About Banga Soup
Soup and stews are a significant component of African cuisine and we have a whole lot of them. Banga soup, also called Palm nut soup, is prepared from palm fruit and originates from the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. It’s a special delicacy among the Urhobo and Itsekiri people of Delta State.
It’s also enjoyed in Ghana (Abenkwan) and Cameroon (Mbanga). In Nigeria, names like ofe akwu, oghwo amiedi, or izuwo ibiedi may be used depending on the tribe and ingredients.
Traditionally, Banga soup is eaten with “swallow” such as starch, fufu, eba, or pounded yam.
📋 Recipe Information
- Prep time: 1 hr
- Cook time: 40 mins
- Servings: 3 Plates
- Difficulty: Beginner
🥘 Ingredients
- Palm nuts
- 2 Fresh cat fish
- 1.5 lb Beef
- Seafood (shrimp, crayfish, stock fish, periwinkles)
- 2 Scotch bonnet peppers
- 1 large onion
- Seasoning powder / Bouillon cubes
- Salt
- Cameroon pepper
- Oburunbebe stick (Licorice root)
- Banga spices (Aidan fruit, Ataiko, Irugege seeds)
- Banga spice leaves (Beletete) & dried bitter leaves
👩🍳 Instructions
Step 1: Extract Banga Juice
- Boil palm kernel fruit for 30 mins until soft.
- Pound gently in mortar (don’t break nuts).
- Pour hot water, squeeze, and strain out extract.
- Boil extract until oil rises to top.
Step 2: Wash Fresh Catfish
- Cut fish into head, mid-sections, tail.
- Pour hot water (not boiling) to congeal slime.
- Scrape with knife, rinse in cold water.
Step 3: Prepare the Soup
- Boil meat with onion, pepper, seasoning & salt.
- Add stockfish, cook 10 mins.
- Set meat aside, pour palm nut extract in pot.
- Cook until oil floats, then add blended pepper & onion.
- Add Banga spice, fish, meat, crayfish, and stick.
- Finish with beletete & bitter leaves. Simmer till thick.
- Serve hot with starch, pounded yam, garri, or fufu.
💡 Tips
- Balance seasoning: Taste as you go.
- Finish strong: Always add beletete leaves last.
- Thicken: Let soup thicken before turning off heat.
🥗 Nutritional Facts
- Rich in iron and copper
- Helps prevent vitamin A deficiency
- Rich in vitamin K
- High in antioxidants
- Supports brain function
If you make this Banga Soup Recipe, share your pictures online with #Hopeoke 🌟