Owo Soup

Owo Soup is native to the Deltans. There are 2 kinds of Owo soup (that I know of); The regular one (the one featured in this recipe) and the one with beans (fondly called Owo beans). Today, I will making the regular Owo soup.

My mum cooks Owo soup almost every New Year’s Day or on special occasions. It is such a technical dish and has a lot of rules with the major rule been “Do not cover the soup”, covering it can makes the soup loosen thereby not getting the thick Owo soup consistency that it should have.

My mum has described how to make this soup so many times over the phone but for some reasons, I never get the correct measurement of the ingredients. It is always either too thick or too light and watery. (I think then, I cook with fear and self doubt knowing it won’t come out as it should. Not anymore though; Self doubt is never an option for me when cooking.) Owo soup wasn’t one of the meals I made or learnt at home and it wasn’t a staple meal in our home either, just for special occasion.

Sometime in late 2019, I asked my friend, Voke to teach/explain to me how to make this soup over WhatsApp text, she did but there weren’t any exact measurement for the ingredients and I never had time to try it.

(A little back story, most Africans recipes I know has no exact measurement, Africans usual measure with their eyes and how the consistency feels when you stir the food, so it made sense that both my mum and Voke’s didn’t have ingredients measurements for the recipes.)

Back to the step by step recipe Voke gave me, about a year after she gave me the recipe, during the lockdown (2020), I finally tried it. Using Voke’s step by step recipe, my food knowledge and past “history” with Owo soup, I came up with the absolute best Owo Soup I have ever made. It was delicious and tasted just like I remembered, like home. This is foolproof and easy to make Owo soup recipe. I have made this recipe several times since and it is a special occasion meal for me.

For someone who loves to explore and try new or old recipes, this is for you.

With Love, Bawo!

Owo Soup

A Deltan Classic Dish

• Dried Fish (Fresh Fish can be used as well, make sure to clean with boiled water, drain and set aside in a sieve. (See Note 1))
• Meat (cook with just salt and seasoning cube. Can use smoked turkey, beef, chicken, snail, goat meat, etc. You could combine any combo of proteins.)
• Periwinkle (Optional)
• 2½ – 3 Tbsp Potash ((Kanu) Grind and dissolve in 6 TBSP of water (See Note 2))
• 1 Cup Garri (Filter by sieving it. Mix in 3 cups of cold water and allow to sit (See Note 3))
• ½ to 1 Cup Palm Oil
• 4-5 TBSP Dried Cayenne Pepper
• 8 Cups Water (The water quantity will determine the quantity of the Soup)
• Seasoning Cube (To Taste)
• Salt (To Taste)

1. ***IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, YOU DO NOT COVER THE SOUP AT ANY POINT WHATSOEVER. DO NOT COVER THE SOUP!***

2. Pour water into a pot and place on medium heat.

   
   
   

3. Then add salt, pepper amd seasoning cube and allow to boil.

   
   
   

4. Then add the dried fish, meat (Do not use any meat stock), periwinkle, snail and allow to boil for about 10 mins.

   
   
   

5. Now add some of the soup on heat into the cold water soaked garri to loosen it into a very watery mixture, then add the watery garri mix back into the soup on heat.

   
   
   

6. Add your periwinklw and snail if using any or both

   
   
   

7. Stir, make sure there aren't any lumps and allow to boil for 10-15mins.

8. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

9. The soup should gradually start to thicken at this point. Keep stirring intermittently for 5-10mins.

10. Then add the palm oil and stir. Allow to boil, stirring intermittently.

    
    
    

11. After about 5-7mins, stir in the potash water and stir.

    
    
    

12. The soup should have thicken further at this point.

13. Allow to cook for about 10-15mins (or until the consistency is what you want), stir intermittently so it doesn't burn.

    
    
    

14. Then remove from heat

15. Enjoy with starch, eba, boil or roasted yam or plantain or any swallow

    
    
    

16. With Love, Bawo!

***Note 1: If using a fish that easily scatter/fall apart, add it after you add the potash same as if using a fresh fish (clean and pour hot boiled water in it, allow to sit for 10 mins and discard the water from the fish). *** 

***Note 2: Make sure the potash is grind smooth and there are no big pieces. Mix with water, allow to sit for about 5 mins and sieve. Only use the drained part.***

***Note 3: Filter the garri with a sieve, only use the very smooth part, the part you sieved out and discard the grainy/chaff part. ***

 

Main Course

Deltans

Soup

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @BawosKitchenJournal on Instagram and hashtag it #WithLoveBawo & #BawosKitchenJournal.