Recipe and Health benefits of Bitter leaf soup (ofe onugbu)
A staple food in the Eastern part of Nigeria that has spread to other cultures – bitter leaf soup popularly called Ofe onugbu in Igbo language is a soup to eat and add to your menu because it is not only delicious but has numerous health benefits. The recipes are quite affordable and very easy to cook.
All you need to do is read this article and you are good to go..
Bitter leaf soup is a Nigerian dish with the base ingredient being bitter leaf, it can be taken with/served with:
#garri/eba
#semovita
#fufu or
#wheat
#Pounded yam
#Tuwo
How to cook Bitter leaf soup – recipe for bitter leaf soup (Ofe Onugbu)
According to Lagosmums:
“Ingredients
- 1 Pound of Beef
- 1/2 pound of Shaki (Beef Tripe)
- 4 medium pieces of cowfoot
- 2 small stockfish pieces
- 1 small dry fish
- 1/2 cup of crayfish
- 7 small chunks of cocoyam (boiled)
- 1.5 cups of washed bitter leaves (chopped)
- 1.5 cooking spoons of palm oil
- 1 teaspoon of Ogiri (fermented oil seeds)
- Seasoning cubes
- 2 pieces of small yellow pepper chopped (habanero)
- 1 tablespoon of crayfish powder
Directions/Method
1. Season and boil all your meats and stockfish.
2. Pound the boiled cocoyam till smooth. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, you can use a blender or food processor to help you grind till smooth.
3. Add the dry fish and crayfish pieces to the pot of meats once they have softened and the chopped pepper and allow to boil for another 5minutes.
4. Add the ogiri into the pot at this stage. Please note that the strong smell of the ogiri will eventually minimize and be masked by the other ingredients.
5. Pour in the palm oil and scoop the cocoyam paste in little balls into the pot. Sprinkle the crayfish powder.
6. Add the washed bitter leaf to the pot and allow to simmer for an additional 3-5 minutes. Serve with any swallow of your choice.”
Bitter leaf soup can be cooked with water leaf or mixed with egusi.
Health benefits of Bitter leaf soup (Ofe onugbu)
Here are four reasons you should consider cooking ofe onugbu as your next soup.
1. Assist with blood glucose management
In an ironic twist of fate it seems like natural products with bitter in their names are exceptional in diabetes management or conditions caused by poor glucose control. Its is known to help kickstart sluggish insulin synthesis thereby improving insulin action, so that the body can take up glucose more effectively.
2. It’s a very effective laxative It has been used for centuries across Africa as a laxative.
Taking bitter leaf soup may help soften your stool and relieve constipation. Because of extra fibre,and compounds present in the leaf.
3. Help to reduce blood pressure
Bitterleaf has a positive in influence on blood pressure, thanks to the high level of potassium it contains.
4. Effective antioxidant
Bitter leaf contains some essential vitamins and minerals that helps mop up dangerous radicals called reactive oxygen species from the body system. It therefore keeps us healthy.
5. Enhances fertility
Studies have shown that bitter leaf helps promote ovulation, improves libido and helps in the revitalization of sexual organs especially in women who are finding it difficult to conceive. Bitter leaf promotes ovarian health and improves the male erections.
6. Improves prostate health
7. Good of bowel detoxification
8. A fantastic vegetable for diabetics
9. Helps nourish the skin.
10. It increases breastmilk production and milk let down in nursing mothers.
Sources:
Lagosmums
