Nigerian Ora Leaf Soup with Assorted Meats and Stockfish

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Ofe Ora is a beloved Igbo soup built on tender ora leaves (often swapped with waterleaf), nutty palm oil, and a generous medley of slow-simmered meats and dried fish. The greens give the broth a gentle, mucilaginous body without any added thickener, while ground crayfish and fermented locust bean add deep, earthy umami. Served with pounded yam, fufu, or boiled plantain, it is everyday Igbo comfort food.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 465 kcalCalories
• 28 gFat
• 9 gSaturated Fat
• 8 gCarbs
• 2 gFiber
• 2 gSugar
• 42 gProtein
• 780 mgSodium
• 720 mgPotassium
• 140 mgCalcium
• 6 mgIron
• 18 mgVitamin C
• 210 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the proteins

• 500 g assorted beef cuts (shaki/tripe, cow foot, and beef chunks)
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 200 g dried stockfish (okporoko), soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
• 150 g smoked dried fish (mangala or panla), cleaned and deboned
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more to taste

For the soup base

• 300 g fresh ora leaves (or substitute waterleaf or tender amaranth greens), washed and finely shredded
• 1/2 cup red palm oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 scotch bonnet or ata rodo peppers, blended smooth
• 3 tablespoons ground crayfish
• 1 tablespoon ogiri Igbo (or dawadawa/iru), mashed to a paste
• 2 Maggi or Knorr seasoning cubes
• 1 teaspoon dried bitter leaf (onugbu), optional for extra aroma

Directions

1. Place the assorted beef, tripe, cow foot, quartered onion, and coarse salt in a large pot, cover with water, and parboil for 20-25 minutes until the tougher cuts are about halfway tender.
2. Add the soaked stockfish and smoked fish to the pot and continue to simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the meats are fork-tender and the broth is richly flavored; top up with a little hot water only if the liquid reduces too far.
3. Pour in the palm oil and bring the pot to a gentle boil, stirring so the oil melts into the broth and turns the liquid a deep orange-red.
4. Stir in the chopped onion, blended scotch bonnet, ground crayfish, mashed ogiri, seasoning cubes, and dried bitter leaf if using; simmer uncovered for 6-8 minutes so the flavors marry.
5. Add the shredded ora leaves (or waterleaf) and stir well; the greens will wilt quickly and release their natural mucilage, which gently thickens the soup without any starch.
6. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then simmer for 4-5 more minutes, keeping the soup loose rather than dry as it will continue to thicken slightly off the heat.
7. Serve hot in deep bowls alongside pounded yam, eba, fufu, or boiled unripe plantain, with an extra spoonful of palm oil floating on top.

Cook’s Notes

• If true ora leaves are unavailable, waterleaf (mmiri ngwo) or finely shredded young amaranth greens are the most faithful substitutes; spinach works in a pinch but adds far less natural body.
• Do not add the greens until the very end of cooking, as prolonged simmering dulls their fresh color and grassy flavor.
• Parboil the tripe and cow foot separately first if you want a clearer, less greasy broth.
• A teaspoon of achi or cocoyam paste can be stirred in at the end for a slightly thicker soup if your ora leaves were older and less mucilaginous.

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