Recipe · Yado Market Blog
Ogbono soup is Nigeria's favorite draw soup: thick, silky and stretchy, cooked with palm oil, crayfish, meat and fish, and eaten with fufu, pounded yam, eba or amala. Here's what ogbono is, the ingredients you need and how to make ogbono soup step by step in about 40 minutes.
Quick answer: how to make ogbono soup
- Warm palm oil on low heat, take it off the heat and stir in ground ogbono until it melts.
- Add hot meat stock a little at a time and stir until it starts to "draw".
- Simmer on low for 10 to 15 minutes with crayfish, pepper, meat and fish.
- Stir in ugu or spinach, cook 2 minutes and serve with fufu.
40 min
Total cooking time
4 to 6
Servings
½ cup
Ground ogbono
Stretchy
Classic draw soup
Shop the soup
Everything for Ogbono Soup in One Basket
These are the exact ingredients we use. Order online for U.S. shipping, or pick them up today at our Chicago store, 1651 E 87th St.
The main ingredient
Ground Ogbono (Igbasan Foods)
Ready-ground ogbono seed, so there's no grinding at home.
Shop · $14.99
The base
Epo Pupa Red Palm Oil, 1 L
Nigerian red palm oil gives ogbono soup its color and taste.
Shop · $11.99
The flavor
Ground Crayfish (Igbasan Foods)
Ground crayfish is the smoky, savory backbone of the soup.
Shop · $8.99
The protein
Stockfish Bits (Igbasan Foods)
Pre-cut stockfish adds deep flavor. Soak before cooking.
Shop · $21.99Know your ingredient
What Is Ogbono?
Ogbono is the dried kernel (seed) of the African bush mango, also called wild mango or dika nut (Irvingia gabonensis and its cousin Irvingia wombolu). The trees grow in the forests of West and Central Africa.[1] The fruit looks like a small mango, but the prize is the flat seed inside: it is dried and ground into a fine, tan powder.
The seeds are rich in fat and in natural gums, which is why ground ogbono turns thick and slippery when it meets hot liquid. That slippery, stretchy texture is the famous "draw".[1][2]
What Is Ogbono Soup?
Ogbono soup is a Nigerian soup thickened with ground ogbono seeds. It is popular across southern Nigeria, especially among the Igbo, and is often cooked with palm oil, leafy greens, meat, stockfish and crayfish.[2] Because of its stretchy texture it belongs to the family of draw soups, together with okra soup and ewedu.
Other names
Wild mango, dika nut, apon in Yoruba.
Tastes like
Mild, earthy and a little nutty. The flavor comes mostly from palm oil, crayfish and meat.
Texture
Smooth, thick and stretchy: it "draws" off the spoon.
Ground vs whole
Ground ogbono saves time. Whole seeds must be dried and blended first.
Ingredients
Ogbono Soup Ingredients (Serves 4 to 6)
- ½ cup ground ogbono
- ⅓ to ½ cup red palm oil (or Asiko red palm oil)
- 2 lb assorted meat: beef, goat, tripe (shaki) or cow skin (ponmo)
- 1 cup stockfish bits, soaked, plus dried fish if you like
- 2 tbsp ground crayfish
- 2 Maggi cubes (or to taste), plus salt
- 1 tsp ground dry pepper, or 2 fresh scotch bonnets
- 3 to 4 cups meat stock or water
- 2 handfuls ugu leaves, spinach or bitter leaf
- Optional a handful of chopped okra for extra draw
For the fish we use Igbasan Foods dried eja panla (dried hake): soak, debone and add to the pot.
Step by step
How to Make Ogbono Soup
The secret is low heat: ogbono goes lumpy and loses its draw if the oil or soup is too hot.
1. Meat
Boil the meat and soaked stockfish with 1 Maggi cube, salt and onion until tender, about 25 minutes. Keep the stock.
2. Oil
Warm the palm oil on low heat for 1 minute (don't let it smoke). Turn off the heat.
