Ofe Owerri is a traditional Nigerian soup rooted in the Igbo tribe’s culture in the country’s southeastern region. This soup is a delicious and hearty combination of various vegetables, including ugu leaves, water leaves, and bitter leaves, combined with various meats and fish that create an explosion of flavours. The soup’s thick and creamy texture is achieved by using either cocoyam or achi, which adds an extra layer of richness to the dish. Ofe Owerri is often enjoyed with pounded yam or fufu, which complements the soup’s flavours, textures, and aromas, making it an excellent choice for special occasions and celebrations.
Ofe Owerri
Ofe Owerri/Owerri soup Image source: Dooney’s Kitchen
Ofe Owerri soup is a delicious Nigerian dish known for its rich and flavorful taste, thick and slightly viscous consistency, and unique ingredients. Typical ingredients of Ofe Owerri soup include stockfish, cow skin (pomo), smoked fish, ugu leaves (fluted pumpkin), utazi leaves, and crayfish. The meats and stockfish are boiled until tender to prepare the soup, and the vegetables and spices are added to create a flavorful broth. Ofe Owerri soup is usually served with pounded yam, fufu, or eba and is a popular dish in Nigeria, often served at special occasions and gatherings. Ofe Owerri soup is a delicious and satisfying dish showcasing the Igbo people’s rich culinary traditions.
List of Ingredients for Cooking Ofe Owerri
Below are the ingredients needed to cook delicious Ofe Owerri soup.
- Animal Protein: The type of animal protein used significantly affects the flavour and efficacy of Ofe Owerri. Standard options include beef, goat meat, chicken, and turkey.
- Dry Fish: It is necessary to soak dry fish in hot water to soften and remove bones. The required time depends on how strong the fish is dried. No matter how you prepare Owerri soup, ensure dry fish is in the ingredients.
- Stockfish: One medium-sized stockfish soaks in hot water until it is softened.
- Pomo: The pomo should be boiled, thoroughly cleaned and sliced to average meat size if it is more significant than your preferred meat. Before cooking with pomo, it’s essential to properly prepare it. Begin by boiling the pomo to ensure that it is fully cooked. Then, take the time to thoroughly clean it to remove any excess dirt or debris. If the pomo is larger than your preferred meat size, slice it into smaller, bite-sized portions. This will not only help it cook more evenly, but it will also make it easier to serve and enjoy.
- Periwinkles (Optional): The use of periwinkles is optional. However, using them after washing them properly is recommended if they are available.
- Snail (Optional): The use of snails is optional. If using snails, ensure they are properly washed and cleaned.
- Cocoyam: To prepare the cocoyam, it should first be boiled until it becomes soft. Then, using a blender, blend it until it forms a smooth paste. If a blender is unavailable, use a mortar to pound the boiled cocoyam.
- Palm Oil: Palm oil is a ubiquitous and vital ingredient in Nigerian cuisine. One would be hard-pressed to find a local dish not prepared without palm oil.
- Crayfish: This sun-dried shrimp is a crucial ingredient in almost all Nigerian dishes, adding a delicious flavour to every meal.
- Habanero Pepper: Get two of this variety of hot chilli used in cooking for your special ofe Owerri,
- Okazi/Utazi: Properly wash the okazi leaves and cut them into pieces before use, as they contain essential nutrients like vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium.
- Seasoning: Seasonings are usually added near the end of the cooking period. The most common seasonings are salt, stock cubes, pepper, and acids (such as lemon juice). Please add to the taste and not use it in access, especially the salt.
- Vegetable: The choice of vegetables for Owerri soup depends on personal preference. The most commonly used vegetable is pumpkin leaf (Ugu), while some opt for oha leaf, utazi, and uziza. Other green vegetables, such as Bitterleaf, kale, and amaranth, can also be used.
Ofe Owerri (Owerri Soup) Recipe
Ingredients
- 600 g animal proetin Try cow tripe and pomo
- 1 big dry fish
- 1 medium stockfish
- Handful of periwinkles use when available.
- 6 pieces of snail wash properly
- 10 corms of cocoyam (uri ede) enough cocoyam paste to achieve a medium thickness for the soup.
- 3 cooking spoon of palm oil
- 1 bundle of vegetable: you can choose from pumpkin leaf, oha, uziza, and okazi/utazi. you can use more than one if you wish. vegetables should not be too much in the soup.
- salt add to taste
- 3 habanero pepper in the absence of habanero pepper, cayenne pepper is good.
- 3 tbsp crayfish
- 2-3 stock cubes add to taste
Instructions
Pre Cooking Preparation
- Place the meat and fish in a pot of boiling water, along with some flavorful seasoning cubes. Allow them to simmer until thoroughly cooked and tender, ready to be served as a delicious and satisfying meal.
- Cook the cocoyam until it is soft. Peel it and pound it into a smooth paste using a mortar. Alternatively, you can utilize a blender as shown in the video below.
- Pick any vegetables you like, rinse and chop ugu into tiny pieces, and slice the okazi thinly.
- After soaking the dried fish in water, clean, de-bone, and break it into small pieces.
- Chop the habanero pepper into pieces.
Cooking Directions.
- Place the boiled meat on the heat with slightly less liquid than the meat and fish level in the pot.
- Add the crayfish and the dried fish to the pot. Cover the pot and let the ingredients boil together.
- Once the liquid in the pot reaches boiling point, gradually add in the lumps of cocoyam paste and pour in the palm oil. After adding the ingredients, cover the pot and let it continue cooking over high heat.
- Once the soup thickens. take off the undissolved cocoyam paste.
- Add the chopped pepper and the vegetables
- Cover the pot, when the point boils gain, add salt if necessary.
- Pour the soup into a cool bowl to preserve the freshness of the vegetable.
- Serve the ogbono soup hot with your choice of swallow (such as fufu or pounded yam) or rice.
Notes
- You can serve ofe Owerri (Owerri soup) with any swallow. You can select from garri, fufu, semo, amala, pounded yam, wheat, etc.
- Preparing the ingredients beforehand is essential to ensure the soup cooks appropriately, as the cooking process will be fast-paced.
- Be careful not to overcook the greens, which can alter their colour.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you might also like to check out the following Nigeria recipes.
How to make egusi soup (boiled method)
How to make bitterleaf soup (ofe onubu).
How to make okra soup (ofe okwuru)
How to make fisherman’s soup
How to make seafood okra soup
How to make oha soup (ofe oha)
How to make ogbono soup (ofe ogbono)
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