By Mama Deborah
Black Soup—popularly known in Edo and Delta States (particularly among the Esan and Urhobo people)—is a richly flavored traditional Nigerian soup commonly served with swallows like pounded yam, eba, or semovita. It’s made with a blend of bitter leaves, scent leaves (or basil), and uziza leaves, giving it a dark green to almost black color, hence the name.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to preparing delicious black soup:
🛒 Ingredients:
(Serves 4–6)
Leaf blend:
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1 cup fresh bitter leaf (washed thoroughly to reduce bitterness)
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1 cup scent leaf (nchuanwu or basil)
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½ cup uziza leaf (optional for added spice)
Soup base:
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500g assorted meats (beef, goat meat, ponmo, etc.)
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200g smoked fish or dried fish
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1 cup ground crayfish
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1–2 tablespoons ground pepper or fresh scotch bonnet (to taste)
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1 medium-sized onion (chopped)
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3 tablespoons palm oil
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2–3 seasoning cubes (Maggi, Knorr, or preferred brand)
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Salt to taste
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1 tablespoon locust beans (iru) – optional
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1 teaspoon ogiri or okpei – optional for deeper flavor
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Water (as needed)
👩🏾🍳 Preparation Steps:
1. Cook the meat
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Wash your assorted meat and season with chopped onions, salt, and seasoning cubes.
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Cook until tender. Add water as needed to create a stock for the soup.
2. Prepare the leaf blend
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Wash all your leaves thoroughly.
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Blend the bitter leaf, scent leaf, and uziza leaf together with a little water until smooth (you want a fine purée-like consistency).
3. Add fish and crayfish
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Once the meat is soft, add the smoked/dried fish (deboned), ground crayfish, and locust beans or ogiri (if using).
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Allow to cook for about 5–7 minutes so flavors can combine.
4. Add blended leaves
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Stir in the blended leaf mixture. Add a little water if the soup is too thick.
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Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
5. Add palm oil
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Pour in the palm oil and stir well. The oil adds richness and enhances the color.
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Let it simmer for another 5–10 minutes until the soup is well-cooked and has darkened.
6. Taste and adjust
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Taste for salt, seasoning, and pepper. Adjust to your preference.
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Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for a few minutes before serving.
🍽️ Serving Suggestion:
Serve hot with any swallow of your choice:
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Pounded yam
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Eba (garri)
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Fufu (cassava)
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Semovita
✅ Tips for Better Black Soup:
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You can blend the leaves raw or lightly boil them for a few seconds before blending, especially the bitter leaf.
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Bitter leaf is essential, but if it’s too bitter, soak and rinse several times or mix with more scent leaves.
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Adding ogiri or iru deepens the traditional flavor.
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Always cook the soup well to reduce the “green” raw taste of the blended leaves.
