Nigerian Ogbono Soup

Ogbono soup (draw soup) is one of the most popular soups in Nigeria. Here, you will learn how to make this delicious soup and why it falls into the list of Nigerian popular soups.

You will also find a video on making Nigerian Ogbono (ogbolo) soup at the bottom of this page.

While searching the web I have learned that there are over forty different soups that are eaten in Nigeria and there are probably about a hundred of other foods, the list would likely run into thousands if I counted both fruits.

Here we talked about the process involved in making Nigerian draw soup (ofe ogbono).

This soup is actually easy to prepare because almost all of its ingredients could be prepared by traders in the market, making it very easy for the cook.

Ogbono soup

What you find above is a delicious plate of ogbono soup, I used just a handful of uziza leaves

Although most people prefer this soup without leaves, I made the video below with bitter leaves. You can substitute different leaves for most Nigerian soups.

I can also make this soup with fluted pumpkin leaves. I have even eaten ogbolo soup that was made with uha leaves by my grandmother several years ago. So you can experiment wildly!

Ingredients for Ogbono (Draw) Soup

Here are all the ingredients for making Nigerian Ogbono soup, it would serve about 6×2 persons ( I could refrigerate the remainder for up to two weeks)
Assorted meat 1.5kg
2 cups of ogbono seeds
Stockfish head (medium size)
1 medium-size dry catfish
1 cup of crayfish (ground)
Fluted pumpkin (a bunch)
1 teaspoon of ogiri or ground dawadawa or okpei (local ingredients) (optional)
250ml of palm oil
salt and pepper to taste.

Serving: 6×3.

Ogbono Ingredients

From top: Stock fish head, ground ogbono seed, assorted meat, dried catfish and bitter leaves (Onugbu).

Assorted meat is always preferred above all other types of meats in Nigeria. This is just different parts of a cow, from the intestine to the tripe (shaki), kidney, liver, heart and also red meat (beef).

Like I stated above. This soup is very easy to prepare, you can grind/blend ogbono seeds with a blender or hand grinding machine. I can do this at home or use the service of the trader who sold it in the market (for people in Nigeria only).

Selecting the right Ogbono seed and other ingredients.

Most people don’t know the difference between the authentic and the fake ogbono seeds, the best approach would be to buy from a trusted trader. Although there is just very little difference between the two, the only difference is that one has better elasticity.

Another ingredient that has a direct effect on any Nigerian soup is the dry fish used, I like to use the round dry catfish.

We buy it in most Nigerian markets and African shops, if you can get your hands on a good one it tastes nice in soups

I made this soup with bitter leaves, boil the bitter leaves with water for ten to fifteen minutes. This technique would further reduce the bitter tastes and also soften the leaves.

Some people also add a little bit of edible potash just to hasten the whole process, but I highly advise against this practice because it can change the texture of your soup, decreasing the nutritional value.

Preparation

Soak the dry fish and stock fish with hot water for a few seconds, then wash.
Break the fish and remove the center bone.

Here is how to make Nigerian ogbolo or Ogbono soup.

Parboil your meat the normal way, with all the necessary ingredients (2 seasoning cubes, a teaspoon of salt, onions, a teaspoon of your favorite beef spice).

Ask them for beef spice at the grocery store or local market, there are different brands.

How to Cook Ogbono Soup

Add water to the meat after about ten minutes and cook till it is soft enough for consumption and the water is almost dried (just about 1 cup left), You will need to add 7 cups of water at this point.

Add the washed dry fish and stockfish, 250ml of palm oil, ground crayfish.

cooking ogbono soup
Stir, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Add salt and pepper to taste, add another seasoning cube, add the ground ogbono seeds, stir and cook for another five minutes.

making ogbono soup

Boiling Ogbono soup

Taste your soup. (you can add more salt, pepper or seasoning cube)

Add the vegetables.
add bitterleaves

Stir and allow to simmer for three minutes after adding the bitter leaves (as below).

You just made a very delicious Nigerian ogbono soup.

pot of ogbono soup

Video For Ogbono Soup

What you see above is the video for making Nigerian Ogbono soup, I had to list all the ingredients used as well as a step by step detailed instruction for making this delicious Nigerian soup, Enjoy!

Ogbono soup

Ogbono soup | How to Cook Ogbono soup

Chef Chidi
Ogbono soup is unarguably one of the most popular Nigerian soup. With this recipe and ingredients, you could cook draw soup for 12 persons.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Nigerian soups
Cuisine Nigerian Cuisine
Servings 12 People
Calories 424 kcal

Equipment

  • Pots

Ingredients
  

  • 1.5 KG assorted meat
  • 2 cups ogbono seeds
  • 200 Stockfish head
  • 1 medium-size dry catfish
  • 1/2 cup ground crayfish
  • Fluted pumpkin a bunch
  • 1 teaspoon of ogiri or ground dawadawa or okpei local ingredients (optional)
  • 250 ml of palm oil
  • salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions
 

  • Wash the dried fish and stockfish and set aside.
  • Season the meat with a teaspoon of salt, onions and two seasoning cubes. Allow to boil, then cook till it becomes tender.
  • Once the meat is well cooked and the water is almost dried, add 5-7 cups of water to it.
  • Add the cleaned dried fish and stockfish, 250ml of palm oil, ground crayfish.
  • Stir and allow to boil for 10 minutes
  • Add salt and pepper to taste, add another seasoning cube, add the ground ogbono seeds, stir and cook for another five minutes.
  • Remember to stir in-between so you don't let it burn.
  • Taste your soups and add salt to taste.
  • Add the vegetables (bitter leaves or flute pumpkin)
  • Stir and allow to simmer for three minutes after adding the bitter leaves.
  • Serve Ogbono soup with Eba, fufu or semo.

Video

Keyword Draw soup, Ofe Ogbono, Ogbono soup

Compare other Nigerian soups

Okra soup in Nigeria

Return to All Nigerian Foods

88 Comments

Eric Paul
Reply

Thanks much Ma’am 😍

June 11, 2024
David Osagie
Reply

5 stars
I just cook a delicious ogbolo soup mixed with okra today, it’s the first time I cook ogbolo soup, very delicious.
Thanks to everyone who made this happen.

February 11, 2020
Aminat
Reply

I love it because it is a native food which contain all ingredients that is useful for body

October 9, 2019
Lilian
Reply

Great! I love this, thanks Chidi

June 15, 2019
Lucia chinonye offor
Reply

Nice i also make mine same way and somtimes i do add okro

June 15, 2019
Alice
Reply

Tanx dear for ur fine ogbonno soup recipe. . Please keep sending more recipe to. me. God bless u..

June 14, 2019
tamar
Reply

Kudos to u dear for this lovely ogbono soup,now am good to go for this soup,now planning to know more of Nigerian soup,My husband said are u sure you made this soup yourself or u employ expert to cook for u(a Yoruba woman) ,unknown to him that my secret is from you,Thanks dear,awaiting for more.

April 30, 2019
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Thanks for your feedback dear.

May 1, 2019
Celynez
Reply

This is perfect. I love your recipes, I use them to improve my cooking and most times I wonder if I’m actually the one who cooked the food because it tastes perfect. Thank you soon much for your wonderful recipes

April 4, 2019
Matty
Reply

You just helped me make the best ogbonno soup ever.

February 23, 2019
Emperor
Reply

You made mention of ingredients like ogiri but in the process of preparation i never knew when you added it

October 29, 2018
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

just before you add the ground ogbono seeds.

October 31, 2018
Obute Juliet Chinenye
Reply

Thank you so much ma, i really appreciate.

October 16, 2018
Folashade
Reply

Thank so much for this recipe, but pls you have not answer my question on bitter leaf soup.
Thanks a bunch.

June 11, 2018
Chef Chidi
Reply

Whats the question about, thanks for your comment.

June 11, 2018
Ajayi Anabel
Reply

Thanks I must say u’r a good cook…I will try it but will add okro to it thanks a million.

April 10, 2018
Becky
Reply

Thank u for the video I love the Nigeria because am a Yoruba girl but what I see is inside this ogbono soup there is no pepper

March 13, 2018
MarvQ
Reply

It’s nice but in this very video, there was no where pepper was added to the soup. Or do they not cook Ogbono-soup with Pepper?

August 18, 2017
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Lol, pls check the recipe again.

August 23, 2017
habby
Reply

Thanks so much for the recipe. Pls is the pepper a blended dry pepper

June 30, 2017
fellykimara
Reply

Wow I just made it now…it was superb

January 27, 2017
Nkay
Reply

I used goat meat and it was fine.. thanks for the recipe

December 17, 2016
charlotte bester
Reply

hi i am making this next week for my partner and he wants me to use goat meet
meats i will be using shaki dry cratfish and stockfish i was wondering if you can help. how do i cook the goat meet beofre hand to put it in the ogbono when i am preparing it. thankyou

December 2, 2016
Esther
Reply

i like your cooking method ma.since you love daddawa aroma i would like to introduce you to my arewa special made you will like it too i make it and sale.

November 9, 2016
Adenike Fowosere
Reply

I like dis site… It really help

October 1, 2016
Olayinka
Reply

I will give this a trial. Thanks for the good job you are doing

July 16, 2016
Blessed Akajiaku
Reply

what does dawadawa actually do in soups? and it hardly dissolves

July 16, 2016
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

We just love the aroma of dawadawa, you grind it before adding it @ Akajiaku

July 18, 2016
Urge Offor
Reply

The method is fantastic. I am following it to cook my ongoing soup now

July 2, 2016
Glory Godwin
Reply

I love edikaiong and okor soup, they are very sweet. U
And urcur making me to be hungry, keep it on.

June 24, 2016
Adeola
Reply

Please can you make a video of this?

June 13, 2016
funmi
Reply

Awesome. Keep the good work up. Will try this tonight…..

June 1, 2016
rameed
Reply

My favorite draw soup. Prefer mine with okro and ukwu. Atime, I add small egusi. Very delicious, the more the variety of ingredient, d better d taste

May 5, 2016
Elizabeth
Reply

Your site is very informative. In making my ogbolo soup I add okro

April 20, 2016
jummy
Reply

Been wanting to make this soup particularly; now I can try. Thanks chy

April 13, 2016
Mrs. Feyi Tijani
Reply

Chidi, u are one in a million. Your ogbono recipe is awesome. Keep it up. Mind you I love the egusi soup most. But as a typical Lagosian when I cook ogbono I love to add crab and Shaw’s. The yorubas will know what I mean by Shawa and Crabs after adding the offal. Chidi keep up the good cooking.

April 12, 2016
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

ok, thanks for your comment.
Chidi

April 12, 2016
Temitayo
Reply

I use to heat the palm oil and dissolve the ogbono before cooking it. Thanks a million for this site I’m loving it. I’ve also tried your fried rice recipe but I use tumeric in place of curry and it was fantastic. I love you Chidi

March 24, 2016
sharifat
Reply

it is delicious in deed. but my problem is that here in north we don’t have much leaves.

March 5, 2016
Uche Obadike
Reply

It seems like each ingredient has its own time to be added in the soup while preparation is going on. Sounds like mathematics to me.I always shove everything inside at once and go my way.No wonder my mother calls my soup cut and nail.Am I not right to think that cooking is a woman’s thing?.Now I know why my wife’s and my sister’s soups tastes a lot better than mine.Sometimes I force myself to eat my own It seems like each ingredient has its own time to be added in the soup while preparation is going on. Sounds like mathematics to me.I always shove everything inside at once and go my way.No wonder my mother calls my soup cut and nail.Am I not right to think that cooking is a woman’s thing?

February 27, 2016
magravine
Reply

Chidi you rock! I have been enjoying your recipes. Keep it up and God bless you

February 26, 2016
Osaro
Reply

Nice one Chidi,

You should not use onions to boil your meat when making ogbolo soup, cos onion reduces the elasticity by the time it’s cool.

Osaro
Edo woman

February 26, 2016
tina edith tetteh
Reply

to know d good ogolo seed, wen u pick a handul, its fresh and a bit cloudy but d bad ones are old and dark. I use to prepare my ogbolo this. way till I met my friend and neighbor. she puts d ogbolo in. a. plate add plenty oil and stir while. meshing it too. den she heats it til everything dissolves. then she pours it to d boiling meat on fire. u will love it. very elastic…..

February 26, 2016
sophy
Reply

nice one katie. a true daughter of the edo soil

February 25, 2016
sophy
Reply

hi chy. you are indeed a good cook. nice recipe for ogbono soup. its actually one of my tribal soup. its well enjoyed with pounded yam or soft eba. keep it up

February 25, 2016
lizzy
Reply

I am madly in love with draw soup. I made ogbolo soup yesterday even my Hubby loved it.

February 25, 2016
ujunwa
Reply

I will try ur method of ogbono soup chy

February 25, 2016
Don-Harry
Reply

Bravoo Madam Chidi.. U just hit the point and easy for a beginner to comprehend ..
Uh lala the soup taste yummy

February 25, 2016
val
Reply

for the lady who wanted a recipe on bread, u can do chicken mayo sandwich. after u have boiled ur chicken with all d seasons, u blend and then mix with mayonnaise. u can add some bits of fresh parsley leaves, salt to tase and black pepper. spread d mixture on ur bread and ur sandwich is good to go

October 24, 2015
helen gideon emmanuel
Reply

Ogbono can dissolve smoothly in hot water also: just add it to the pot of boiling meat and give it a few seconds while turning it at the same time and that will do.

August 27, 2015
Temitope
Reply

Nice and easy method of cooking ogbono but i did not see you add pepper in the video, i guess it was an oversight though it was mentioned as one of the ingredients.

July 31, 2015
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

You can add the pepper at any point in time, from when you added crayfish to when you added the leaves.

July 31, 2015
Damilola
Reply

Have bin eager to make assorted ogbono soup for my husband all dis while but I ve no idea of how to go about it. Am rily about dis procedures. A big tnx to the Nigerian kitchen.

July 13, 2015
DOREEN
Reply

Can I Add Dawadawa After Putting Everytin?

May 30, 2015
Sandra
Reply

Yes…i always add to mine….buh i prefer the steer fry method…where i fry the ogbono first to bring out the nutty aroma n flavor!

April 18, 2019
Kelechi
Reply

I love this soup too. But, egusi has to be my favorite.

April 1, 2015
horlahmidey
Reply

I always love all ur recipes cos it gives me more about Nig native soup……….I WANT SOME MORE

March 5, 2015
victoria
Reply

thank you so much for the recipes u have been sending to me> its helped me a grate deal. now i can make other Nigerian native soups.

am doing well now.

thanks to you.

February 26, 2015
OSAMAGBE
Reply

Wow! i love Ogbono soup. i combine with okra and stew… its super delicious with Amala.

February 25, 2015
olubunmi
Reply

this soup is super i will try it tonight
thank you i have learn another style of cooking ogbon soup.

February 25, 2015
naomi
Reply

my honey boy loves ogbono soup alot. i prepare exactly your way. he eats it in the morning n evening. chy u rock! keep it up!

February 24, 2015
blossom
Reply

I like the soup so much,I add uziza either the seed or the leaves,it adds ts own taste.

