Ivorian Pasta Soup with Smoked Fish and Greens

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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.

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.

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