Name: Ivorian Pasta Soup with Smoked Fish and Greens
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 5 generous bowls
Cuisine: Ivorian
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons palm oil; 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 4 ripe tomatoes, blended into a smooth puru00e9e; 1 scotch bonnet pepper, pierced with a knife; 2 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 Maggi or chicken bouillon cube, crumbled; 1 tablespoon dried shrimp, optional; 1.5 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste; 8 cups (about 1.9 L) water or light fish stock; 300 g smoked mackerel or smoked catfish, skin-on; 1 small eggplant, cut into 1.5 cm cubes; 10 fresh okra pods, trimmed and sliced; 1 cup pumpkin or carrot, peeled and diced; 200 g dried ditalini or small shell pasta; 4 cups firmly packed baby spinach or amaranth leaves; 1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped; Juice of 1 lime

A beloved Ivory Coast street-food classic, this hearty pasta soup simmers small pasta shapes with smoked fish, eggplant, okra, and leafy greens in a richly seasoned tomato and palm oil broth. It's the kind of warming, deeply flavored one-pot meal Ivorians serve at home and from roadside stalls alike.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time55 mins

Servings5

Yield5 generous bowls

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

485 kcalCalories
16 gFat
4 gSaturated Fat
58 gCarbs
7 gFiber
9 gSugar
26 gProtein
780 mgSodium
820 mgPotassium
135 mgCalcium
4.5 mgIron
28 mgVitamin C
190 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the soup base

3 tablespoons palm oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 ripe tomatoes, blended into a smooth purée
1 scotch bonnet pepper, pierced with a knife
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 Maggi or chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, optional
1.5 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste
8 cups (about 1.9 L) water or light fish stock

For the vegetables, fish and pasta

300 g smoked mackerel or smoked catfish, skin-on
1 small eggplant, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
10 fresh okra pods, trimmed and sliced
1 cup pumpkin or carrot, peeled and diced
200 g dried ditalini or small shell pasta
4 cups firmly packed baby spinach or amaranth leaves
1 small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lime

Directions

Place the smoked fish in a wide bowl, cover with boiling water, and let it soak for 5 minutes to mellow the salt. Drain, flake into large chunks, and pinch out any visible bones; reserve the soaking water.
Heat the palm oil in a heavy pot over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic, ginger, and tomato paste and cook 2 more minutes until the paste turns brick-red and smells nutty.
Pour in the blended tomato, the reserved soaking water, and the 8 cups water or stock. Add the bay leaves, thyme, crumbled bouillon, dried shrimp if using, scotch bonnet, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer for 10 minutes to build the broth.
Add the eggplant and pumpkin (or carrot) and simmer 8 minutes until just tender. Stir in the okra and flaked smoked fish and cook 5 more minutes; the okra will lightly thicken the broth.
Drop in the pasta and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Taste and adjust salt, then fold in the spinach and parsley; cook just 1 minute until the greens wilt.
Remove the scotch bonnet and bay leaves, squeeze in the lime juice, and ladle the soup into warm bowls, making sure each gets a good portion of fish and vegetables. Serve hot with crusty bread or a side of fried plantain.

Cook’s Notes

Soaking the smoked fish briefly in hot water tames the saltiness without losing its smoky depth; skip this step and adjust salt at the end if your fish is very mild.
Palm oil gives the broth its signature deep orange color and earthy flavor, but a 50/50 mix of palm oil and vegetable oil is a perfectly acceptable substitute.
Pierce the scotch bonnet and leave it whole so it perfumes the broth without making it fiery; remove it before serving or break it open near the end if your crowd likes heat.
Cook the pasta just to al dente because it will keep softening in the hot broth as it stands; leftovers reheat best with a splash of water added.
Tradition calls for tiny broken vermicelli or any small dried pasta you have on hand, so feel free to swap in elbows, macaroni, or spaghetti snapped into short pieces.