Food Musings: Naij.com Recipe Of The Month - Oha Soup

Editor’s note: Naij.com contributor Ifeyinwa Nzeka, in her recipe of the month, shows us how to make one of the many delicious Igbo soups, oha soup. 

Oha soup

Oha, also referred to as Ora is a leafy green vegetable popularly consumed in South Eastern Nigerian. If you haven’t tried Oha soup before, trust me when I tell you that this soup will have you forgetting your name and biting your tongue at the same time due to its finger licking goodness!
Oha soup belongs to a list of most loved vegetable soups in Nigeria and when I am eating this soup with swallow, I would appreciate you don’t talk to me… It is not a time to talk but a time to eat quietly enjoying and savoring every mouthful. There is just something about the taste and flavor of the oha leaves and then when you add uziza leaves, I mean, deliciousness hands down.
A thickener of cocoyam or achi is often used but I have found that using palm nut cream and a good dose of the vegetables eliminates the need for a thickener. Enough vegetables means no need for a thickener except the slight thickness that comes from the palm nut cream.
READ ALSO: 13 Reasons Why You Should Be Eating Bitter Leaf
I would have you know that oha leaves just like bitter leaves (onugbu) has a high content of phytochemicals, chemicals that occur naturally in plants with Oha leaves containing a high level of carotenoids and a good dose of flavonoids.
Phytochemicals have been found to be beneficial to human health and disease prevention and research shows the fact that some plant chemicals have potentials in helping to reduce the risk of several deadly diseases in man. Some of these phytochemicals reduce cholesterol which in turn helps to keep the body’s pressure down, prevent blood clotting which can reduce the risk for a heart attack or stroke.
So have some oha Soup today because it is delicious and also good for you.
Here goes the recipe! Enjoy!

OHA SOUP
An appetizing vegetable soup from the south eastern part of Nigeria made using Oha and Uziza leaves
Serves: 8-10
Ingredients
– 800 grams Fresh Palm Nut (washed, boiled, flesh crushed and palm nut cream extracted to give about 1.8litres of light palm nut cream when rinsed out with warm water. Use Canned palm nut cream as an alternative adding water to lighten)
– 1kg beef or Assorted Meat (Cooked with stock set aside)
– 50 grams Stock Fish Pieces/Flakes (soaked in water to soften)
– 150 grams Smoked Dry Fish pieces (Soaked in water to soften)
– 3 tablespoons Ground Dry Crayfish,
– 4 stock cubes (4 grams each)
– 1 tsp salt
– 1 tsp Dry Pepper
– 2 small chopped Yellow Peppers/Scotch Bonner.
– Ogiri/Ogili Isi/Dawa Dawa (Fermented Locust Beans) (Optional)
– 180 grams Oha leaves (Torn into pieces with hands or roughly chopped with a knife and rinsed thoroughly)
– 12 Uziza Leaves (Rinsed thoroughly and torn into pieces with hands or roughly chopped with a knife)
READ ALSO: 9 Nigerian Snacks That Are Great For Your Health
Instructions

1. Pour 1.8 litres palm nut cream into a large pot. Add 300 mls of the meat stock and cooked beef or assorted meat. Bring to a boil on medium heat.
2. Drain stock fish and dryfish and add to the palm nut cream mix with crayfish, stock cubes, salt, peppers and ogili if using. Continue to simmer the soup until mixture thickens slightly. Ensuring washed oha leaves have been thoroughly drained, add oha leaves to the soup along with the chopped uziza leaves. Stir until thoroughly combined and allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning then take off the heat. Serve on its own or your preferred accompaniments (Swallow, rice, yam, eko agidi e.t.c.)

Ifeyinwa Nzeka

Ifeyinwa Nzeka is a Cordon Bleu trained chef, hospitality practitioner and blogger who is passionate about Nigerian food and cuisine.

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