Mbanga Soup

About This Recipe

Mbanga Soup (or Ofe Akwu in Nigeria) is a deeply satisfying palm nut soup that varies from village to village across Central and West Africa. In Equatorial Guinea, the soup is made with cracked palm nuts simmered to extract their creamy orange oil, then combined with smoked fish, crayfish, and leafy greens. It is thick, fragrant, and warming.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 400 mlcanned palm nut cream (or 500 g fresh palm nuts, boiled and strained)
• 300 gsmoked fish, flaked
• 2 tbspcrayfish powder
• 2scotch bonnet chillies, pricked
• 100 gfresh spinach or bitterleaf, chopped
• 1 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the palm base

   Pour palm nut cream into a pot, add 300 ml water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring to combine.

2. 2

   Add protein and spice

   Stir in smoked fish, crayfish powder, scotch bonnets, and salt. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. 3

   Add greens

   Stir in spinach or bitterleaf. Simmer a further 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Adjust and serve

   Remove scotch bonnets, adjust seasoning, and serve with bobolo, fufu, or steamed rice.

Variations

• •

  Add oxtail or chicken pieces for a meatier version.

• •

  Stir in a spoonful of ground egusi seeds for extra richness.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

Frequently Asked Questions