Banga Soup (Niger Delta Palm Nut Soup)
In short: A rich orange Niger Delta soup of palm nut pulp, spices, fish and beef, simmered until glossy with red oil and eaten with starch or rice. It takes about 1 h 35 min in total and makes 6 servings.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 1 h 15 min
- Total
- 1 h 35 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 350 kcal
Banga soup is the pride of the Niger Delta, cooked by the Urhobo, Itsekiri and Ijaw peoples among others. Fresh palm fruits are boiled and pressed into a rich orange pulp, which becomes the base of a peppery soup with fish, meat and aromatic spices. Outside Nigeria, canned palm nut concentrate is a handy shortcut. The finished soup is thick, glossy with red palm oil, and traditionally eaten with starch, a cassava swallow, or with rice.
Instructions
- Put the beef, chopped onion, bouillon cube, salt and 600 ml (2 1/2 cups) water in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 40 minutes until tender. Keep the stock.
- Stir the palm nut concentrate into the 500 ml (2 cups) of hot water in a large pot until smooth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes, stirring now and then, until red oil rises to the surface.
- Add the spice mix, onion, scotch bonnets and crayfish. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the beef with 250 ml (1 cup) of its stock, plus the drained dried fish. Simmer for 10 minutes more.
- Lay the fish chunks on top, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until opaque and flaking. Avoid stirring hard so the pieces stay whole.
- Add the scent leaves or spinach and simmer for 2 minutes. The soup should be thick, orange and slick with oil. Taste and add salt.
- Serve hot with starch, eba, pounded yam or plain rice.
Tips
- Canned palm nut concentrate, sometimes labeled palm nut cream, is sold by African grocers. Do not confuse it with plain palm oil or with coconut cream.
- No banga spice mix? Use 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg and 1/2 tsp ground ginger. The aroma will differ from the traditional one, but it is still pleasant.
Questions and answers
What is banga soup eaten with?
In the Niger Delta it is served with starch, a smooth cassava swallow. Eba, pounded yam, fufu and plain boiled rice all work too.
Can I make banga soup from fresh palm fruits?
Yes, but it takes time. Boil the fruits until soft, pound or blend them, then rinse the pulp with warm water and strain. Canned palm nut concentrate gives very similar results much faster.
Is banga soup the same as ofe akwu?
They are close relatives, since both are made from palm fruit pulp. Banga is the Urhobo name and ofe akwu the Igbo one, and each uses its own spices and often different leaves.
How long does it take to make Banga Soup (Niger Delta Palm Nut Soup)?
About 1 h 35 min in total: 20 min of preparation and 1 h 15 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Banga Soup (Niger Delta Palm Nut Soup)?
About 350 kcal per serving, with 36 g of protein, 4 g of carbohydrates and 21 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 350 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 36 g |
| Carbohydrates | 4 g |
| Fat | 21 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Sodium | 900 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
