoning cubes and salt.

  5. 05

    Adding the Thickener. If using cocoyam paste: add in small lumps to the simmering soup, stirring well after each addition. Cook for 10 minutes until the cocoyam fully dissolves and thickens the soup. If using egusi: drop spoonfuls of egusi paste into the soup, stir through and cook for 10 minutes. The soup should be moderately thick — not too runny, not too stiff.

  6. 06

    Adding the Bitter Leaf. Add the washed and squeezed bitter leaf to the soup. Stir very well to distribute the leaves throughout. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. The bitter leaf will cook down and infuse the soup with its distinctive flavour. Taste and adjust salt, seasoning and bitterness. Serve hot.

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