Learn how to make oha soup with this powerful, comforting Nigerian recipe. This detailed guide covers ingredients, step-by-step cooking instructions, tips, variations, nutrition, and expert advice for perfect results every time.
Introduction 🍲🌿
Oha soup is one of the most treasured traditional soups from the eastern part of Nigeria, especially among the Igbo people. If you have ever wondered how to make oha soup that is rich, flavorful, and truly authentic, this detailed guide is exactly what you need.
This soup is known for its distinctive aroma, soft hand-shredded oha leaves, and deeply savoury broth thickened naturally with cocoyam (ede). Unlike many other Nigerian soups, oha soup is delicate yet bold, light yet deeply satisfying. Learning how to make oha soup properly ensures you preserve its natural taste, texture, and cultural identity.
In this post, you will discover how to make oha soup step by step, using traditional methods, expert tips, and simple explanations—perfect for beginners and seasoned cooks alike..
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️🔥
You’ll absolutely enjoy this recipe because it is:
- 🍲 Deeply comforting and perfect for family meals
- 🌿 Naturally thickened without artificial thickeners
- 🇳🇬 Authentic and traditional, just like it’s made back home
- ⏱️ Straightforward and achievable, even for first-timers
- 💪 Nutritious and filling, especially when paired with swallows
Once you master how to make oha soup, it will quickly become a regular feature on your dining table.
Ingredients Needed 🥬🧄
Below are the essential ingredients required when learning how to make oha soup, along with brief descriptions:
- Oha Leaves (Ora Leaves) 🌿– Fresh, tender leaves hand-shredded to preserve their aroma
- Cocoyam (Ede) – Boiled and blended; used as the traditional thickener
- Assorted Meat – Commonly beef, shaki (tripe), cow leg, or goat meat
- Stockfish – Adds deep umami flavour
- Dry Fish – Cleaned and deboned for richness
- Palm Oil – Used sparingly to retain the soup’s natural colour
- Uziza Seeds (Optional) – Slightly crushed for mild spice
- Ground Crayfish – Boosts aroma and depth
- Ogiri Igbo – Traditional fermented seasoning (optional but authentic)
- Seasoning Cubes – Enhances flavour balance
- Salt – To taste
- Fresh Pepper – Adjust to heat preference
Equipment Needed to Make Oha Soup🍳
Before diving into how to make Oha Soup, ensure you have:
- Large cooking pot
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Mortar and pestle (for pounding cocoyam) or blender
- Knife (for meats and other ingredients, not for Oha leaves)
- Bowls for prepping ingredients
Step-By-Step Guide On How To Make Oha Soup 🥣🔥
The process of preparing oha (ora) soup and onubu (bitterleaf) soup is quite similar. Nevertheless, the two soups differ significantly in terms of the main vegetable used. While oha (ora) soup primarily features oha (ora) as its vegetable, bitterleaf (onubu) soup, on the other hand, uses bitterleaf (onubu) as its main ingredient. Despite the similarities in their preparation methods, these soups have distinctly different flavours, and it’s hard to believe they were made using similar ingredients.
Step-By-Step Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the cocoyam
- To start learning how to make Oha Soup, boil the cocoyam until soft, peel, and pound into a smooth paste.
- Alternatively, blend until smooth. This thickener will give the soup its creamy texture.
Step 2: Cook the meats and fish
- Season and cook the assorted meats, stockfish, and dry fish with salt, pepper, and seasoning cubes.
- Allow them to simmer until tender, releasing a rich stock.
Step 3: Add Stockfish And Dry Fish
- Add cleaned stockfish and dry fish to the meat
- Cook for 5–7 minutes to combine flavours
Step 4: Thicken The Soup
- Gradually add blended cocoyam into the pot
- Stir continuously to avoid lumps
Step 5: Season The Soup
- Add crayfish, pepper, ogiri, and uziza
- Adjust salt and seasoning
Step 6: Add Palm Oil
- Pour in palm oil gently
- Stir and allow to cook for 3–4 minutes
Step 7: Add Oha Leaves🌿
- Hand-shred oha leaves directly into the pot
- Stir gently and cook for 2–3 minutes only
This final step completes how to make oha soup perfectly without overcooking the leaves.
