Recipes · Nigerian · Soups and Broths
Ofe Onugbu (Bitterleaf Soup)
One serving has 464 kcal and 27 g protein, and at least a fifth of a woman's daily need of vitamin K (394%), cobalamin (131%), vitamin C (126%), zinc (84%), manganese (59%) and selenium (56%). Ready in 55 minutes.

- Preparation: 15 min
- Cooking: 40 min
- Makes: 1 serving (461 g)
- Difficulty: Medium
- Diets: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Contains: beef, fish, shellfish, soy
Ingredients
- 60 g Malanga, raw
- 90 g Kale, raw
- 18 g Palm oil
- 80 g Beef chuck, raw
- 8 g Salt cod
- 12 g Shrimp, raw
- 25 g Onions, raw
- 3 g Chili peppers, red, raw
- 4 g Natto
- 0.5 g Salt
- 160 g Water
Method
- Peel and boil the cocoyam until soft, about 15 minutes, then mash it smooth; this will thicken the soup.
- If using fresh bitterleaf, wash and squeeze it in several changes of water until the bitterness softens; this kale stand-in just needs washing and shredding.
- Simmer the beef in the water with a pinch of the salt for 20 minutes until nearly tender.
- Stir in the palm oil, onion, chili and the fermented locust bean paste (ogiri or iru; natto is the closest catalog stand-in), then add spoonfuls of the mashed cocoyam to thicken; simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the salt cod (standing in for dried stockfish) and shrimp and simmer for 5 minutes until heated through.
- Stir in the shredded kale, simmer for just 3-4 minutes until tender, season with the remaining salt, and serve hot with a swallow such as pounded yam or garri.
Nutrition per serving
| Nutrient | Per serving | Share of a day's need |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 464 kcal | 22% |
| Carbohydrates | 21.3 g | |
| Water | 375 mL | |
| Fiber | 5.3 g | 18% |
| Protein | 27.4 g | 57% |
| Tryptophan | 0.27 g | |
| Threonine | 1.1 g | |
| Isoleucine | 1.1 g | |
| Leucine | 1.9 g | |
| Lysine | 2 g | |
| Methionine | 0.62 g | |
| Cystine | 0.26 g | |
| Phenylalanine | 0.96 g | |
| Tyrosine | 0.82 g | |
| Valine | 1.1 g | |
| Histidine | 0.82 g | |
| Fat | 31.4 g | |
| Monounsaturated | 12.3 g | |
| Polyunsaturated | 3.1 g | |
| Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA) | 0.04 g | |
| Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) | 0.01 g | |
| Omega-6 | 2.5 g | |
| Saturated | 13.9 g | |
| Trans-Fats | 0.68 g | |
| Cholesterol | 84.3 mg | |
| Calcium | 284 mg | 28% |
| Copper | 0.38 mg | 42% |
| Iron | 4.4 mg | 25% |
| Magnesium | 83.5 mg | 27% |
| Manganese | 1.1 mg | 59% |
| Phosphorus | 342 mg | 49% |
| Potassium | 1,159 mg | 25% |
| Selenium | 30.9 µg | 56% |
| Sodium | 899 mg | |
| Zinc | 6.7 mg | 84% |
| Thiamin (vitamin B1) | 0.26 mg | 24% |
| Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 0.51 mg | 46% |
| Niacin (vitamin B3) | 5.3 mg | 38% |
| Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 1.1 mg | 23% |
| Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) | 0.7 mg | 54% |
| Folate (vitamin B9) | 76.2 µg | 19% |
| Cobalamin (vitamin B12) | 3.1 µg | 131% |
| Choline | 79.5 mg | 19% |
| Vitamin A | 225 µg | 32% |
| Vitamin C | 94.1 mg | 126% |
| Vitamin D (D2 + D3) | 16.9 IU | 3% |
| Vitamin E | 3.8 mg | 26% |
| Vitamin K | 355 µg | 394% |
Shares of a day's need are for a woman of 30, 165 cm, 60 kg, lightly active, by the US and Canadian Dietary Reference Intakes. SustainBite works out each person's own needs, by the standard where they live: the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations in Norway, the UK's, EFSA's in the EU.
Climate footprint
3.5 kg CO2e a serving: higher than most main dishes on SustainBite. Source: ADEME, Agribalyse 3.2.
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