Bitter leaf soup is a popular, traditional soup enjoyed by different tribes in Nigeria. It can be eaten with various fufu dishes and is so healthy and satisfying!
Chop the onions and blend the tomatoes, red bell pepper, and habanero pepper with very little water.
If using frozen bitter leaf, let it thaw out for an hour or microwave to thaw it out quickly. Rinse under running water and drain.
If using fresh bitter leaf, wash thoroughly in plenty of water, with a little salt, till it runs clear.
Heat some palm oil in a pot and add some onions.
Let the onions sauté for a minute or two.
Pour in the blended tomatoes and cook for 5 mins.
Add your meat, smoked fish, spices, and beef stock, and simmer for a few minutes.
Then, add the ground egusi seeds and stir.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 mins.
Add bitter leaf and stir together.
Cook on medium-low heat till the bitter leaf is wilted.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
This soup serves 8 and contains 2 net carbs per serving.
To save time, I used beef that was already cooked for this soup. If you need to cook the beef from scratch, add an additional 40 minutes to the total cook time.
You don't have to use beef. Other great options are goat meat, chicken, or fish. You can mix and match and include offal meat like liver or chicken hearts.
Add less stock if you want your soup thicker. Add more if you want it a bit more watery.
You can use a little water if you don't have any stock, but you will need to add more spices.