Eru Soup (Spinach or Okazi Leaves)

Soup made nutritious with spinach and okazi leaves is a healthy, satisfying Cameroonian green dish that will make your taste buds sing for joy. Pair it with any of your favorite starchy sides, and you have a complete meal!

Course Main, Side

Cuisine African

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 1 15

Servings

Calories 764kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

2 pounds (900g) meat (beef, tripe, cow skin, smoked turkey)
salt to taste (½-1 teaspoon per pound of meat)
2 tablespoons (15-16g) Maggi or bouillon powder
¼ onion, chopped
1½ pounds (750g) dried fish (or smoked turkey)
5-6 cups (125-180g) dried chopped ukazi, afang, or eru
2-3 cups (475-700ml) water
2 pounds (900g) frozen spinach, thawed
½ cup (25g) ground crayfish
1 cup (240ml) palm oil (please see notes)
salt and pepper to taste
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)

Instructions

Cut the beef into bite-sized chunks, season with salt, Maggi, and onions, and cook until tender. Do the same with cow skin (it's tough, so it takes longer to soften). Use very little water to cook the meat because eru doesn't need a lot of water. However, you'll want 2-3 cups of stock when done cooking the beef.
While the meat is cooking, soak the dried okazi (eru) leaves in a bowl of hot water for 10-15 minutes to tenderize the leaves. Rinse and drain.
Add the assorted meat: beef, cow skin, tripe, and dried fish or turkey to a large stock pot with at least 2 cups of stock. Bring it to a boil and simmer it for 5 minutes.
Drain the thawed spinach and add it to the pot of assorted meat and fish. Add crayfish and two tablespoons of Maggi or bouillon powder. Stir and cook on medium heat for approximately 10 minutes.
Add the shredded okazi (eru) leaves and red palm oil. Stir thoroughly, making sure all the contents in the pot are well-blended. Simmer for another 10 minutes; add stock or water if needed. The fragrant aroma lets you know it is time to eat.
Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and more Maggi as desired. (I usually season my food with salt and Maggie as the dish progresses.)

Notes

The palm oil we use in Africa and Brazil is NOT the controversial palm oil used in industrially produced foods. It's natural, healthy, and environmentally friendly. However, you can substitute half of it with corn oil.
If the amount of oil scares the pigiebies out of you, reduce it to as little as ¼ cup, and it will still taste great.
Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition