Banga Soup

Banga soup is a delicacy of the itshekiris and best served with starch or eba.
This is unlike the other banga stew that is native to the Igbos and popularly served with white boiled rice or yam.

This Banga soup is one of many delta state soups in Nigeria. While it is indigenous to the Deltas, both People from Edo state and all over the Niger Delta states also loved and enjoyed it. If you are looking to make the Igbo version, please click – Igbo Banga Stew.

This is not banga stew but they are both made with similar ingredients. Banga stew is native to the Igbos and usually served with boiled white rice. While banga soup goes with starch, eba or fufu.
Banga Soup

I prepare the two the same way; the difference is just the spices. This recipe will, in the next few minutes shows you exactly how to make banga soup like an Itsekiri woman.

You can use any combination of meat for this soup or just use plain red meat; I used a combination of cow head, foot, and red meat.

Required Ingredients For banga Soup

Serving: 8 Persons.

Meat (1kg)
Ground Crayfish (half cup)
Fresh prawn [oporo](one cup)
Fresh Palm Fruits (Banga) (10 cups)
1 Medium-sized dry fish / smoked fish
Red scotch bonnet pepper “Ata rodo” (6)
Ataiko (1 teaspoon)
Irugege (1 teaspoon)
Oburunbebe Stick (Banga stick) (1)
crushed dried beletientien leaves (half cup)
3 seasoning cubes
I cup shelled Periwinkles
Salt to taste.

What is Banga

Banga is a local name for palm tree in Nigeria. Banga see are palm seed as you can see below, you need them to make a delicious banga soup.
banga seeds

These are banga seeds (Mpuru akwu), they are the major ingredients for making this soup. Akwu is very abundant in Nigerian.

Making banga soup
These are pictures of some ingredients for this Itsekiri soup. I can purchase these spices and ingredients from any Nigerian local market. For the spices and banga stick, ask those women that sell traditional roots and herbs like zobo leaves and dogoyaro.

Ingredients delta

You should use crushed dried beletientien leaves, it is also called atama leaves in Nigeria local markets.

Preparation

Step 1

Start by grinding the spices. Add them all together (ataiko, Irugege and a cup of crayfish), blend to powder. Blend the pepper as well. Wash the dried fish and remove center bones. I used dried catfish. This catfish is actually my favorite, it tastes so wonderful in soups. You need just one. Pour hot water over it, wash and set aside.

Step 2

Wash and precook the prawn, use half a cup of water, a seasoning cube and a pinch of salt.

Precook your meat, this is how – Wash properly and use two seasoning cubes and a pinch of salt. Cook the meat until it becomes easy to chew, and the water is almost dried. Add salt to taste and allow another three minutes. Set aside.

Step 3

Boil the palm fruit for 20 minutes, pound with a mortar and pestle, transfer into a bowl, add water and extract the juice, don’t add too much water, you want it thick. You will need about 7-10 cups of that palm fruit juice for this soup. It should be thick.
washing banga

How to cook Banga Soup

Step 4

Use a sieve to strain the extract into your cooked meat.
washed

Allow boiling for 15 minutes with the pot half-covered. It should be a lot thicker now.

Step 5

Add the cleaned dried fish, ground (crayfish, ataiko plus irugege), oburunbebe stick, ground pepper, and salt to taste. Cover and allow another 10 minutes. You can add a little water if it is too thick.
Delta Banga Soup

Step 6

Add the crushed dried beletientien leaves, precooked prawn, periwinkles and one cube of knorr. Stir, cover and allow to simmer for 3 minutes. This is how to make the popular banga soup that is loved and made by the Deltans.
delta soup

Serve with starch, eba or fufu.

Banga soup recipe
This is Delta state native soup.

Here is River State Native Soup

Try My Delicious Ofada Sauce

Learn How to Make Moi Moi

Banga Soup – Other Nigerian Soup

Video for banga soup

The new banga soup video give you a visual knowledge of what the recipe above is talking about.

Banga soup recipe

Banga soup Recipe

Chef Chidi
This Banga soup recipe can be used by anyone to make a delicious Nigerian soup. This soup is just one of the most popular in Nigeria.
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course
Cuisine Nigerian soup
Servings 8 People
Calories 749 kcal

Equipment

  • Pots
  • Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • Meat 1kg
  • Ground Crayfish half cup
  • Fresh prawn [oporo] one cup
  • 10 cups Fresh Palm Fruits Banga
  • 1 Medium sized dry fish / smoked fish
  • 6 Red scotch bonnet pepper “Ata rodo”
  • 1 teaspoon Ataiko
  • 1 teaspoon Irugege
  • 1 Oburunbebe Stick Banga stick
  • beletientien leaves half cup
  • 3 seasoning cubes
  • 1 Cup Periwinkles Shelled
  • Salt to taste.

Instructions
 

  • Start by boiling the banga seeds, pound and extract the palm sauce
  • You will need about 7-10 cups of that palm fruit sauce for this banga soup recipe.
  • Use a sieve to strain the Banga extract into your cooked meat in the pot.
  • Let it boil with the meat for the next 15 minutes. Don't cover the pot completely.
  • Add washed and cleaned dried catfish, ground (crayfish, ataiko and irugege), drop the oburunbebe stick, ground pepper, and salt to taste. You can add a cup of water if it is too thick, cover and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
  • Add beletientien leaves, periwinkles, precooked prawn, and one seasoning cube. Stir, cover and allow to simmer for 3 minutes.
  • You just made one of the most popular delta state soups
  • Serve with starch, eba or fufu.

Video

Keyword banga soup recipe, Delta state soups, Itshekiri soup

48 Comments

Stephanie
Reply

5 stars
Truly when someone doesn’t be aware of then its up to
other people that they will assist, so here it happens.

November 14, 2023
Theresa
Reply

5 stars
I cooked my banga soup. I could not get the beletete leaves and I used scent leave instead. But it came out nice too

June 14, 2023
Kupa Emily
Reply

Nice work pls I wan to know if is only Banga soup recipe that is inside the book

October 13, 2020
pearl ifeanyi
Reply

5 stars
I just tried it now chy and it came out wow! thanks for making our cooking easier… kudos

March 12, 2020
Esther
Reply

The banga soup looks nice but am from Akwa Ibom and this items here Ataiko, Irugege,Oburunbebe Stick Banga stick,beletientien leaves I haven’t heard them before how can get them or is there another name for it.

February 18, 2020
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

You can buy them from the local markets. Just ask around.

February 20, 2020
Esther eku effiong
Reply

I was asked to make Banga soup today,am so so o sad the they have already gone to the market before i see this recipe because the are some ingredients here that i didn’t include and it’s my first time of cooking it,so now what do I do please it’s very urgent thank

December 21, 2019
Love
Reply

Thank you ma.can you please show the image of the iru.? Thanks

July 31, 2019
Cherish Jacob
Reply

Just finished preparing my banga soup, is yummy…. Thanks a lot.

April 23, 2019
Ese
Reply

5 stars
Banga soup is native soup for the Urhobos and Isokos of Delta state. A very wonderful recipe. Mine cooking right now on the cooker with starch waiting to be prepared by dawn. I am a guy though. Love cooking as a hubby.

December 27, 2018
godwin oghenesuowho bako
Reply

huuuum i love banga suop so much.so yomming yomming

October 18, 2018
Kenneth Asenime
Reply

Nice one, I tried it out but turned out watery. What could I have done wrong.

October 16, 2018
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Use lots of banga seeds and be sure to have your banga sauce thick. I think you added so much water so it was watery from the beginning. If it is watery it only means you added too much water somehow.

October 17, 2018
Cynthia
Reply

Where can I lay my hands on all this recipe in Lagos chy”?

August 22, 2018
Sephina
Reply

You can also add potash when cooking, though it’s by choice.

July 27, 2018
ONYII
Reply

I MARRIED A DELTAN I AM FROM IMO WHAT IS ATAIKO, IRUGEGE, OBURUBEBE, BLENTIENTIEN LEAF PLS I WANT TO COOK IT THANKS

June 16, 2018
Chef Chidi
Reply

Visit a local market near you.

June 17, 2018
Bridget
Reply

wow, I will surely prepare banga soup for my family this weekend. Thanks

May 22, 2018
Aderonke Olufowora
Reply

I love to have the cookbook,pls how do I get it and how much

February 27, 2018
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Call us on 08035051468, thanks

February 28, 2018
Peace Akomaye
Reply

This is great, am from Kogi state and my hubby is from Obudu n banga happen to be his favourite, with this, l must confess, you have really make my day. Thank you ma’am.