Expert Tips on How to Make Oha Soup Perfectly💡
To truly master how to make oha soup, follow these expert tips:
- 🌿 Always hand-shred oha leaves, never slice with a knife
- 🍲 Do not overcook after adding oha leaves
- 🟤 Use cocoyam gradually to control thickness
- 🔥 Keep palm oil minimal to maintain traditional colour
- 🧄 Ogiri should be used sparingly to avoid overpowering aroma
- 🥄 Stir gently to preserve texture
Serving Suggestion 🍽️
Oha soup is best served hot with:
- Pounded yam
- Fufu
- Semolina
- Eba
Learning how to make oha soup is incomplete without pairing it with a proper Nigerian swallow.
Variations 🧑🍳
You can customize how to make oha soup by:
- Using goat meat only for a deeper flavour
- Making a vegetarian version with mushrooms
- Adding snails for a festive touch
- Omitting ogiri if unavailable
Oha Soup Recipe
Oha (Ora) Soup
Ingredients
- 2 kg Beef/ Chicken/lamb/turkey or your preferred protein cow tripe (shaki) will add more flavour
- Stockfish
- Smoked fish
- 1 tbsp Ogiri Igbo
- Periwinkle optional
- Ground crayfish
- Ponmo
- 3 cooking spoon of Palm Oil
- Red Onions optional
- 1 kg Cocoyam or Achi ( Soup Thickeners)
- Oha leaves cut using a knife or shredding with your fingers
- Uziza leaves Chopped
- Seasonings to taste
- Salt to taste
- Water/Stock
- Fresh Pepper
Instructions
- Wash the meat (protein of your choice) and cook it with preferred seasonings. let simmer for 5 minutes, then put a little water, cover and let cook till meat is tender.
- You can either add cocoyam while cooking the meat so it can cook together to save time or cook the cocoyam separately.
- After cooking the meat properly, add 2 cups of water. Then add palm oil and let it cook for ten more minutes. Remove the cocoyam and pound it in a mortar, or blend it using a blender or food processor.
- Add ground crayfish, ground pepper, and salt. Allow it to cook for an additional seven minutes.
- Add the pounded cocoyam paste or achi. Before adding achi to your soup, make sure to dissolve it in a little water. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add Oziza leaves before adding Oha leaves.
- Allow it to cook for a minute and then switch off the heat.
- The delicious Oha soup you have been waiting for is now ready.
Notes
Nutritional Information (Approx. per Serving)🥗
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value (DV) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 320 kcal | 16% |
| Protein | 22 g | 44% |
| Fat | 20 g | 31% |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g | 4% |
| Fiber | 4 g | 14% |
| Iron | 4.5 mg | 25% |
| Vitamin A | 750 IU | 15% |
🔗Source: SnapCalorie – Oha Soup↗
Health Benefits And Advice 💚🥗
Understanding how to make oha soup also means appreciating its health value:
- 🌿 Oha leaves support digestion and immunity
- 🩸 Iron-rich ingredients help prevent anaemia
- 💪 High protein content aids muscle repair
- ❤️ Moderate palm oil provides healthy antioxidants
For best results, consume in moderation and pair with balanced swallows.
Note: The information provided in this blog post is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)🙋🏽♀️
Q1: What makes Oha Soup unique?
👉The fresh Oha leaves and cocoyam paste thickener make Oha Soup stand out from other Nigerian soups.
Q2: Can I use a knife to cut Oha leaves?
👉No, when learning how to make Oha Soup, tradition emphasizes tearing the leaves by hand to maintain flavour.
Q3: What can I eat Oha Soup with?
👉It pairs best with pounded yam, eba, wheat, semolina, or fufu.
Q4: Can I replace cocoyam with achi?
👉Yes, achi can be used as an alternative thickener, though cocoyam gives the most authentic texture.
Final Thought 💭🍲
Learning how to make oha soup is more than following a recipe—it’s preserving culture, flavour, and tradition. With the right ingredients, careful timing, and gentle handling of the leaves, you can create a soup that is comforting, nourishing, and unforgettable.
Once mastered, how to make traditional oha soup will become one of your most valued Nigerian cooking skills.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you might also like to check out the following Nigerian recipes.
How to make egusi soup (boiled method)
How to make egusi soup (Moulded method)
How to make egusi soup (fried method)
How to make bitterleaf soup
How to make okra soup (ofe okwuru)
How to make fisherman’s soup
How to make ofe Owerri soup
How to make ogbono soup (ofe ogbono)
How to make seafood okra
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