Otong Soup (Okra Soup. Efik Style) Surf and Turf

IMG_7492 (3)Otong soup also known as Okra soup to most is one of Nigeria’s most delicious delicacies.

We Nigerians call it “Okro”.  Apart from this soup being easy to make, may be it is the deliciousness of the way we pronounce it that makes it taste so great 🙂

The Efiks know this soup as Otong soup. The Yoruba’s know it as Ila asepo, the Igbos call it “Okuru” and the rest of us know it simply as Okra 🙂

Otong as it is mostly called and made by the Efik people has Ugu i.e. Pumpkin leaves and Uziza leaves(piper guineense) , a spicy leaf as part of the ingredients that go in the soup

I like to chop my Okra by hand, but you may use a chopper if it is easier for you.

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Just as with Ogbono ie Apon soup, my ajebutters love a well prepared okra soup. Ajebutter two ate his with his two hands 🙂

For this recipe, other vegetables can be used to replace the Ugu leaves. I have tried Spinach and Water leaves i.e. Water cress before and it was very yum yum 🙂

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Originally and traditionally, this recipe does not call for bell pepper, but my ajebutter1 who loves to cook too could not chop the Habaneros due to it’s heat, so I had her chop a bell pepper to make make believe that she was chopping a Habanero. We could not waste it, so I added it for color. So, please feel free to leave it out

Here is an easy and simple recipe for you

Otong Soup(Okra Soup)
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
for meat
  • half lb of meats
  • 1tbsp of dry grounded pepper
  • 2 tbsps. of dry grinded crayfish
  • salt to taste
  • Bouillon
for soup
  • 1lb and a half of fresh okra
  • one bouillon cube(optional)
  • salt to taste
  • 2 cooking spoons of palm oil
  • 2 table spoons of dry grinded crayfish
  • 1lb of fresh prawns
  • 2 broken and prepared raw crabs
  • 1lbmussels
  • 1tbsp chopped Uziza(you may use a spicy curry leaf)
  • 1 handfull of spinach, Ugu(pumpkin leaves) or water leaves(any vegetable works)
  • 3 habanero pepper (Ata-rodo) (chopped)
  • I large red bell pepper(chopped) (very optional)
  • salt to taste
Instructions
  1. wash your okra under running water in a sieve and chop them into any size you want
  2. Dump your seafood in a bowl of luke warm water and vigorously wash with salt. Repeat the process 3 more times and drain (make sure to thoroughly hand wash the mussels and remove any impurities)
  3. In a soup pot, wash and season the meats with salt, the bouillon,crayfish and some dry grounded chili pepper. Pour some water to the level of the meats and let it cook until tender.
  4. Roughly chop the habanero pepper and red bell pepper and pour along with the crayfish into the cooked meats.
  5. Let the peppers cook for about 5minutes
  6. Add the washed seafood and oil and cook until the prawns are pink and the mussels have opened up (discard any un opened mussel)
  7. Pour in the Okra and vegetable along with the uziza and stir. If the soup is too thick, add a little water. Check for seasonings and let the soup cook unconvered for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover. the trapped heat will cook the okra completely

 

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