*Nsala Soup* aka "White Soup" 🔥
This is that Igbo soup that’s peppery, light, and has no palm oil. Perfect with pounded yam, garri, or fufu. It’s called "native soup" because of the uziza and achi/cocoyam thickness.
Here’s how to make it the proper way:
*Ingredients - Serves 4-5 people*
*For the stock:*
- *Assorted meat*: Beef, goat meat, or stockfish + dry fish
- *2-3 big stock cubes* - Maggi/Chef
- *1 tbsp ground pepper* - nsala is meant to be spicy
- *Salt* to taste
- *1 medium onion* - sliced
- *2 tsp grated ginger* - optional but gives kick
*For thickness + flavor:*
- *Cocoyam*: 8-10 pieces, boiled and pounded OR *Achi/Offor* powder: 3-4 tbsp
- *Utazi leaves*: small handful, shredded - for slight bitterness
- *Uziza leaves*: 1 handful, shredded
- *Uziza seeds*: 1 tsp, ground - this is the "nsala" signature taste
- *Lemon grass*: 1 stalk, tied in knot - optional but authentic
*Step by Step Preparation*
*1. Cook the meat stock*
1. Wash your meat, stockfish, dry fish. Put in pot.
2. Add chopped onion, salt, 2 stock cubes, pepper, and a little water. No plenty water o.
3. Boil for 20-30 mins until meat is soft. Add stockfish and dry fish halfway so they don’t scatter.
4. Taste the stock. It should be very flavorful because this is what carries the soup.
*2. Thicken the soup*
You have 2 options:
_Option A: Cocoyam method - Traditional_
1. Boil cocoyam separately until soft. Pound in mortar or mash well.
2. Add small lumps of the pounded cocoyam into the boiling meat stock. Stir and let it dissolve to thicken the soup.
_Option B: Achi method - Faster_
1. Mix achi powder with a little warm water to make paste.
2. Pour into the boiling stock. Stir for 5 mins until it thickens. Achi gives that stretchy texture.
*3. Add the "Nsala" flavor*
1. Add ground uziza seeds and lemon grass. Let it boil for 3 mins. This is what gives nsala its unique aroma.
2. Add the remaining stock cube and adjust salt/pepper.
3. Add shredded utazi leaves. Let it boil for 1 minute only so it keeps that green color and slight bitter taste.
4. Add shredded uziza leaves last. Turn off fire after 30 seconds. We don’t want to overcook the leaves.
*Pro Tips*
1. *No palm oil at all* - If it has oil, it’s not nsala 😅
2. *Pepper is key* - Nsala should make your nose run. Add more ground pepper if you like heat.
3. *Don’t overcook the leaves* - Add utazi and uziza last so they stay fresh and green
4. *Stock must be rich* - Use assorted meat + stockfish for that deep taste
*What to eat it with*
Pounded yam, semo, fufu, or garri. Nsala + pounded yam is the best combo.
You’ll be sweating from the pepper but you won’t stop eating 😂
You must be logged in to post a comment.