3. Ogbono
Add the ground ogbono to the warm oil and stir until it melts into a smooth paste, with no dry bits.
4. Draw
Add hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring well. Back on low heat, it turns thick and stretchy.
5. Simmer
Add the meat, fish, crayfish, pepper and the last Maggi cube. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often.
6. Greens
Stir in ugu, spinach or bitter leaf and cook 2 minutes. Taste for salt and serve hot.
Troubleshooting
Tips for a Perfect Draw
Lumpy?
Next time mix the ogbono into warm oil off the heat, or into a little cold water first. Whisk out small lumps now.
Not drawing?
The heat was too high or it cooked too long. Add a little more ogbono or chopped okra and keep the heat low.
Too thick?
Add hot stock or water a little at a time until it flows off the spoon.
Storing it
Cool, then refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze in portions. Reheat gently and add a splash of water.
Compare
Ogbono vs Okra vs Egusi Soup
Ogbono soup
Thick, smooth and stretchy. Made from ground bush mango seeds.
Okra soup
Also a draw soup, made from chopped okra. Many cooks mix okra into ogbono for an even stronger draw.
Egusi soup
Made from ground melon seeds. Thick and grainy, not stretchy. See our egusi soup recipe.
Want a bitter, leafy version? Add washed bitter leaf at the end: our bitter leaf guide shows how to wash it.
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What to Eat With Ogbono Soup
Ogbono soup is eaten with a "swallow": a soft dough you pinch, roll and dip. Not sure which to pick? Read What Is Fufu?
Most popular
Ola Ola Pounded Yam Flour
Pounded yam (iyan) is the classic partner for ogbono soup.
Shop · from $9.99
Quick and cheap
Yellow Garri (Igbasan Foods)
Make eba in 2 minutes with hot water.
Shop · from $13.99
Yoruba favorite
Elubo Isu Yam Flour (Igbasan Foods)
Brown, soft amala from yam flour. How to make amala.
Shop · from $14.99Also in the pot
Greens and Seasoning
Leafy greens
Dried Ugu Leaves
Dried fluted pumpkin leaves. Soak for 5 minutes before adding.
Shop · $4.99
Good to know
Is Ogbono Soup Healthy?
Ogbono seeds are rich in fat.[1] The soup also carries palm oil, meat and fish, so it is rich and filling. Load it with greens, go easy on the palm oil if you prefer a lighter pot, and enjoy it with a fist-sized portion of swallow. This guide shares traditional cooking use only and is not health advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ogbono made of?
Ogbono is the dried, ground seed of the African bush mango (wild mango) tree. Nothing else is added in plain ground ogbono.
Why is ogbono slimy?
The seeds contain natural gums and fat. When they meet hot liquid they swell and form a smooth, stretchy texture, the "draw".
What does ogbono taste like?
Mild, earthy and slightly nutty. Most of the flavor comes from the palm oil, crayfish, meat and seasoning you cook it with.
What are the ingredients in ogbono soup?
Ground ogbono, palm oil, meat stock, assorted meat, stockfish or dried fish, ground crayfish, pepper, seasoning cubes and leafy greens like ugu or spinach. Okra is optional.
Why is my ogbono soup not drawing?
Usually the heat was too high, the ogbono was fried too long, or there wasn't enough ogbono. Keep the heat low and add a little more ogbono or some okra.
Can I use whole ogbono seeds?
Yes. Dry them well and blend them into a fine powder. Ground ogbono skips that step.
Where can I buy ogbono in Chicago?
At Yado Market, 1651 E 87th St, Chicago: pick up in store, get local delivery, or order online for shipping anywhere in the U.S.
Ready to Make Ogbono Soup?
Ground ogbono, palm oil, crayfish and stockfish: everything for the pot in one order, or pick it up today at 1651 E 87th St, Chicago.
Sources
- Wikipedia. Irvingia gabonensis (African bush mango, ogbono): species, range, seed use as a soup thickener. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irvingia_gabonensis
- Wikipedia. Ogbono soup. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogbono_soup