Traditional Banga Soup Recipe [How To Make Banga Soup] (2024)

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Nigerian banga soup is a delicious and hearty dish. This recipe is easy to follow and promises to deliver a delicious and authentic Nigerian banga soup that will leave you satisfied for hours!

With the tradition of eating “swallow” food daily, Nigeria has over 120 delicious soups that vary from culture to culture.

The people of the southern parts of Nigeria know their craft! And when it comes to this tasty delicacy, banga soup ranks high among the most delicious soups in Africa.

The difference between banga soup and other African soups is that banga is prepared with fresh palm kernel concentrate, a mix of palm cream and palm oil.

However, many other African soups are made with processed palm oil. That- might be the secret behind the incredible taste of this special soup that is accepted as one of the best across nations.

What Is Banga Soup?

Banga soup, also known as palm nut soup, is an African soup made of palm nuts.

It originates from the Niger Delta region, which is known by different names based on the differences in the preparation method.

A popular variant of banga is made by the Igbo people. It is Called Ofe Akwu, where “Ofe” means soup/stew and “Akwu” means palm nuts.

Banga soup is always cooked with some assortments of meat, fresh catfish, and smoked/dry fish, which adds to the taste and beauty of the soup.

One big deal about this delicacy is how the traditional people serve it in native clay pots. My mom always served owoh and banga soups in these clay pots.

And it tasted 10x than when we used glass/ceramic plates.

Why? There’s the popular belief that clay pots take this Delta-style banga soup up a notch and make the soup more exceptional in all areas of comparison with other soups!

What Does Banga Soup Taste Like?

Generally, it has a pleasant nutty flavor because of palm nuts.

However, the taste of the assorted meat, fresh catfish, smoked/dry fish, crayfish, leafy vegetables, and the popular Banga soup condiments in the dish does something that changes the description from being just a nutty taste to a savory umami blend of flavors.

Someone that has had this soup before will salivate just from smelling the aroma. It’s really that good.

Banga Soup Ingredients

• Canned Palm Nut Concentrate – A store-bought palm nut concentrate can be used to prepare banga soup if the nuts are not available. The canned version is just like using fresh palm nuts as it is simply an extraction of the cream and oil of the palm kernel fruits with no additives. The prepackaged palm nut extract makes the process of cooking banga soup easier compared to using palm kernel seeds.
• Assorted Beef – Assorted beef consists of various parts of animal skin. Well-seasoned and boiled meat is added to the soup to give it a savory, meaty taste. You can get this ingredient at a local African store.
• Fresh Catfish – Catfish is the most used fresh fish in banga soup. It makes your soup exceptionally tasty in looks and taste. Available locally at many grocery stores.
• Fresh Shrimps – With their slightly salty and sweet taste, fresh shrimps make your banga soup extra tasty.
• Periwinkle – With its juicy taste, this ingredient takes your banga soup recipe to a big 100! You can get this sea snail at your local African store or on Etsy.
• Dried Fish – Dried fish is another source of seafood we add to this delicacy, just like fresh catfish. The earthy, smoky smell and taste of dried fish do a lot in this soup.
• Dried Prawns – Adding dried prawns to your banga soup also improves the taste.
• Ground Crayfish – Crayfish has always been known for its subtle taste. Adding it to your banga soup adds its slight seafood scent and taste to the soup.
• Oburunbebe Stick – Obunrunbebe stick, also known as banga stick, is a woody stick added towards the end of making the soup. It is usually added to improve the aroma and taste of banga soup.
• Beletete Leaves – Beletete leaves are vegetables we add to banga to improve the soup’s aroma, taste, and thickness. They are usually sold fresh or dry and are added at the last stage of the preparation.
• Banga Spice – The banga spice is a mixture of different tasty condiments that take the aroma and taste of this delightful soup to a different level. It is highly nutritional and often used in the preparation of other soups.
• Seasoning Cubes or Powder – Add seasoning cubes or powder to taste.
• Salt – Add salt to taste.
• Scotch Bonnet – Scotch bonnet, popularly known as ata rodo among the Yoruba people, adds a bit of heat and spice to your banga soup.
• Water – Water will dilute the concentrated palm nut cream before boiling and adding the other ingredients.

