Okro Soup with Shrimp and Spinach (Nigerian Okra Soup)
Recipe by Jazzmine Woodard
Dash of Jazz
Prep: 5 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 4
Ingredients
3 maggi cubes or bouillon cubes, divided
½ pound smoked turkey leg or wings
½ tablespoon crushed red pepper optional
sea salt to taste
water
½ pound smoked fish
½ pound shrimp
1 red bell pepper
½ onion
1 pound okra fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons palm oil
¼ cup crayfish
black pepper to taste
1 ½ cup spinach fresh and chopped or frozen and thawed
Instructions
Cooking the turkey
Crush maggi cubes into powder form and add one third to a small saucepan with turkey, crushed red pepper, and salt.
Pour in enough water to cover the turkey and cook over medium heat for about thirty minutes.
This step can be done more quickly in a pressure cooker, if needed.
When finished cooking, shred turkey meat from the bone and set aside.
Reserve two cups of the cooking water. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining soup ingredients.
Soup Ingredient Prep
Debone and wash the dried fish thoroughly and set aside. Remove shells and tails from shrimp and clean.
Cut onion and bell pepper into chunks and pulse in a blender or food processor to form a puree.
Wash okra, pat dry, and divide in half. With one half, cut off and discard the tops then slice the okra into thin rounds. Set aside.
Add remaining okra to a blender or food processor with a splash of water and pulse until a puree forms (about 20 seconds). The puree should be very thick and sticky. This is good!
Cooking the soup
Add palm oil to a large pot over medium-high heat and warm it through (about two minutes). Add onion and pepper puree to hot oil and cook until fragrant and slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).
Add turkey meat, reserved cooking water, smoked fish, remaining crushed maggi, and crayfish to pot and stir to combine.
Reduce heat to medium and vigorously stir in okra puree until uniform. The puree will meld with the other ingredients the more you stir it and the more it warms up.
Add in sliced okra and shrimps. Cook until shrimps are opaque and have a bright coral color (about three minutes).
Taste the soup then add salt and pepper to preference.
Stir in the spinach, breaking up any chunks, then soup remove from heat and serve.
Notes (From the Recipe Creator)
Grab a sharp knife and cutting board to prepare your produce. I slice okra by hand for soup but you can also use a mandolin or food processor. You'll also need a blender or food processor to puree some of the okra. Pull out both a large pot and a small saucepan, as well as a wooden cooking spoon.
How to store? Refrigerate extra okro soup in an airtight container. It will keep for up to seven days this way.
Can I freeze it? Alternatively, you can freeze okro soup for up to three months. I recommend dividing into serving size portions in freezer bags or airtight containers for easy reheating.
About The Recipe Creator
Jazzmine Woodard is the Houston-based recipe developer and creator behind Dash of Jazz, which she launched in 2015. Growing up in a multicultural family with a Black American mother and Nigerian Yoruba father, Jazzmine’s food reflects the flavors and traditions that shaped her, from the American Soul Food she learned in her grandmother’s kitchen to the Nigerian dishes taught by her aunt. Today, she creates flavorful, approachable recipes designed for busy home cooks, combining cultural inspiration, everyday ingredients and plenty of fun along the way.
We’re featuring Jazzmine because food can nourish us while also connecting us to culture, family and each other. Her recipes bring together the flavors of her Black American and Nigerian heritage with practical ideas for getting a good meal on the table when life is busy. We especially love that she respects the time, energy and money that go into preparing food while still making room for flavor and fun. Her recipes are an invitation to make everyday meals feel a little more meaningful. More recipes can be found on Dash of Jazz.