Ugu soup, Ofe ugu

Ugu soup is one soup I cannot say I know the origin of, I actually thought my Mother created it, this was until I ate it at a local restaurant. It is not a very common soup which is surprising given that it really really tastes good. It is like a relationship where opposites attract or somebody tried to pull a joke because the soup has all the trappings of a typical sturdy Igbo soup but then a light-hearted ugu vegetable is added.

Like most Nigerian vegetable soups, the ugu vegetable still has to retain its freshness in the soup. It is not a soup that lasts for too long in the freezer, besides the vegetable quickly losing its crispness, it will also become overwhelmed by the soup broth. The best way I can describe this is, the taste becomes mainly that of the broth and the ugu loses its prominence. So whenever I cook Ugu soup, I make just enough for a day or two.

You can make the thick broth and store it in the freezer when you want to eat, bring it to a boil and add freshly cut the Ugu vegetable. This way the vegetable will be fresh and the soup as good as new. You can also change the soup to an entirely different soup by adding another vegetable or even a herb eg. Ora or only uziza.

The addition of Uziza seed and leaf adds a kick to Ugu soup.

To prepare Ugu soup

Meat
Stock fish
Dry fish
6 cups stock and water
6 Scotch bonnet
3/4 cup palm oil*
2 1/4 cups Ede paste
1/2 teaspoon ground Uziza seed
1 tablespoon ogili isi
1/4 cup ground crayfish
3 Seasoning cubes
salt
Uziza leaves
450g ugu leaves

*1 standard cooking spoon  of oil = 1/4 cup

Pick Ugu and uziza leaves wash and shred. Set aside.

Wash and season meat and stockfish with salt and seasoning cubes. Cook until tender.

Place dry fish in boiling hot water for 2 minutes, drain and rinse well in cold water, remove bones.

Add dry fish, pepper and palm oil to boiling meat.

Add cocoyam (ede) paste in large lumps and ground uziza seed.

Cook until soup thickens and has a uniform orange colour.

Add ogili isi, crayfish, seasoning cubes and shredded uziza leaves.

Stir and taste, add salt.

Cook for 3- 5 minutes.

Add shredded ugu to the soup.

Stir, reduce heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, depending on the type of ugu.

Bite a piece of the cooked leaf to know if it is ready.

Take off the heat.

Serve with a swallow of your choice.

Note

• Some types of ugu are more tender than others.
• If the soup has thickened enough and there is still undissolved cocoyam, scoop it out.

You should also try my other Nigerian vegetable soup, ofe owerri, edikang ikong soup, Afang soup, Efo riro.

Print

Ugu soup

Like most Nigerian vegetable soups, the ugu vegetable still has to retain its freshness in the soup

Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Igbo, Nigerian

Keyword nigerian soup, pumpkin, vegetable soup

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author gaga

Ingredients

• Meat
• Stock fish
• Dry fish
• 6 cups stock and water
• 6 Scotch bonnet
• ¾ cup palm oil*
• 2 ¼ cups Ede paste
• ½ teaspoon ground Uziza seed
• 1 tablespoon ogili isi
• ¼ cup ground crayfish
• 3 Seasoning cubes
• salt
• Uziza leaves
• 450 g ugu leaves

Instructions

• Pick Ugu and uziza leaves wash and shred. Set aside.
• Wash and season meat and stockfish with salt and seasoning cubes. Cook until tender.
• Place dry fish in boiling hot water for 2 minutes, drain and rinse well in cold water, remove bones.
• Add dry fish, pepper and palm oil to boiling meat. Add cocoyam (ede) paste in large lumps and ground uziza seed.
• Cook until soup thickens and has a uniform orange colour.
• Add ogili isi, crayfish, seasoning cubes and shredded uziza leaves.
• Stir and taste, add salt. Cook for 3- 5 minutes.
• Add shredded ugu to the soup.
• Stir, reduce heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, depending on the type of ugu.
• Bite a piece of the cooked leaf to know if it is ready.
• Take off the heat.
• Serve with a swallow of your choice.

Notes

• *1 standard cooking spoon of oil = 1/4 cup.
• Some types of ugu are more tender than others.
• If the soup has thickened enough and there is still undissolved cocoyam, scoop it out.

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