Tools Needed To Prepare Banga Soup

• Cooking Pot
• Cooking Spoon
• Teaspoon to measure some ingredients
• Clay Pot to serve your delicious meal
• Food Processor to grate the onions
• Blender to blend the scotch bonnet
• Splatter guard to reduce splatter

Ingredient Additions & Substitutions When Cooking Banga Soup

Beletete Leaves

If you don’t have access to Beletete leaves, you can make a substitute with dried basil leaf, bitter leaf, or scent leaf.

These leaves do the work of improving the aroma and taste of your banga soup with their different unique smells and taste.

Fresh Catfish

Catfish from the ingredient list can be replaced with any other type of fish available. The important thing is to ensure that the fish in replacement is thick enough to not shred easily in your soup!

Canned Palm Nut Concentrate

If you have access to fresh palm nuts and are patient enough with time, you can use them instead of store-bought palm nut concentrate. All you have to do is;

• Rinse the nuts and pour them into a large pan.
• Add water that is 2 times the nuts in the pan and bring to a boil.
• When the body of the palm nuts is soft, transfer them to a mortar and grind them with a pestle till the barks are removed.
• At this point, you should have the hot water that you will use to remove the needed palm fruit extract after pounding.
• Pour the hot water into the mortar and use a sieve to collect the extract.
• When you have the extract, continue with the process of using canned palm nut concentrate.

Scotch Bonnet

Scotch bonnet can be replaced with habanero peppers. They both perform the same function in the soup.

Onions

Some people add onions to banga soup. You’re welcome to do the same.

How To Make Banga Soup Step By Step

Ingredients

• 400g palm nut concentrate
• 1-2 tbp banga spice
• 1-2 tbp Beletete leaves
• 1-2 stick sof Oburunbebe
• 1 fresh catfish (cleaned)
• 200g stockfish
• ½ cup dried crayfish (or prawns) blended
• 2-3 scotch bonnet blended (or more depending on how hot you want you soup)
• 1 onion blended (optional)
• 1 cup periwinkle (optional)
• 1 Seasoning cube
• Salt to taste
• 5-7 cups of water
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Instructions

Step 1: Add palm nut concentrate and about 4-5 cups of water to a clean pot. Stir to dissolve the palm fruit paste.

Step 2: Add 1-2 sticks of oburunbebe to the mixture.

Step 3: Bring to a boil on medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. Do not cover the pot. Instead, use a splatter guard to reduce splashes from the pot.

Step 4: You’ll notice the dark red palm oil rise to the top of the pot. Add blended crayfish, scotch bonnet pepper, and onions, and stir.

Step 5: Next, add your stock fish. Keep on medium heat for another 10-15 minutes.

Step 6: The banga soup should begin to thicken at this time. Add your banga spices, seasoning cube, and salt. Stir.

Step 7: Cook for 10 more minutes before adding your beletete leaves and catfish. Adding your fish too early in the process would make it too soft and potentially break apart as you stir the soup.

Step 8: Allow the soup cook for 10 minutes on low-medium heat.

Step 9: Serve hot with starch or your choice ofswallow(pounded yam, eba, amala, fufu, semovita…), rice, boiled yam or plantain.

How To Thicken Banga Soup

Banga soup is sometimes watery because of the type of palm fruit used or because you added too much water. There are two effective ways to go about thickening the soup to your taste again.

1. One, you can use oat flour. Here, you will mix some oat flour in water, add it to the soup,, and then boil it for 3-5 minutes.
2. Another method is to remove the meats and seafood from the soup so they don’t get soft. Then, cook for some time till it is thick enough. This method is the best because it does not cause any change at all to the taste of the soup.

What to Serve With This Banga Soup Recipe

• Starch – This is a Niger Delta swallow food made from cassava. It has a yellow-orange color and is stretchy, thick, and easy to swallow. It is known as the best accompaniment for banga soup!
• Fufu – This is also a starchy food made with cassava. The difference between fufu and starch is the color. While starch has a yellow-orange color, fufu has a chalky-white color.
• Eba – Made with garri and hot water.
• Kwacoco
• Pounded Yam – Made by pounding boiled yam till it is soft, thick, and gelatinous.
• White rice – You can enjoy your this soup with hot white rice. The taste is everything!
• Boiled Plantain – Boil some sliced plantain in water to enjoy your Banga soup.

See Also

Beer Cheese Dip Recipe

Tips About Making Banga Soup

• If you end up with too much palm oil (not palm cream) on the top of your soup, you can scoop and discard some of it. Or use the excess to prepare Urhobo starch to serve with the soup.
• Preparing banga soup takes time mainly because a lot of the excess water has to evaporate. Keep your pot open and use a splatter guard to reduce splashes created from the boiling soup.
• Make enough banga soup to last the next day. This is because Banga soup tastes really good the next day!
• You can enjoy your banga soup on any plate if you don’t have access to clay pots/plates.

