Ede (Cocoyam) Detox Soup

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 medium cocoyams, peeled
• 4 big handfuls of fresh bitter leaf, washed 3 to 4 times — retaining some therapeutic bitterness
• Half a medium chicken or big handful of lean beef
• 2 cooking spoons of palm oil
• 3 big handfuls of ground dried crayfish
• 3 Atarodo (hot chilli peppers), blended
• 1 big onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon of ground uziza seeds
• 2 seasoning cubes (Knorr), crushed
• Salt to taste
• 4 glasses of water

Method

1. 01

   Cooking the Protein. Season and cook the chicken or beef in water with onion for 25 to 30 minutes until tender. Reserve stock.

2. 02

   Parboiling the Cocoyam. Peel the cocoyams wearing gloves. Boil in salted water for 20 minutes until about three-quarters cooked. Drain. Cut into large chunks.

3. 03

   Building the Detox Soup Base. Heat palm oil in a wide pot. Add sliced onion and fry 2 minutes. Add blended Atarodo. Fry for 8 minutes. Add cooked protein and its reserved stock. Add ground crayfish, uziza seeds, seasoning cubes and salt. Add 4 glasses of water. Bring to a simmer.

4. 04

   Cooking the Cocoyam in the Broth. Add the parboiled cocoyam chunks to the simmering broth. Cook on medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes until the cocoyam is completely tender. Some pieces will begin to break down, naturally thickening the broth with their beneficial starches and detox compounds.

5. 05

   Adding the Bitter Leaf. Add the washed bitter leaf. Stir through. Cook for 12 minutes on medium heat. The bitterness from the leaf combined with the cocoyam creates the complete detoxifying combination. Taste and adjust. Serve hot.

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