By Abah (Martial pen)
武术笔
(wǔshù bǐ)
It is quite understandable that many students find it hard to prepare good, delicious and nutritious dish. I conducted a mini survey among Zikites and discovered some of the reasons students don’t cook themselves. Some of which are; lack of time, inability to cook, unworthiness. However, after careful considerations, some of the reasons( lack of time, inability 11 11 cook) had a probable solution. Therefore I have taken it upon myself to share tips on how to prepare two kinds of nutritious soup, also to address the reason(lack of time), I ensured the method of preparation is as swift as possible, taking not more than 45 minutes.
Recipe for Vegetable Soup (ọbẹ̀ ẹ̀fọ́)
Vegetable Soup is a nutritious and delicious Nigerian dish commonly made with green leafy vegetables like spinach, ugu (pumpkin leaves), or other leafy greens. It’s often cooked with a variety of protein sources like meat, fish, or seafood.
Ingredients:
500g assorted meats (beef, goat meat, tripe, etc.) (at individual’s discretion)
2 bundle chopped spinach or ugu leaves -#200
1 sachet or 2 full cooking spoons of palm oil -#200
2 medium tomatoes, blended -#100
2 bell peppers (tatashe), blended -#100
1 medium onion, finely chopped -#100
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, minced
2-3 scotch bonnet peppers (rodo), blended (adjust to taste) -#50
2 stock cubes (seasoning cubes) -#50
Salt to taste
Water
Optional: crayfish, smoked fish, periwinkle, or other seafood
INSTRUCTIONS
Preparation of Meats: (at individual’s discretion)
Wash and cut the assorted meats into bite-sized pieces.
Place them in a pot, add water, season with one stock cube and salt, and boil until tender.
Blending:
Blend the tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch bonnet peppers, and half of the chopped onions into a smooth paste.
Cooking:
In a separate pot, heat the palm oil over medium heat.
Add the minced garlic, ginger, and remaining chopped onions. Sauté until fragrant.
Add the Blended Mix:
Pour in the blended tomato and pepper mixture. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil starts to separate from the mix.
Meat and Seasoning:
Add the cooked meats and any optional seafood or fish. Allow to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
Vegetables:
Add the chopped spinach or ugu leaves. Stir well and let it cook for about 5 more minutes. Make sure the veggies are properly washed before cooking.
Seasoning and Taste Test:
Add the remaining stock cube and salt if needed. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Serve your Efo Soup hot with a side of semovita, eba, amala or rice and enjoy.
Recipe for Egusi Soup
Egusi soup is a hearty Nigerian soup made from melon seeds. It’s rich, flavorful, and often includes an assortment of meats and vegetables.
Ingredients:
1 cup melon seeds (egusi) -#300
500g assorted meats (beef, goat meat, tripe, etc.) (at individual’s discretion) of
1sachet or 2 full cooking spoon of palm oil -#100
1 bundle of chopped vegetables (e.g., pumpkin leaves, spinach) -#100
2 medium tomatoes, blended -#100
2 bell peppers (tatashe), blended -#100
1 medium onion, finely chopped -#100
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, minced
2-3 scotch bonnet peppers, blended (adjust to taste) -#50
2 stock cubes (seasoning cubes) -#50
Salt to taste
Water
Optional: crayfish, smoked fish, periwinkle, or other seafood
INSTRUCTIONS
Preparation of Meats:
Wash and cut the assorted meats into bite-sized pieces.
Place them in a pot, add water, season with one stock cube and salt, and boil until tender.
Blending and Egusi Paste:
Blend the melon seeds into a smooth paste. Add a little water if necessary to help with blending.
Blending Tomatoes and Peppers:
Blend the tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch bonnet peppers, and half of the chopped onions into a smooth paste.
Cooking:
In a separate pot, heat the palm oil over medium heat.
Add the minced garlic, ginger, and remaining chopped onions. Sauté until fragrant.
Add Blended Mix:
Pour in the blended tomato and pepper mixture. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the oil starts to separate from the mix.
Egusi Paste:
Add the egusi paste to the pot. Stir well to combine with the tomato and pepper mixture.
Meat and Seasoning:
Add the cooked meats and any optional seafood or fish. Allow to simmer for another 10-15 minutes.
Vegetables:
Add the chopped vegetables. Stir well and let it cook for about 5 more minutes.
Seasoning and Taste Test:
Add the remaining stock cube and salt if needed. Adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Serve your Egusi Soup hot with a side of amala, eba, fufu, or rice and enjoy.
P.S: The estimated price for the vegetable soup and egusi soup is #1000, and the estimated time to prepare the dish is 45minutes. It’s worth trying.
GOOD FOOD, GOOD HEALTH, GOOD LIFE.
