There are many recipes with interesting Nigerian soups. Some are spicy, and others are light. Some have meat, and others are vegetable meals. All traditional soups have one thing in common: they are all healthy and nutritious. Would you like to learn how to prepare atama soup with waterleaf?
Nigerian atama soup
What is atama? Atama is a plant. Its leaves can be found in many Nigerian yards. Many locals call it ‘bush apples’, the botanical name of atama leaves is ‘heinsia crinita.’
Atama soup is a tasty meal that reminds of traditional Igbo soup. It has amazing flavor, nice aroma, and can be made of different vegetables, waterleaf, and even extract from palm fruit. This soup can be a little spicy, but being a vegetable meal it is absolutely healthy, nutritious, tasty and original. You can use different ingredients and make this soup taste special every day.
This soup can be a little spicy, but being a vegetable meal it is absolutely healthy, nutritious, tasty and original. You can use different ingredients and make this soup taste special every day.
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How to prepare atama soup
Before you learn how to prepare atama soup, we will share this tip. Since the soup’s main ingredient is atama, you can preserve fresh leaves for future use by slicing them and drying in the sunlight. They can be kept in a box or bag until you decide to cook this famous Nigerian vegetable soup at home.
READ ALSO: How to cook Igbo vegetable soup?
Ingredients for atama soup
- Atama leaves (fresh or dry) – 1 good-sized leaf
- Meat (cow, goat etc.) – 500 grams
- Crabs or shrimps – to your taste
- Smoked fish – 1 piece
- Stockfish (anything) – 1 piece
- Crayfish – 1 cup
- Palm fruit – 3 cup
- Pepper (ground) – to your taste
- Spices (your choice) – to your taste
- Winkles – 2 cup
- Waterleaf – to your taste
- Seasoning cube – 4 pieces
- Salt – how you like it
- Cowskin (pomo or kpomo) – 1 piece
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More tips: you can replace crabs with snails if you want.
Guide on how to cook Nigerian vegetable soup
- Step 1. Our guide on how to prepare atama soup with waterleaf should start with some preparations. You have to be sure that atama leaves are ready to be cooked. Wash your leaves, cut them into small pieces, put into a bowl and cover with warm water. Carefully drain all the liquid and taste it. If you feel bitterness, repeat the rinsing part a couple of times.
- Step 2. Now take your palm fruit. Wash it and place into a pot. Cover it with water and place on the stove. You have to boil it for 12-15 minutes. Make it soft, remove the seeds. You need 2-3 cups of water. Boil it separately and add inside a clean bowl and place your fruit (without seeds) inside. Use a spoon to mix and squish everything. You will have to make sure fruit is sieved in a separate bowl. This is how you can get some palm juice. You will be using it later with your delicious soup.
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- Step 3. Take your winkles and cut them at tails. Add into another bowl and cover with salty water (you can also add a piece of lime). Do the same thing with crabs and kpomo if you are planning to add them to your meat and vegetable soup later on.
- Step 4. Start with meat. It has to be thoroughly washed with water and seasoned with enough salt, seasoning cubes, pepper, and spices. Take a pot, pour in water and place this meat along with stockfish. Cook this mixture for approximately 15 minutes.
- Step 5. Meanwhile, you can prepare your smoke fish. Wash it, remove all the insides and bones. Do not cook it just yet.
- Step 6. Now let us return to your meat for atama soup that has been cooking for 15 minutes already, as stated in Step 4. Place crabs, kpomo to the pot with meat and let everything cook for another 15 minutes.
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- Step 7. It is time to pour your palm juice inside this pot with meat. You need to add also your smoke fish and winkles inside this juicy mixture, letting it cook for 15 minutes more.
- Step 8. Make sure the soup isn’t thick (add more water, if needed) and also add a waterleaf now.
- Step 9. You are getting to the final stages of cooking this Nigerian vegetable soup, so put the rest of seasoning cubes, pepper and a bit of salt (if needed) into the pot. Keep it on low heat for approximately 5 minutes.
- Step 10. Put prepared atama leaf (from step 1) into the pot allowing it boiling for 2-3 minutes. Gently stir it for another 2-3 minutes.
- Step 11. Taste your atama soup and turn off the heat on the stove.
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- Step 12. Serve your amazing atama soup with waterleaf and have a delicious dinner.
By the way, it is possible to cook Nigerian vegetable soup in different ways. Use different ingredients for atama soup, and it will look awesome and taste incredible every time you prepare it.
READ ALSO: How to cook vegetable soup with ugu and waterleaf?
Source: Legit.ng
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