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Oha soup (Ofe Ora) is an Igbo delicacy that originates from Eastern Nigeria. The seasonal oha leaves are rich in vitamins and antioxidants.

You can thicken the soup with fresh cocoyam, dried cocoyam powder, ofor, or achi to give it volume and flavor.

This soup is incredibly filling and nutritious. To give it additional aroma and taste; you use ogiri and a special leaf called uziza.

In this recipe, I’ll teach you how to cook oha soup with cocoyam or dried achi or ofor. Let’s get cooking!

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch Oha leaves (shredded with hands and washed)
• 2 pieces uziza leaves (sliced)
• 10 medium cocoyam OR 3 tablespoons ground achi or ofor
• 10 medium assorted beef pieces (shaki and other parts)
• 1 large stockfish
• 3 medium dry fish
• 3 large cow skin pieces (pomo)
• 4 tablespoons ground crayfish
• 2 cooking spoons of red palm oil
• 3 stock cubes
• 2 tablespoons ogiri (1 -2 wraps)
• 5 cups of water or meat stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Wash and cook the cocoyams for 15 minutes or until well done. Peel the cooked cocoyam and blend it into a smooth paste with an electric blender or mortar and pestle.
2. Shred the oha leaves with your fingers to keep the leaves green and avoid darkening.
3. Wash your meat, dry fish, and stockfish and set them aside. In a bowl of hot water, soak your dry fish for 2 minutes – the hot water will help soften it and clean off any dirt.
4. Then in a large pot, boil the tough cow skin, and shaki (cow tripe) with 3 cups of water until they are well cooked, add your beef, stockfish, and 3 stock cubes into the pot.
5. When the meat is cooked, add palm oil, dry fish, crayfish, pepper, and boil for 10 minutes. At this point, you can add more water or meat stock to the pot if the liquid is not enough.
6. Add the cocoyam in small lumps and cook on medium heat till well dissolved. Alternatively, if you’re using ofor or achi, dissolve the powder in warm water before adding it to the pot.
7. The cocoyam or ofor will thicken the soup. You can add more water if you feel the soup is too thick.
8. Finally, add the oha leaves, ogiri, and uziza leaves and allow cooking for extra 5 minutes.
9. Add salt to taste, stir, and your delicious soup is ready.
10. You can enjoy it with Garri, wheat meal, cassava pudding (akpu), amala, pounded yam, or semovita.

How to Cook Easy Nigerian Oha Soup

Recipe by Jennifer ObidikeCourse: SoupsCuisine: NigerianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Oha soup (Ofe Oha) is a delicious native soup from the Igbos of Eastern Nigeria.

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch Oha leaves (shredded with hands and washed)

• 2 pieces uziza leaves (sliced)

• 10 medium cocoyam OR 3 tablespoons ground achi or ofor

• 10 medium assorted beef pieces (shaki and other parts)

• 1 large stockfish

• 3 medium dry fish

• 3 large cow skin pieces (pomo)

• 4 tablespoons ground crayfish

• 2 cooking spoons of red palm oil

• 3 stock cubes

• 2 tablespoons ogiri (1 -2 wraps)

• 5 cups of water or meat stock

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Wash and cook the cocoyams for 15 minutes or until well done. Peel the cooked cocoyam and blend it into a smooth paste with an electric blender or mortar and pestle.
• Shred the oha leaves with your fingers to keep the leaves green and avoid darkening.
• Wash your meat, dry fish, and stockfish and set them aside. In a bowl of hot water, soak your dry fish for 2 minutes – the hot water will help soften it and clean off any dirt.
• Then in a large pot, boil the tough cow skin, and shaki (cow tripe) with 3 cups of water until they are well cooked, add your beef, stockfish, and 3 stock cubes into the pot.
• When the meat is cooked, add palm oil, dry fish, crayfish, pepper, and boil for 10 minutes. At this point, you can add more water or meat stock to the pot if the liquid is not enough.
• Add the cocoyam in small lumps and cook on medium heat till well dissolved. Alternatively, if you’re using ofor or achi, dissolve the powder in warm water before adding it to the pot.
• The cocoyam or ofor will thicken the soup. You can add more water if you feel the soup is too thick.
• Finally, add the oha leaves, ogiri, and uziza leaves and allow cooking for extra 5 minutes.
• Add salt to taste, stir, and your delicious soup is ready.
• You can enjoy it with Garri, wheat meal, cassava pudding (akpu), amala, pounded yam, or semovita.

Notes

• Do not slice the oha leaves with a knife. slicing darkens the leaves after cooking.
• The ground ofor must be dissolved in hot liquid because it forms a lumpy mass in cold water.
• Beware of extra salt if you’re adding meat stock to your soup.
• Adding your ogiri towards the end of your cooking, helps your soup retain the native aroma when serving.