10 Ogbono Soup Recipes That Will Get You Drooling Over African Soup

Ogbono soup is also called the draw soup. Because of its slimy texture, it pairs well with the coarse fufu. The soup gets its name from the ogbono plant, whose seeds are ground and then cooked. The plant, Irvingia gabonensis, originates from Southern Nigeria where the native settlers first domesticated and planted it. There are different indigenous names for this soup, including ugiri, pekpeara, ogwi and oro, depending on the language.

The ogbono seeds, when ground, make a soup that serves as a thickener. To achieve its slimy consistency, you add water and palm oil. Depending on what you are aiming for, you can add other condiments like leaf vegetables, red hot chili pepper, or other seasonings, which change the color. You can also add meat (beef, bush meat, goat) or fish (tilapia, shrimp, or crayfish) to the soup and still get the mucilaginous texture. It looks quite similar to the okra soup.

Is the Ogbono Soup Healthy?

According to research by Oluwasoun Bamidele, a food science and nutrition expert, fully-made ogbono soup can be a basis for a balanced diet. It can contain different ingredients like dika kernel powder, fish, locust bean, onions, and other healthy components in different ratios.

From samples that he used in his research, the soup contained proteins, crude fat, crude fiber, and mineral content. Also, vitamins such as vitamin C, B2, A, and B3 were present. In a sensory evaluation, the soup was highly acceptable (tasty). To fully enjoy it, dip some fufu into the soup and swallow.

Why is my Ogbono Soup Bitter?

When cooking ogbono, ensure that you let it simmer for at least 20 minutes. Cook it on low heat to bring out the taste. Some people cook it for only five minutes (especially when they buy the ogbono instant mix powder). This is too fast, and you will end up with a soup that tastes off.

Ogbono seeds that have gone moldy can bring out a bitter taste. Ensure that you check the ground seeds for mold before cooking them. Anyways, the human mind is tricky. What may seem bitter when you first it can actually give you a sweet sensation over time. Guess that is how people become addicted to beer.

How can I Cook Ogbono Soup to avoid Burning?

Since ogbono soup is sticky, it can lead to serious burns if it lands on exposed skin. When cooking, start by turning down the heat when it starts boiling violently. However, if you can avoid reaching scalding hot temperatures, do. It helps to set the cooker’s heat knob at 4 out of 9.

Secondly, if you are cooking the soup with crayfish or shrimp, do not add it until towards the end. This is because the crayfish speeds up the cooking process—making the soup burn faster. Sometimes, you cannot avoid this because the ogbono powder came pre-milled with the crayfish, in which case you will need to keep the heat down.

Finally, non-stick pots are the worst culprits when it comes to being scalded by the soup. To avoid burns, use an aluminum pot, or one of those wrought iron pots used for slow-cooking.

Why Won’t My Soup Draw?

Ogbono soup should draw. After all, you are making Draw Soup. These are the main reasons why the soup might not draw:

#1. You bought the wrong seed. There is a very similar seed found in markets in Nigeria. If you find the seeds unusually cheap, take a closer look and confirm it is ogbono.

#2. If the ogbono you used is old or was ground a long time ago, it would lose its potency and consistency.

#3. Too much water makes the soup watery rather than the target slimy. Do not add too much water to a small amount of ground ogbono.

#4. Frying the ground ogbono in palm oil will make it to lose its consistency and potency completely. Instead, soak the ground seed in the palm oil rather than frying it.

#5. Old ogbono seeds will not draw. The best seeds are less than a year old.

10 Ogbono Soup Recipes That Will Get You Drooling Over African Soup

#1. Ogbono Soup (or Apon) by AbiGlobalFoods

This is by far one of the easiest and fastest Nigerian soups to prepare. You can choose to make use of your preferred protein – Beef, dried fish and fresh fish all make great accompaniment to the soup. Get Recipe Here >>

#2. Ogbono Soup By Chef Lola’s Kitchen

Ogbono soup is a delectable Nigerian concoction soup common to most Nigerian Tribes, especially Igbos and Yorubas. Get Recipe Here >>

#3. Ogbono Soup (Draw Soup) By Low Carb Africa

Ogbono soup is commonly eaten with fufu dishes like pounded yam or eba. It is called ‘Draw Soup’, due to the mucilaginous nature that gives it a slippery and viscous texture. Get Recipe Here >>

#4. Ogbono Soup with Bitter Leaf By Global Food Book

This ogbono soup with bitter leaves is pretty easy to cook, tasty, aromatic, flavourful, and above all filled with assorted meats and fish to appease your taste bud. Get Recipe Here >>

#5. Nigerian Ogbono Soup Recipe By Sisi Jemimah

Ogbono soup is incredibly versatile. Babies and toddlers are introduced to solids with Ogbono, the sliminess helps them swallow with ease. Get Recipe Here >>

#6. Ogbono Soup With Okro By Global Food Book

When ground, ogbono is prepared as soup with other condiments and eaten with fufu or pounded yam. It is a typical African dish made with ground ogbono seeds but with variation depending on the locality. Get Recipe Here >>

#7. Tasty Ogbono Soup By The Pretend Chef

The superior, flavourful ogbono is the kernel of the seed of the bitter ugiri fruit. The smell is distinctly richer and bolder than that of the seed of sweet ugiri fruit . It is very mucilaginous (very drawy) so a little goes a long way and the taste is very earthy, rich with a hint of sweetness. Get Recipe Here >>

#8. Delicious Ogbono Soup By Nigeria Lazy Chef

Who doesn’t love Ogbono soup. If you don’t then ahhh you are missing out on a delicious delicacy. Get Recipe Here >>

#9. Viscous Ogbono Soup By Dolapo Grey

 Another tasty, easy, and quick to prepare, and delicious Ogbono soup. Get Recipe Here >>

#10. Ogbono Soup and Pounded Yam By African Bites

 And paired with smooth, tasty and filling Pounded Yam for an extraordinary African meal experience! Get Recipe Here >>

Conclusion

As you can see from the recipes above, this soup is relatively fast and easy to make. You can eat it with fufu, or nshima. There are many different combinations of food that you can mix and match to get the perfect dish out. Try it out this month and experience the explosion of flavors! Meanwhile, which of the ogbono variations enticed you the most? Share your thought in the comment box below.