CAMEROONIAN OKRA SOUP
You know one of the things that makes us happy as a mom? When there is a huge pot of okra soup in our kitchen. You know why? Because our girls love okra soup to the T. They never get tired of it!
You know, one would think that living in the western world their tastebuds would mostly crave pizza, burgers, yada yada. But no! They love traditional meals like this okra soup especially when it is going down with corn fufu. Even our picky eater eats and licks her fingers.
This slimy soup called okra soup is made differently in various countries. We also make it it various ways in our kitchen. Sometimes plain, sometimes with ogbono (a slimy friend to okra) and sometimes with egusi.
We all love this version made with egusi. It is easy to put together and it tastes worth making again! Okra doesn’t have a particular overwhelming taste so it is hard to describe. But it is mild and the addition of melon seeds (egusi) brings some nuttiness and earthiness to the soup.
We made it with some homemade smoked fish. If you haven’t checked out our tutorial on how to make your own smoked fish at home, you absolutely should. It will change your life.
This Cameroonian okra soup recipe can be enjoyed with any fufu you like from garri to corn fufu to yam fufu (pounded yam). You could even eat it on boiled rice if that’s your thing!
How it comes together
- Yield: 6 people
- Prep: 15 minutes
- Cook: 30 minutes
- Total: 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound okra (about 1/4 kg), finely chopped or roughly blended
- 1 cup egusi (melon seeds), ground
- 1 pound fish, meat or both (we used smoked fish and beef)
- 1 large crayfish seasoning cube (Maggi Crevette) or 3 small seasoning cubes (regular Maggi)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup crayfish
- Salt
- 1 hot pepper (habanero), optional
Method
- If using meat, start by boiling the meat with water at the same level of the meat until tender. Half way through the cooking, season with salt and 1/4 of the chopped onions.
- Mix egusi with water to form a paste. Add to boiled meat and let it cook for 10 minutes. Add in smoked fish and let them cook for another 5-10 minutes. Be sure to check the consistency of the soup as you go, adding more water as needed.
- Now add in Maggi, salt to taste and crayfish. Mix well and let them simmer for two minutes.
- Add in chopped or roughly blended okra (please watch video to see how we prepare the okra). Mix well with the rest of the soup. Add in water as needed. If you want it lighter, add in more water. Let it cook for 2-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the okra. It should still look green and vibrant. Taste to make sure seasoning is perfect.
- Serve with cooked garri or any fufu of choice.
