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Yoruba style plain okra soup on a white plate
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5 from 3 votes

Plain Okra Soup (How To Cook Okra)

Plain okra soup is a staple in most Yoruba household. It is a very basic soup recipe but very tasty and it is mostly accompanied with stew (like buka stew) Plain okra soup is a staple in most Yoruba household. It is a very basic Nigerian soup recipe but very tasty and it is mostly accompanied with stew (like buka stew). Let me show you how to cook okra in easy steps
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: African
Keyword: how to cook okra, okra soup
Servings: 4
Author: Ajoke

Ingredients

  • fresh okra about 15-20 fingers
  • Hot water 500ml-700ml
  • Salt
  • Seasoning maggi/knorr etc
  • Fresh or smoked prawns few pieces
  • 1 tsp ground crayfish
  • 1 wrap of Locust beans Iru
  • How to cook okra soup

Instructions

  • Wash prawns and de-vein, rinse the locust beans clean and set aside
  • Wash the okra and cut off the pointed edge (optional) cut the okra into manageable size leaving out the stalk. Add into a blender or food processor and process until the desired coarse size is achieved. (use the image as a guide)
    okra soup recipe
  • Note: Using a blender will require adding water to aid blending and if care is not taken, the okra could be puréed. I suggest you pulse at an interval to achieve a coarse texture. The food processor does not require water to achieve the desired texture.
  • Chopped okra may require the addition of potash or baking soda (Blending or grating aids viscosity in the okra)
  • Add hot water into a pan and place on medium heat, add the fresh prawns if using, a pinch of salt and cook for about 2-3 minutes (till it turns pink, don’t overcook or it will be chewy and rubbery) Take the prawns out of the pan and set aside.
  • Add the chopped okra to the prawn stock and stir vigorously to incorporate with the stock. Cook for another 2 minutes, add the locust beans and stir to combine. Continue to cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add the cooked prawns back to the okra, add salt, seasoning and ground crayfish (taste for salt and seasoning and adjust accordingly. Add more water if needed)
    okra soup recipe
  • Cook for another minute and serve with Buka stew. Plain okra soup can be enjoyed with any swallow of choice.