Oil less Okra Soup
This oil-less okra soup is about to be on rotation on your dinner table. With this Nigerian soup, you can definitely eat your cake and have it at the same time. It is quick, simple, healthy and above all, delicious.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 500 g fresh okra chopped
- 1 whole mackerel cut in steaks, cleaned and gutted
- 1 whole tilapia
- 1 small onion about ½ cup size
- 1 scotch bonnet chillies
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 2 dozens fresh prawns
- 1 tbsp ground crayfish optional
- 1 tbsp locust beans
- Salt to taste optional
- 1 tsp chicken or beef stock cube I used knorr cubes
- water you will be needing between 3 to 4 cups depending on how thick or light you want the soup. Continue to adjust as you cook
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: rinse the okra clean, roughlychop with a knife then process in a food processor until desired texture isachieved. If you do not own a food processor then chop the okra with a sharp knifeor a box grater.Clean the fish, de-vain the shrimps, season with a pinch ofsalt and set aside. Blend the red bell pepper, onion and scotch bonnet in a foodprocessor until coarse in texture.
- Place a pan on medium heat, add 2 to 3 cups of water (about 400ml), add the blended pepper mix, stock cube (if using) and bring to boil for about 5 minutes.Carefully, add the fish, shrimps and locust beans to the boiling pepper mix, season with salt and simmer for about 5 minutes. you can flip the fish halfway so both sides cook evenly. Be careful not to break the fish. Also, only cook the shrimps for a shorter time as they cook faster than the fish.
- Remove the fish and shrimps from the pan and set aside on a plate (this is just to ensure that the fish doesn’t break while stirring in the okra and also not to overcook the shrimps/prawns)
- Add the chopped okra to the sauce and stir until well incorporated (add more water if need be, the water should be about the same level as the okra)
- Stir in the ground crayfish and salt (if using) and cook for another 2-3 minutes. check for salt and seasoning and adjust to taste. Return the fish and shrimps to the pan, gently stir to combine so as not to break the fish. Continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes on low-medium heat. Take it off the heat and serve with any swallow of choice.
