Cassava Leaf Soup

Also known as saka saka and pondu, this soup is simple, tasty, and substantial. Widely consumed in many parts of Central Africa, especially Sierra Leone and Liberia, it's an African comfort food.

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine African

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 2 10

Total Time 2 20

Servings

Calories 757kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

3 pounds (1.5kg) frozen cassava leaves (thawed)
1 pound (450g) beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon (15g) chicken bouillon or Maggi powder
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cups (480ml) water (more if needed)
½-1 cup (120-240ml) red palm oil (see notes)
1 medium onion, diced
½ cup (25-30g) ground crayfish or dried shrimp
½ pound (250g) smoked chicken, turkey, or fish
4-5 tablespoons (60-80g) groundnut paste or peanut butter
1 scotch bonnet pepper or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
½-1 pound (450-900g) shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Thaw, rinse, and drain the cassava leaves, then squeeze the extra moisture out. If the package says they were properly boiled, continue with the recipe. However, if they’ve only been parboiled, you’ll want to boil them for around 30 minutes, then drain the excess moisture before using. If using fresh leaves, pulse them in a blender and boil them for a couple of hours to get the bitterness out.
Season the meat with salt and Maggi, add it to a large saucepan with an onion, cover with water, and simmer until tender. How long that takes depends on the choice of meat, but plan on at least 1½ hours.
Turn off the heat, strain the meat, and reserve the stock. You should have 1-2 cups of liquid. Set the meat and stock aside.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the diced onion and crayfish, and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes). Add the beef and smoked meat.
Stir in groundnut paste or peanut butter and scotch bonnet pepper, then add about a cup of stock, and cook for another 5 minutes.
Toss in the drained cassava leaves and continue cooking for about 25 more minutes.
Finally, add shrimp if using and cook until it turns pink (3-5 minutes).
Adjust seasonings and consistency with Maggie, salt, and broth to taste. Serve hot over rice and enjoy.

Notes

It can be prepared with any meat or fish. Most African countries use dried, smoked fish in their soups for added flavor.
Red palm oil is NOT the controversial palm oil. It has a buttery nuttiness with a pleasant bitterness and slight fruitiness. And while we Africans use a lot, it will still taste great if you reduce it to a couple of tablespoons or even use canola instead.
Fresh, raw cassava leaves are toxic. Please make sure they’ve been cooked properly before adding them to the soup.
If you can't find cassava leaves, chopped spinach is a good substitute. You'll want to blend it in a food processor for the fine consistency that is distinctive of this soup.

Nutrition