Bittas Soup (Bitter Leaf Soup)

Ingredients

• 300g fresh bitter leaves (or 100g dried bitter leaves, rehydrated)
• 500g beef chuck and/or cowfoot, cubed
• 150g smoked fish, soaked, deboned and flaked
• 50g dried/smoked shrimp, ground
• 1/2 cup (120ml) red palm oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers, blended
• 1 tbsp ogiri (fermented locust bean paste)
• 2 tbsp ground egusi or peanut butter (optional, for body)
• 2 Maggi cubes, salt to taste
• 800ml water or stock
• Rice, foofoo or pounded cassava, to serve

Method

1. 1

   Wash the bitter leaves: rub them with salt and rinse in several changes of cold water, squeezing hard each time, until the wash water runs from dark green to pale — this is what tames bittas from harsh to pleasantly bitter.

2. 2

   Simmer the beef (and cowfoot, if using) in 600ml water with salt, half a Maggi and a little onion for 50–60 minutes until tender. Reserve the broth.

3. 3

   Heat the palm oil in a pot. Fry the remaining onion, blended scotch bonnet and ogiri 5–7 minutes until the oil separates and the mixture smells nutty.

4. 4

   Add the smoked fish, ground dried shrimp, the meat and its broth. Simmer 10 minutes. If using egusi or peanut butter, whisk with a little broth and stir in now for body.

5. 5

   Add the washed, squeezed bitter leaves and top up to a soup consistency. Simmer on low 25–30 minutes — the leaves should turn very dark green and tender, never mushy.

6. 6

   Add the second Maggi cube. Cook until red palm oil clearly floats on the surface. Taste, adjust salt, and serve hot with rice, foofoo or pounded cassava.