Soups & Stews

Edo Black Soup

Name: Edo Black Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 600 g stewing beef (cubed); 150 g smoked fish (deboned); 300 g canned palm-fruit concentrate (unsweetened); 180 g prepared bitterleaf (washed and squeezed); 60 g scent leaves (washed); 80 g uziza leaves (washed; tough stalks removed); 3 tbsp ground dried crayfish; 1 small onion (chopped); 1 Scotch bonnet pepper (crushed); 1 stock cube (optional); 1100 ml water (plus extra if needed); to taste salt

A dark green soup of finely ground bitterleaf, scent leaf and uziza with beef and fish. The name black soup describes the deep colour of its ground leaves. Chidi Anegbu documents an Esan version made with palm-fruit sauce, while other contemporary Nigerian cooks use different leaf proportions and palm oil. Grinding, rather than simply slicing, makes the greens part of the body of the soup. Cultural context: Associated with Edo State, including Esan cooking. Families vary the leaf blend and whether palm-fruit concentrate or palm oil is used.

Edo black soup with a dark green-brown ground-leaf base, beef and smoked fish

30 minPreparation

90 minCooking

6Servings

What you’ll need

6 servings

Let’s get cooking

1
Simmer beef with onion, stock cube and 800 ml water for 50–65 minutes until tender.
2
Check prepared bitterleaf; if excessively bitter, simmer separately for 10 minutes, drain and rinse.
3
Blend bitterleaf with some of the remaining water. Blend scent leaf and uziza with just enough water to make a fine puree.
4
Stir palm-fruit concentrate into the beef pot. Add fish, crayfish and pepper and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5
Add the leaf purees and simmer gently 10–15 minutes until well integrated. Adjust with remaining water and season to taste.
6
Serve with pounded yam, eba or another swallow.

A little kitchen wisdom

The colour comes from leaves; never burn or bleach palm oil to make the soup dark. Avoid replacing the leaf mix with an unidentified medicinal-herb blend. Timing: active preparation 30 min; cooking 90 min; additional passive time 0 min; conservative planning allowance 120 min. Some stages may overlap. Recipe status: Research draft; not kitchen-tested. Allergens and checks: Fish; Crustaceans (crayfish); Check stock cube label

Recipe notes & sources

Research draft; not kitchen-tested

Also known as: Omoebe, Esan black soup

Associated with Edo State, including Esan cooking. Families vary the leaf blend and whether palm-fruit concentrate or palm oil is used.

Allergens: Fish, Crustaceans (crayfish), Check stock cube label