Okra Soup
Okra Soup – Dive into a swirling pot of flavorful magic with a soup extravaganza! Brace yourself for a beautiful dance of succulent okra, tantalizing spices, and tender chunks of meat – all simmered to perfection. So prepare to embark on a taste journey to make your taste buds do the happy dance!
If you’re not an okra fan, this okra soup recipe will convince you otherwise because the okra’s slimy texture is masked with bold flavors and nice, thick consistency. You’ll forget about the sliminess and only taste a symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds to culinary bliss.
Okra is also a superfood that offers a ton of health benefits, such as aiding digestion and promoting healthy skin. Not only is okra soup delicious, but it’s also good for you! All the more reason to love okras!
African Okro Soup vs. Nigerian Okra Soup
African okro soup is a vibrant celebration of flavors from across the continent, featuring ingredients like palm oil, smoked fish, and various vegetables. It tends to have larger, more visible okra pieces, adding a chewy texture to each spoonful.
On the other hand, Nigerian okra soup has a tomato-based broth, succulent chunks of meat or seafood, and a fiery kick of chili peppers. The okra in Nigerian Okra Soup blends into the broth, creating a smooth and comforting consistency. Both soups showcase the star ingredient, okra, but offer distinct and exciting taste experiences.
Recipe Ingredients
- Okra – You can use fresh or frozen for this recipe.
- Meats – I use a combination of oxtail, shrimp, and crayfish to create a flavorful, healthy, and rich soup.
- Veggies – Onion for a savory flavor and aroma and spinach to add more texture and nutrients.
- Seasonings – Add bold flavors with beef or chicken bouillon powder, smoked paprika, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Egusi – Thickens the soup and contributes a nutty taste, enhancing the overall depth of flavor.
How to Make Okra Soup
- Season the oxtail with garlic salt, smoked paprika, black pepper, and onions. Then simmer it in a medium-sized saucepan for 30-40 minutes. (You can cut your cook time in half with a pressure cooker.) (Photo 1)
- Chop – If using fresh okra, wash the okra, remove the tops and tails, and slice into rounds. Blend the okra to a coarse consistency in a food processor, or you can finely chop the okra using a sharp knife. (Photo 2)
- Cook – Add the ground crayfish, bouillon or Maggie, and egusi into the pan of boiled meat, and simmer for 5 minutes on medium-high heat. (Photos 3-6)
- Add Remaining Ingredients – Then add shrimp and okra, cook for another 5 minutes, and finally add the spinach and stir for about a minute or two.
- Serve warm with fufu (any kind).
Recipe Variations
- Meat Swaps – Use goat meat, other types of fish, beans, and African spices. These give different flavors and nutrients.
- Tomato-Based – Add tomato sauce and enjoy this soup in Nigerian style.
Tips and Tricks
- Mincing half of the okra does wonders for a creamy, thick consistency. Simply chop half and use a food processor or food chopper.
- Cooking the meat first builds a flavorful soup base. However, simmer until tender to ensure the desired thickness without overcooking it.
- Let’s address the elephant in the room. Not everyone loves okra’s sliminess, but others believe the slimier, the better. If you prefer less slime, the acidity in vinegar and tomatoes cuts out a lot. You can soak the okra in vinegar for half an hour before chopping or add a cup of chopped tomatoes to your soup.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make this ahead because it tastes even better the next day. Making it in advance lets the flavors marry together. Just follow the instructions and cover tightly, then store in the fridge. You can also prep the okra and base of the soup in advance.
Serving and Storage Instructions
This deliciousness is best served hot with fufu. But you could enjoy it at room temperature.
Keep leftover soup appropriately covered in the fridge. Okra soup will stay fresh for 3-4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
When ready to enjoy your okra soup, thaw frozen soup overnight in the refrigerator and reheat it on the stovetop or microwave, stirring occasionally until thoroughly heated.
FAQs
Okra is already nutrition packed, but you can always add more protein and vegetables, such as tomato, corn, beans, carrots, and potatoes, to make it even better.
West Africa, specifically Nigeria and Ghana, is okra soup’s birthplace. This staple comfort food has been enjoyed for generations. And, as people become more mobile, it has gained international popularity.
The mildly sweet grassy flavor, similar to green beans, is great in soups, fried, roasted, and grilled. I’ve even snuck a few small tender okras raw. Yum! But it’s the texture that makes it famous. Slimy isn’t always bad.😉
What to Serve With Okra Soup
There are several tasty options to serve with okra soup to create a complete and satisfying meal.
More Satisfying Okra Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Try this amazing okro soup recipe for a comforting one-pot meal. Would you like more comfort food recipes? Try out my newsletter for the latest.
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”NZkIwgrK” upload-date=”2019-09-07T21:51:10.000Z” name=”African Okro Soup” description=”African Okro Soup – Quick & healthy, oh-so-easy and yummy! Okro Soup African-style loaded with shrimp , oxtails with or without Egusi.”]
This blog post was originally published in December 2016 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Okra Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450g) okra fresh or frozen
- ½ pound (225g) oxtail
- ½ pound (225g) Shrimp
- ½ cup (25g) chopped onions
- ½ cup (23g) ground crayfish
- 1 tablespoon (36g) beef or chicken bouillon
- 3 cups (90g) spinach, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (7g) smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon (5g) red pepper flakes
- ½ cup ground egusi (optional)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, boil oxtail seasoned with garlic salt, smoked paprika, pepper, and onions until tender (30-40 minutes). You can shorten this process in half by using a pressure cooker.
- If using fresh okra, wash it, remove the tops and tails, and slice it into rounds.
- Blend the okra to a coarse consistency in a food processor, or you can finely chop the okra into coarse consistency using a sharp knife.
- Add the ground crayfish, bouillon or Maggie, and egusi into the pan of boiled meat, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Then add shrimp, cook for another 5 minutes, and then add the spinach and stir for a minute or two.
- Serve warm with fufu (any kind).
Tips & Notes:
- Mincing half of the okra does wonders for a creamy, thick consistency. Simply chop half and use a food processor or food chopper.
- Cooking the meat first builds a flavorful soup base. However, simmer until tender to ensure the desired thickness without overcooking it.
- Let’s address the elephant in the room. Not everyone loves okra’s sliminess, but others believe the slimier, the better. If you prefer less slime, the acidity in vinegar and tomatoes cuts out a lot. You can soak the okra in vinegar for half an hour before chopping or add a cup of chopped tomatoes to your soup.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
I haven’t cooked a lot of African recipes before but am trying to learn, and just made this plus some fufu for dinner – oh my gosh it’s amazing, definitely a new favourite recipe!! I swapped the dried crayfish for a couple of Tbsp of fish sauce and used stewing beef instead of oxtail. Thank you so much for sharing it 🙂
Thank you:) There’s more to come, so stay tuned
This was simple yet tasty. My Nigerian babe loved it and being from Kenya myself, like to try different okro recipes. Thank you for sharing!
sounds great, thank you so much for trying this. Much Love!
This looks delicious but I am allergic to shell fish. I wonder if I can make it with beef chuck and chicken.
You absolutely can. Beef, pork, and chicken all work great.
Is there a way to make this with a reduced sodium content?
Hi Clarice! You can use low-sodium bouillon and omit the salt.
Can you recommend a good source for ground crayfish? Someplace that would sell enough to easily be at least 1/2 cup?
Hi David! You can always get some from the local wet market. 🙂
I always enjoy your recipes. I also add stock fish to my okra.
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed them.
I love this recipe so much
I am a vegan and I added mushrooms opposed to fish and meat. The seasonings were on point and I am really enjoying it with some pumpkin rice. I don’t know how to make Fufu yet.
Nice! Glad you made it worked for you. Thanks for taking time to share this with us.
How to make fufu
Hi Rebecca! We do have several Fufu recipe you may try. https://www.africanbites.com/?s=fufu
Can’t wait to try this, love fufu and okro! How much water can we add if we want the soup to be more “loose and draw-y” if you know what I mean!
Hi Tope! You can check and adjust the water measurement according to your preference once you start cooking, just to be sure 🙂 Let me know how it goes! Enjoy!
This sounds so good, but I have a question. If I am using frozen okra that is already cut into circular slices, do I just let it thaw then blend or do I blend it while frozen ?
You can blend while still frozen. I have tried it both ways and it works out just fine.Enjoy
Thank you for sharing this recipe. About 20 years ago my sister bought this in an African restaurant in NY. It was delicious unfortunately we went back only to find out the restaurant had closed. I found a few recipes and they were not very good and did not give me the taste I was looking for. I am glad I found your page. I going to try it and hopefully, it would get me what I am looking for. I think it will be good because I have tried a few of your recipes and they were really good. Thank you for sharing.
Ah I hate when that happens! I do hope you love this one!
Hi,
Just wanted to note that you didn’t mention at what point to add the cut or blended okro.
Thanks for the great recipes you provide
I’m a pescatarian can I skip the first part with boiling meat and still have the same flavor or consistency of the soup?
There is going to be a slight difference in taste, without the added flavor of the beef. However, it works .
Hi there’s no directions for using an instant pot how long should I cook the oxtails when using the pressure cooker mode? Then I’m assuming you cook the rest of the soup in sauté mode?
Hi Clemencia , I haven’t tried this with Instant pot, so can’t give you precise instructions . I use the instant pot to cook the oxtail, then transfer too pot and cook.
Is it possible to use beef neck bones?
Yes you can, I use it all the time.
CAN I USE CHICKEN INSTEAD OF BEEF?
Yes, you can.