January 20, 2015
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Yes blossom, I do add uziza too

January 25, 2015
Imoh stev
Reply

wen will dawadawa(okpei) b added to d soup

December 20, 2014
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Just before you add ogbono.

December 22, 2014
esther
Reply

I dissovle ♍Ɣ ogbone in warm palm oil how abt dat

August 7, 2014
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

That too would do, thanks @ Esther.

August 9, 2014
Yinka
Reply

Lovely Ogbono soup, this is exactly how I make mine,except that I use red meat and
ponmo,can’t wait to try it with assorted meat.I’m yoruba but I love
varieties,that’s what most ladies fail to realise,don’t just feed your
husband with eba and egusi all the time,lol.looking forward to
learning more from you and thanks you’re doing a wonderful job.God bless you real good.

June 30, 2014
kolawola Aderonke
Reply

Can I cover the soup after pouring d ogbono?

May 30, 2014
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Sure, Kola, you can cover the pot after adding the ogbono. However, in my case, I don’t completely cover the pot, just half way.

May 31, 2014
moji
Reply

I lov this site.I must say u r doin a great job.I’m goin to try ogbono today.I cooked edikaikong few days ago,my husbnd enjoyed it wt pounded yam.tks a million

February 26, 2014
lizzy
Reply

never you cover your pot of ogbono soup, either when cooking it,or when warming it. cos it will lose its drawness later when its cold

February 23, 2014
katie
Reply

Liking the site!! Ogbono soup is our traditional soup we don’t cover the soup after u put your ogbonor so the soup doesn’t get watery and lose ability to draw well y dishing,so pls don’t cover ur draw soup…..proudly Edo

February 4, 2014
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Katie, I like your name. Thanks for the tip

February 6, 2014
Chidi Anegbu
Reply

Hello Mrs Obi, thanks for your comment.

February 2, 2014
mrs Obi
Reply

Just made this oooo! Hubby swallowed a morsel of Eba n said this is World Cup Qualified! Lol! Cnt wait to cook ofe Akwu for him cos I haven’t cooked it for him since we met. Pls is there sandwish recipe? We love bread toast a lot but need other ideas other than sardine n tomatoes sandwish.
This site rockz!

October 8, 2013
Mrs evans
Reply

Nice….will try

May 25, 2020
Mr Joyce
Reply

Ogbono soup is also my favorite Nigerian soup and I am not alone on that, my family tOo! We make more of this soup than any other Nigerian soup. And yes I like a combination of ogbono and okra but my hubby seem to have issues with soup combos, he like straight soups, no combination.

October 8, 2013
Yoruba Boy
Reply

I like ogbono soup and amala, I am a confirm yoruba guy, that is the best.

August 9, 2013
Joyce
Reply

I also like to make acombination of ogbolo and a little quantity of Okra, that way it taste more delicious. This is one of my favorite soups and I like to enjoy it with garri (eba).

August 9, 2013
Happiness
Reply

I like my own ogbono fried I cook with bitter leaf and I like eating it with pounded yarm so delicious

June 14, 2020
The Nigerian Kitchen
Reply

Please I would love to see your comments below; how do you eat Ogbono soup? Do you like to blend with egusi or even stew
Thanks

July 28, 2013
Sabdat
Reply

I prepare it same way as u do Bt I add okro in mine. Weldone.

October 5, 2017
Helen
Reply

I blend with egusi together in the pot since plain ogbonno is not my thing.

September 20, 2018
Joseph
Reply

Abeg come cook for me

September 30, 2021
Blessing wisdom
Reply

Thank you I learn something today my husband like ogbolo very well

June 14, 2019
N G
Reply

can you teach more on how to identify the good ogbono

May 30, 2021
Yetunde
Reply

Yes! Finally, here is my favorite Nigerian soup. I am a Yoruba woman and as you know, we eats lots of draw soups, Ogbono is one of them. Ewedu is also there.

July 28, 2013

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