Have you ever heard of Ofe Ugba? It’s a delicious soup originating from Imo and Abia states in Nigeria. If you’re a fan of okra soup, you’ll love this twist! Ofe Ugba is made by combining the familiar taste of okra soup with a unique ingredient – shredded oil beans. These oil beans add a savoury and nutty flavour to the dish.

Don’t be surprised if you hear someone call it Ofe Ukpaka instead. This literally translates to “Shredded Oil Bean Soup” and describes the dish perfectly. So the next thing we’d do is to get in deep on how to make this delicious Ofe Ugba.

Here’s a breakdown of the ingredients you’ll need to make Ofe Ugba for 4 people:

• Vegetables:
  • 20 okra fingers (sliced or chopped depending on your preference)
  • 1 cup of ugba (shelled oil beans)
  • 1 onion (chopped)
  • 1 handful of crayfish
  • 1 bunch of garden egg leaves (or spinach if you can’t find garden egg leaves)
• Protein:
  • 2 pieces of dry fish (like catfish or mangala fish)
  • 2 pieces of stockfish (dried cod fish)
  • 1 smoked mackerel (smoked titus fish)
• Flavorings:
  • 2 tablespoons of palm oil
  • Habanero pepper (amount depends on how spicy you like it)
  • 1 piece of ogiri okpei (also called dawa dawa or iru, a fermented bean paste for added depth)
• Seasoning:
  • Salt to taste

Some tips for using the ingredients

• Feel free to adjust the recipe to your taste: Don’t worry about following the exact amount of every ingredient. This recipe is a guide, not a rule.
• Make the ugba the star: No matter what else you add, be sure the flavour of the ugba comes through.
• Choose your protein: we used only fish, but you can add any kind of meat you like (except chicken).
• Pick your spice level: Add as much habanero pepper (or cayenne pepper) as you can handle for a spicy kick.
• Leaf it to you: Use the amount of leafy greens you prefer. In Nigeria, garden egg leaves are common, but spinach works well too.
• Oil is optional: Adjust the palm oil based on how rich you want the soup to be.

What you need to do before cooking Ofe Ugba:

1. Give everything a good wash: Make sure to rinse all the vegetables and fish carefully. Especially the dry fish and stockfish, since they might have dust or sand on them from being out in the market.
2. Soften the stockfish: Soak the stockfish in water for a few minutes, then scrub it with a brush to remove any dirt.
3. Prep the dry fish: Soak the dry fish in cool or warm water until it softens. Then take the time to clean it, remove any bones, and break it into pieces.
4. Shred the smoked fish: Break the smoked fish into small pieces, take out any bones, and rinse it clean.
5. Grind the crayfish and ogiri okpei: Use a mortar and pestle (or a food processor) to grind the crayfish and ogiri okpei together.
6. Prepare the okra: Cut the okra into pieces. For the best texture, it’s recommended to hand-cut the okra instead of blending it. Grating is an option, but chopping by hand is ideal.
7. Chop the aromatics: Simply slice the onion and pepper into small pieces. You can also grind the pepper if you prefer a smoother texture.
8. Chop the greens: Cut the garden egg leaves (or spinach) into bite-sized pieces.

Step-by-step guide on how to cook Ofe Ugba

1. Simmer the stockfish: Put the stockfish in a pot with a small amount of water. Add more water only as needed because you want the final soup to have as little water as possible. You can use a pressure cooker to speed up this step and soften the stockfish quickly.
2. Flake the stockfish: Once the stockfish is soft, use a spoon to break it into small pieces.
3. Add flavour: Put in the dry fish, Ugba, crayfish, pepper, onions, ogiri okpei, smoked fish, and palm oil. Cover the pot and cook over high heat, stirring often to prevent burning.
4. Incorporate vegetables: After about 5 minutes, add the leafy greens and okra. Stir everything together and add more salt if needed. Remember, you want minimal water in the pot before adding the vegetables.
5. Finish cooking and preserve colour: Once the vegetables are cooked through, take the pot off the heat immediately and transfer the soup to another container. This helps keep the green vegetables bright and fresh.

Ofe Ugba is delicious on its own, but it’s traditionally served with a “swallow.” Different kinds of swallow you can use for this soup are eba, fufu, semo, pounded yam, and wheat.

For more articles on food, check here.

For a visual illustration of how to make the soup, watch this.