Ingredients
Leaves
- 500 gfresh bitterleaf
- or 300 g frozen washed bitterleaf
- salt, for washing
- a great deal of water
Protein
- 400 gbeef, in cubes
- 300 gsmoked fish, flaked
- 200 gdried fish or stockfish, soaked
- 2 tablespoonsground crayfish
Base
- 150 mlred palm oil
- 2onions, chopped
- 4garlic cloves, chopped
- 1hot pepper, chopped
- 2stock cubes
- 1 litrewater
- salt to taste
To thicken
- 2 tablespoonsground egusi or ogiri, optional
To serve
- plain rice
- or foofoo
Directions
- Pick the leaves off their stems. Discard any thick or woody stalks. Put them in a very large bowl of water. Add a generous handful of salt. The salt helps draw the bitterness out.
- Rub and squeeze them under the water. Work them for several minutes. Pour off the dark water and squeeze the leaves. Fill the bowl with fresh water. Knead and squeeze them all again. Pour it off and then repeat again. Taste one leaf after each wash. Stop when it is bitter but bearable.
- Squeeze the leaves out very thoroughly at the end. It has already been washed and needs only rinsing. Soak dried fish or stockfish in hot water. Give it thirty minutes to soften. Flake it and check very carefully for bones.
- Flake the smoked fish the same way. Put the beef in a pot with a little water. Add one stock cube, salt and chopped onion. Cover it and cook it for forty minutes.
- Add water as needed to stop it drying. The meat should be nearly tender. Keep the cooking liquid, which is now stock. Heat the palm oil in a large heavy pot. Warm it gently rather than fiercely. Add the remaining onions and fry them. Give them about eight minutes. Add the garlic and the hot pepper. Cook them for one minute more.
- Add the cooked beef with its stock. Add the flaked fish and the ground crayfish. Crumble in the second stock cube. Pour in the measured water now. Bring the whole pot up to a simmer. Let it cook for fifteen minutes. Stir the washed bitterleaf into the pot.
- Simmer it for about twenty minutes. The leaves should be completely tender. Stir it in and simmer for ten more minutes. It should be thick and dark green. Taste it and adjust the salt again. Salt reduces the perception of bitterness. Add hot water if it is too thick. Serving it is always done hot. Ladle the soup generously over the rice. It keeps three days refrigerated.
Technique
- Vernonia amygdalina is grown across West and Central Africa and is used as both a food and a traditional medicine.
- The washing is what makes the leaf edible, and how much bitterness to leave is a matter of household preference.
Substitutions
- Frozen washed bitterleaf is sold in African shops and saves the entire washing process.
- Dried bitterleaf is also sold and needs soaking and a shorter wash.
Variations
- Nigerian bitterleaf soup, ofe onugbu, thickens it with cocoyam paste.
- Some Sierra Leonean households mix bitterleaf with other greens.
- A version with more meat and less fish is made for celebrations.
History
The leaves are kneaded and rinsed repeatedly to strip the bitterness before cooking; the soup is eaten with rice across the country.
Frequently asked questions
What is Bitterleaf soup?
Bitterleaf soup is a soup & stew from Sierra Leone: washed bitterleaf cooked down with palm oil, fish and meat. The leaves are kneaded and rinsed repeatedly to strip the bitterness before cooking; the soup is eaten with rice across the country.
How long does Bitterleaf soup take to make?
Bitterleaf soup takes 45 minutes, mostly washing of preparation and 1 hour of cooking. The recipe makes serves 6. It is rated medium to make.
What can I substitute in Bitterleaf soup?
Yes, within limits. Frozen washed bitterleaf is sold in African shops and saves the entire washing process. Dried bitterleaf is also sold and needs soaking and a shorter wash.
What is the most important thing to get right in Bitterleaf soup?
Add water as needed to stop it drying. The meat should be nearly tender. Keep the cooking liquid, which is now stock. Heat the palm oil in a large heavy pot. Warm it gently rather than fiercely. Add the remaining onions and fry them. Give them about eight minutes. Add the garlic and the hot pepper. Cook them for one minute more.