November 12, 2018
Blessing
Reply

Wonderful recipes… Well done ma’am

October 28, 2017
Biola
Reply

Banga Soup is from the Urhobos not Itsekiris. Good work. Keep it up.

August 18, 2017
Jason
Reply

Thank you, wanted to comment on that

February 10, 2018
Case
Reply

Will u keep kwaaayet say what u know

June 17, 2019
Bummy
Reply

Just finish making my bangs soup now, its so yummy. Thanks soon much.

August 2, 2017
Henrietta Ifeoma
Reply

Pls send me the recipe for urhobo banga rice and urhobo coconut rice

July 5, 2017
Angela
Reply

Pls can one use croacker fish or any fresh fish to cook your banga soup…and where can I get the ingredients in ph ??

May 23, 2017
Chinedu
Reply

Wow I enjoy ur recipe and I really want to get ur cooking book. I can I get it and pls do u mind me asking you few question

May 21, 2017
chidi anan
Reply

not at all, please call us on 08035051468.

May 23, 2017
orekoya Rita
Reply

Hi chy how can i get ur cookbook,pls i really need it,i’m in Akure.

September 12, 2016
Busayo
Reply

Thanks again for your efforts in helping our cooking. I’ve bought your cook book and it’s amazing. Please I want to know if one can substitute the powdered cocoyam for a fresh cocoyam that you’ll have to pound before using as a thickener. Thank you

August 28, 2016
Juliet
Reply

wow! thanks, I’ll try this recipe

August 17, 2016
Temmy
Reply

Hello Chidi, I have gotten the cook book and I’m glad I did. Its really an Ultimate Cook Book. Please I need recipe and steps on how to make white soup. I have cooked ofe owerri and Afang soup and they came out well. I want to try white soup as well. Thanks #souptour #chythebest

August 17, 2016
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Thanks. The recipe for nsala (white soup) is exactly on page 52 of the cookbook. Chidi

August 21, 2016
esther
Reply

Please am igbo what is irugege nd atiko in English or igbo. Love the receipe

July 15, 2016
Zainab Musa Mahmoud
Reply

I’m going to try this soup and i really love to have this book

July 11, 2016
Emamuzo
Reply

Wow! Chidi u are doing great.the beletete leaf is different from dried bitter leaf,they look alike but beletete is tasteless but has good aroma.we use both in preparing Delta Banga soup,u can also use little quantity of washed bitterleaf instead of dried one incase u like to see leaves in ur soup.Kudos Chidi

June 27, 2016
Glory Godwin
Reply

O my GOD,I love this soup .pls ma how can I get ur two cooking books, I really want to buy ,am in Abuja.I wish to be like u, and thanks for teaching us how to Cook.

June 24, 2016
ngozi racheal ekpunobi
Reply

I want to know how to do agidi please

June 17, 2016
Julie
Reply

Dear Chi,
 
Thank you for your recipe, I am from Delta so I cook banga soup and starch almost every time in my house and everybody loves it.
 
Thanks once again as I look forward to knowing how to prepare other delicious soups from you.

June 17, 2016
Akinwale olabimpe
Reply

Am not sure if I will comment but I have been trying to get the cooking book since and to pay on delivery, I stay in portharcort, rivers state. I have not gotten feedback yet. Please I need it so urgently.

June 15, 2016
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Our cookbooks are very easy to purchase. Just call 08035051468 or 08157668217, thanks.

June 15, 2016
Bola
Reply

I will need the cook book from Port Harcourt 08035012755

August 18, 2017
Deborah
Reply

Is there any remedy if the bitter leave added to the soup is too much

September 1, 2018
Chidi Anegbu

too much or too bitter?

September 3, 2018
Glorry
Reply

I am from Delta state. My mom does all the cooking and this is one of the best soup she does for the family. I would be getting married in few months time and dying to learn about these traditional foods. Thanks for the banga soup. I will try it and then get back to you.

June 15, 2016
ofonneka
Reply

Omg! I can’t believe it. This is so looking yummy. Pls where can I buy all these ingredients in Asaba? Well, I would probably ask around.

June 15, 2016

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