Ogbono Soup

Content… What is It? Recipe Ingredients How to Make It Recipe Variations Tips and Tricks Make-Ahead Instructions Serving and Storage FAQs What to Serve More Delicious African Recipes to Try Conclusion

What is Ogbono Soup?

Ogbono seeds (Irvingia Gabonensis), also called wild mango, African mango, bush mango, and dika, are not a staple in the States. The edible mango-like fruit and seeds can be eaten raw or roasted. I’ve never eaten them as is, but some say they’re a good snack. They’re often ground to thicken and flavor soups and stews. It has a distinct aroma, and some find it appealing while others don’t.

Ogbono soup is a draw soup. So what’s that? It’s a stew with enough viscosity to make it stick to a swallow. What’s a swallow? It’s a starchy root or grain pounded into a sticky paste and turned into a yummy breadlike dish. Fufu and pounded yams are two examples. You tear off a chunk and dip it into the draw for utensil-free eating. Yes, that’s the appeal for most folks. 

Recipe Ingredients

1. Meat – Oxtail, stew beef, tripe, and kpomo (cow skin) are excellent choices for this flavorful soup. Just omit the meat if you prefer all fish.
2. Smoked Fish – This ingredient is my fave for ogbono soup. The original surf and turf dish with a lovely smokiness thrown in.
3. Ogbono – The flavorful star of this show is packed with vitamins and minerals. It’s also what turns this stew into a draw. You can find ogbono seeds under different aliases (apon, etima, odika, dika, and mbukpap uyo). While you can’t substitute ogbono seeds, egusi and okra come close. For the signature slime, double the okra.
4. Red Palm Oil – Making a paste with oil and ogbono dissolves lumps and mixes the ogbono thoroughly into the soup for easier cooking.
5. Crayfish – It’s another seafood flavoring for kicking this soup up a level or two on the flavor scale. Grinding dried crayfish also doubles as a thickener. If you can’t find it, dried shrimp works as well.
6. Chicken Bouillon – Intensify the soup’s flavor with bouillon. If you make your own bone broth concentrate, this is an excellent opportunity to use it.
7. Greens – Ramp up this already highly nutritious stew with spinach, collard greens, kale, or callaloo (African greens). But you can leave them out if you prefer.

How to Make Ogbono Soup

Prepare the Meat

1. Cook the Meat – In a medium-sized saucepan, boil meat and season with salt and pepper until tender (approximately 30-60 minutes depending on the choice of meat). You can shorten this process in half with a pressure cooker. (Photo 1)
2. Cook Tougher Cuts Separately – Boil the cow skin and tripe together or separately until tender; use your best judgment. Remove cow skin tripe and add to the pot of boiled meat. Then add the smoked fish to the pot if using it. (Photo 2)
3. Reserve enough stock from the meat (about 3-4 cups).

Make the Soup

4. Ogbono Paste – Mix ground ogbono with red palm oil, then add to the pot of boiled meat, followed by crayfish and scotch bonnet pepper. Bring to a boil. Then simmer it for 10 minutes or more. Add chicken bouillon or cubes if desired. (Photos 3-6)
5. Adjust Texture and Add Greens – Add more stock or water for the desired thickness. Then add spinach (or other greens), cook for 2-3 minutes more, turn the stove off, and serve piping hot. (Photos 7-10)

Recipe Variations

1. Vegetarian ogbono soup won’t have quite the same flavor, but it’s still delicious. You can replace the stock with vegetable broth, the meat with tofu, tempeh, or shitake mushrooms, and the ground crayfish with half the amount of kelp powder.
2. Most African soups use a plethora of meat and fish – it all depends on the individual preference and budget. And ogbono soup is no exception. I like to use a variety, including smoked or dried fish.

Tips and Tricks

1. Mix the ground ogbono with the palm oil to create a smooth paste that dissolves in the stew better.
2. To reduce the ogbono’s viscosity, you can fry it before adding it to the soup.
3. If using a variety of meats, it’s best to boil each separately because they take different times to cook. And some are pre-cooked. Use your best judgment when cooking and selecting meats.

Make-Ahead Instructions

And oh, do you know that this ogbono soup reheats well? Let it rest overnight and reheat the following day. You’ll be surprised at how the flavors have melded together. Delicious!

And oh, do you know that this Ogbono soup reheats well? Let it rest overnight and reheat the following day. You’ll be surprised at how the flavors have melded together. Pair it with some pounded yams or other choices of fufu for a more indulgent meal!

Serving and Storage

Storing Ogbono – Store the unused ground ogbono tightly sealed in a zip lock bag away from moisture to keep it fresher longer.

Leftover Ogbono Soup will keep refrigerated for 4-5 days and frozen for three months.

Reheat your soup in a saucepan over low heat until it comes to a boil. Then simmer for about five minutes or until the meat heats through. Done!

FAQs

What to Serve With Ogbono Soup

There are a few ways to serve ogbono soup. Some like it plain with no added veggies, while others love some bite-size chunks of veggies and meats. However, I’m a carnivore – lots of protein. But if meat is not your thing, go with smoked fish and shrimp. Yes, yes, yes!!!

However, one thing you definitely need for an authentic West African meal is ugali, cassava fufu, or pounded yams. That, my friend, makes a complete meal.

More Delicious African Recipes to Try

• Jollof Rice with Chicken
• Piri-Piri Chicken
• Suya (Beef)
• Puff Puff
• Plantain Chips

Conclusion

Whether you’re looking for nutritious recipes or just want something deliciously out of the ordinary, this ogbono soup recipe is your ticket. Try it out, and you’ll surely have another delicious recipe to amaze your family. Would you like even more drool-worthy recipes? Then please sign up for my newsletter for the latest and greatest. Thank you:)

Watch How To Make It