Recipe · Yado Market Blog
Cassava leaf soup is a rich, slow-cooked stew of pounded cassava leaves, palm oil and smoked fish or meat. Liberia and Sierra Leone call it cassava leaf and eat it over rice; in Congo it's pondu (or saka saka) with fufu. Here's what cassava leaves are, how to cook them safely, and an easy recipe using frozen pounded leaves.
Quick answer: how to cook cassava leaves
- Thaw pounded cassava leaves and boil them in water for about 1 hour, uncovered.
- Add palm oil, onion, pepper, smoked fish or meat and seasoning.
- Simmer another 30 to 45 minutes until thick and dark green.
- Serve hot over rice or with fufu.
2 hrs
Total cooking
6
Servings
3 lb
One bag of leaves
Never raw
Always cook well
Know your ingredient
What Are Cassava Leaves?
Cassava (also called yuca or manioc) is best known for its starchy root, used for gari, fufu and attieke. Its leaves are eaten too, as a leafy green across West and Central Africa. They are rich in protein compared with the root [1][2], and taste earthy and a little bitter, like a cross between spinach and collard greens.
Important: never eat cassava leaves raw
Like the root, raw cassava leaves contain natural compounds that release cyanide [1][2]. The traditional way to make them safe is to pound them and then boil them for an hour or more [3]. Frozen leaves are already pounded, but they still need the long boil in this recipe. Don't shortcut it.
Cassava Leaf Names by Country
Liberia
Cassava leaf, cooked with palm oil and meat or fish, served over rice.
Sierra Leone
Cassava leaf (sometimes "plassas"), often with smoked fish and peanut paste.
DR Congo
Pondu or sombe, eaten with fufu or kwanga.
Congo-Brazzaville & Gabon
Saka saka (also ngunza), often with peanut butter.
Ingredients
What You Need (Serves 6)
- 1 bag (3 lb) frozen pounded cassava leaves, thawed
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup red palm oil
- 1 to 2 lb protein: smoked turkey, beef, chicken, or a mix with smoked fish
- 1 to 2 pieces dried or smoked fish, deboned and flaked
- 2 tbsp ground crayfish
- 2 onions, chopped, and 1 to 2 scotch bonnet peppers, to taste
- 2 Maggi cubes and salt to taste
- Optional: 2 to 3 tbsp unsweetened peanut butter (common in pondu and saka saka), 1 tsp iru (locust beans), or a handful of shrimp
- About 6 cups water
Step by step
How to Make Cassava Leaf Soup
Use a big, heavy pot. Most of the time is hands-off simmering.
1. Thaw
Thaw the frozen leaves in the fridge overnight, or set the sealed bag in a bowl of cool water for an hour.
2. Boil the leaves
Put the leaves in the pot with about 6 cups of water. Boil uncovered for about 1 hour, stirring now and then. Top up with water if it gets dry.
3. Cook the protein
Meanwhile, season the meat with onion, salt and a Maggi cube and cook it in a little water until tender. Keep the stock.
4. Combine
Add the meat and its stock, the flaked fish, crayfish, the rest of the onion and the pepper to the leaves.
5. Add palm oil
Pour in the palm oil (and peanut butter, if using). Stir well.
6. Simmer
Simmer on low for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often so it doesn't stick, until thick, glossy and dark green. Taste for salt.
Shop the ingredients
Everything for Cassava Leaf Soup
All in stock at our Chicago store. The frozen leaves are pickup or local delivery; the palm oil, crayfish and fish ship anywhere in the U.S.
The leaves
Calapaz Frozen Cassava Leaves 3 lb
Already pounded and frozen, so you skip the hours of pounding. Pickup or local delivery.
Shop · $9.99
Palm oil
Dahzah Pure Red Palm Oil
Red palm oil gives the soup its color and deep flavor.
Shop · $8.99
Smoked fish
Igbasan Dried Herring Fish
Dried fish is classic in Liberian and Sierra Leonean cassava leaf.
Shop · $24.99Troubleshooting
Tips for the Best Cassava Leaf
Too bitter?
Boil the leaves a little longer before adding the oil, and use a bit more onion or peanut butter.
Too dry?
Add a splash of hot water or stock. Cassava leaf should be thick but still spoonable.
Sticking to the pot?
Lower the heat and stir from the bottom every few minutes. A heavy pot helps.
Make ahead
It tastes even better the next day. Keep it 3 to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 3 months.
Compare
Liberian Cassava Leaf vs Congolese Pondu
Liberian / Sierra Leone cassava leaf
Lots of palm oil, smoked fish and meat, plenty of pepper. Served over white rice.
Congolese pondu
Often cooked with onion, garlic, eggplant or leek, and sometimes peanut butter. Served with fufu or kwanga.
Saka saka
The Congo-Brazzaville and Gabon version, often with peanut butter and smoked fish.
Want another leafy African stew? Try eru (okazi) stew or bitter leaf soup.
Shop the meal
What to Eat With Cassava Leaf Soup
Rice is the classic pairing in Liberia and Sierra Leone; fufu is the classic in Congo.
With rice
Delta Star Parboiled Rice 25 lb
Long-grain parboiled rice stays fluffy under a thick stew.
Shop · $25.99
Frozen · pickup
Frozen Placali 3 lb
Soft Ivorian cassava dough to eat with leafy stews.
Shop · $8.99
New to fufu? Read What Is Fufu?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does cassava leaf taste like?
Earthy and slightly bitter, a bit like a stronger spinach or collard greens. Cooked with palm oil, fish and pepper it becomes rich, smoky and savory.
Are cassava leaves safe to eat?
Yes, when they are cooked properly. Raw cassava leaves contain natural compounds that release cyanide, so they are always pounded and boiled for a long time before eating [1][3]. Never eat them raw or undercooked.
How long do you boil cassava leaves?
About 1 hour on their own, then another 30 to 45 minutes once the oil and other ingredients go in. Pre-pounded frozen leaves still need this full cooking time.
What is pondu?
Pondu is the Congolese name for cooked cassava leaves (also called sombe or saka saka). It's usually eaten with fufu or kwanga.
Can I use spinach instead of cassava leaves?
Spinach or collard greens make a similar-looking stew, but the taste and texture are different. For the real thing, use pounded cassava leaves.
Where can I buy cassava leaves near me in Chicago?
At Yado Market, 1651 E 87th St, Chicago. We carry frozen pounded cassava leaves for in-store pickup or local delivery (frozen items can't ship).
Sources
- [1] Cassava: cyanogenic compounds in roots, peels and leaves; leaf protein. Wikipedia.
- [2] Nutrition and phytochemical properties of cassava (Manihot esculenta) leaves. Foods, 2022 (PMC9315608).
- [3] Latif, Zimmermann & Müller. Evaluation of processing methods to reduce the cyanogenic potential of cassava leaves. University of Hohenheim, 2015.
Ready to Make Cassava Leaf?
Pick up a bag of frozen pounded cassava leaves at our Chicago store, grab palm oil and fish while you're here, and dinner is two easy hours away.