How To Store Banga Soup

One special thing about banga soup is that it lasts longer than most soups. It also does not lose its taste easily like others.

All you have to do is to store it in your fridge or freezer and warm it up whenever you are ready to use it again.

Is Banga Soup Good For Pregnancy?

Yes, banga soup is safe during pregnancy and probably good for pregnancy.

Looking at its ingredients, beef, especially lean beef, contains proteins, iron, and B-vitamins essential during pregnancy.

Fish and seafood contain omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, which are important for the baby’s development.

The vegetables – beletete leaf, bitter leaf, and scent leaf contain folate, which helps to reduce the risk of low birth weight.

And palm fruit contains essential vitamins, proteins, fibers, and magnesium, reducing the risk of premature labor.

What is essential is to make sure the ingredients of these soups are well cooked. Like almost all things in life, it should be taken in moderation.

I ate banga soup while pregnant and had no issues or concerns. Your situation might be different from mine. I recommend seeking a medical opinion if you’re unsure.

FAQs About This Banga Soup Recipe

How to Cook Banga Soup With Fresh Catfish

Banga Soup

Yield: 3-4 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Nigerian banga soup is a delicious and hearty dish. This recipe is easy to follow and promises to deliver a delicious and authentic Nigerian banga soup that will leave you satisfied for hours!

Ingredients

• 400g palm nut concentrate
• 1-2 tbp banga spice
• 1-2 tbp Beletete leaves
• 1-2 stick sof Oburunbebe
• 1 fresh catfish (cleaned)
• 200g stockfish
• ½ cup dried crayfish (or prawns) blended
• 2-3 scotch bonnet blended (or more depending on how hot you want you soup)
• 1 onion blended (optional)
• 1 cup periwinkle (optional)
• 1 Seasoning cube
• Salt to taste
• 5-7 cups of water

Instructions

1. Add palm nut concentrate and about 4-5 cups of water to a clean pot. Stir to dissolve the palm fruit paste.
2. Add 1-2 sticks of oburunbebe to the mixture.
3. Bring to a boil on medium heat for about 20-30 minutes. Do not cover the pot. Instead, use a splatter guard to reduce splashes from the pot.
4. You'll notice the dark red palm oil rise to the top of the pot. Add blended crayfish, scotch bonnet pepper, and onions, and stir.
5. Next, add your stock fish. Keep on medium heat for another 10-15 minutes.
6. The banga soup should begin to thicken at this time. Add your banga spices, seasoning cube, and salt. Stir.
7. Cook for 10 more minutes before adding your beletete leaves and catfish. Adding your fish too early in the process would make it too soft and potentially break apart as you stir the soup.
8. Allow the soup cook for 10 minutes on low-medium heat.
9. Serve hot with starch or your choice of swallow (pounded yam, eba, amala, fufu, semovita...), rice, boiled yam or plantain.

Notes

Depending on how dry your stock fish is, you can soak your stock fish for a few hours before cooking to make it softer.

Only add a little bit of salt at a time to your soup. As the food thickens and water evaporates, your food might become too salty. Wait until the very end of the preparation to adjust the salt level.

If you have too much palm oil on the top of your banga soup, you can discard some of it. Or use that fresh oil to make starch. Some of my best-tasting banga and starch combo have been when I used the excess palm oil in the banga soup to prepare starch.🙌🏾

If you want to impress your family or friends (cough: in-laws), serve this soup in a traditional clay pot. The starch can go on a regular ceramic plate.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 682Total Fat: 57gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 45gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 642mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 8gSugar: 7gProtein: 28g

* Please note that all nutrition information are just estimates. Values will vary among brands, so we encourage you to calculate these on your own for the most accurate results.

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Conclusion

Apart from the richness of its taste and health benefits, the beauty of banga soup is that you can enjoy it anytime.

Simply eat it with your favorite swallow food or rice and boiled plantain, and step it down with any drink of your choice!

Looking for an amazing soup recipe that will knock your socks off? Look no further than this banga soup recipe.

This unique and flavorful soup is sure to please even the most discerning palates. Let me know if you end up trying this Nigerian food.

I hope you liked these easy-to-follow instructions for Traditional Banga Soup Recipe.