Nigeria has a wide range and collection of foods. Some of these foods are starchy paste which were turned in hot water to become solid. These solid paste are called swallow because they are swallowed without being chewed. Swallow meals cannot be eaten bare. They are usually consumed with soup.
The emergence of different swallow food brought about more soups. These soups are very delicious and bring nothing but comfort and relish. Nigerian soups are not just some liquid used to wash down swallow meals. They are highly nutritious and contain lot of vegetables which are good source of vitamins, minerals, carbs and roughages. They are made from only natural ingredients and as such healthy for consumption.
One of the unique things about Nigerian soup is that no different soup taste alike. They all have different taste you can relish and never get tired of. They are simply irresistible and distinctly African.
Top 10 Popular Soups In Nigeria
If you are looking for low carb diet that will give a delicious taste you will forever relish, then you should try Nigerian soups. Here are the top ten popular soups in Nigeria, in no particular order.
1. Egusi Soup
Egusi is one of the most popular soups in Nigeria. It is well sought after all over the country and beyond. One of the unique characteristics of the soup is that it can be consumed with any food item, such as; swallow, rice and any other food that requires soup. It is a very healthy soup made from ground melon seeds (egusi), vegetable and garnished with pieces of fish, meat, cow skin. Pepper, onion, tomato, locust beans are also added to taste. More than any other Nigerian soup, the Egusi soup is the most viral and most recognised globally. At some point, there was an Egusi Challenge where non-Africans visited Nigerian restaurants abroad to have a feel of this incredible soup.
2. Efo Riro
The thought of this soup on a very tiring day can make you smack your lips and almost bite your tongue. This is due to it’s relishing taste that pleasures the tongue. Efo riro is a spicy and nutritious soup common among the Yorubas. But, just like every other Nigerian soup, it is widely known in most ethnic groups. Efo riro is made from African spinach leaf, which is a popular vegetable in Africa with lot of varieties. No matter the variety, the taste is always heavenly, but if you wish to enjoy your efo riro more, try the spinach Yorubas call efo tete.
3. Ogbono
One of the most popular draw soups of all time, Ogbono, is another special Nigerian soup popular among the Igbos. Although reshuffling within localities has been carried out on this soup and so it is recognized in other tribes in Nigeria. The end product of this soup is slippery which is why it is called draw soup. Ogbono is made from ground African mango seed and other ingredients are added to taste. In different regions of Southern Nigeria, there are different cooking methods of Ogbono soup but the end product is always a soup to love and cherish.
4. Afang Soup
Afang soup is one of the Igbo soup of all times. It has a delicious African flavour associated with only Nigerian soups. It is prepared with water leaf and okazi leaves. Okazi leaves is strong and kind of hard to chew, so it is usually pounded before use. Afang soup can be served with any swallow but the best swallow to choose from is pounded yam.
5. Pepper Soup
A popular soup of relish in food joints and beer palour, pepper soup is a Nigerian traditional food you will definitely love. It is also used as an appetizer during the first course of a meal. This is because the warm, inviting and fulfilling aroma of this soup will make your appetite run wild. It is highly nutritious as it is made with traditional Nigerian spices and herbs. Just like its name implies, pepper soup is very spicy, but you will surely love the taste. It is often prepared with goat head, chicken, catfish, cow leg and other assorted meats. Pepper soup can be taken with food items like yam.
6. Banga Soup
Known among the Igbos as Ofe Akwu, banga soup is another Nigerian soup that will blow your mind with its incredible taste. It is a delicious soup you can never resist after taking a taste. It is a spicy soup that has a unique nitty flavour which is one of the uniqueness of the soup. Banga soup is typically made from palm nut and sea foods like crayfish, prawn, etc. Meat can also be added according to preference.
7. Bitter Leaf Soup
Made from the highly medicinal and nutritious bitter leaf, bitter leaf soup is a soup of relish you must try. Just like its leaves, bitter leaf soup leaves a sweet taste in the mouth after consumption. Hearing the word “bitter” from the soup, lots of people automatically think of it as a soup with bitter taste, but this is one of the uniqueness of the soup. The leaf itself is bitter when chewed but leaves a sweet taste in the mouth after some time. To ensure the soup is not bitter when cooked, the leaves are squeezed to remove the bitter juice or dried under the sun for about three days. The resulting leaf is then cooked with other ingredients like; pepper, tomato, onion, stock, palm oil, meat and fish.
8. Ewedu
Ewedu is a popular Yoruba soup which can be categorized as a draw soup. This is because the jute leaves which the soup is made from has slippery characteristics. Ewedu can be prepared in two different ways. It can be prepared by grinding jute leaves, locust beans, egusi and little quantity of patash together or adding palm oil and pepper to the mixture. The mixture with palm oil and pepper is fondly called oloju kan (together in one place) by the Yorubas. The jute leaf is usually blended with a short broom designed locally for the purpose called ijabe or a blender. The best meal to take with ewedu is amala.
9. Okra Soup
Okra is another example of the drawing/slippery soups in Nigeria. It has a very slimy nature, but the drawing motion of the hand during consumption will make you relish the taste. It is made from grated or chopped okra vegetable, cooked with locust beans, palm oil, pepper, onion, tomato, pieces of fish, prawns, crayfish, assorted meat and any other preferred ingredients.
10. Edikaikong
Edikaikong or Edikainkong is the last but definitely not the least of popular Nigerian soups on our list. It is a very popular Nigeria soup made of combined leafy vegetables and is native to the Calabar and Akwa Ibom people of Southern Nigeria and typically made with two types of vegetable namely pumpkin leaves, popularly known as ugwu and water leaves, scientifically known as talinum fruticosum. Edikaikong is a highly nutritious soup and requires lots of fishes, meats or other assorted to go with. Despite being native to the Calabar and Akwa Ibom people, Edikaikong is now widely accepted and prepared in other states across the country. If anything, Edikaikong is certainly one of the most popular soups in Nigeria.