Soups are very important in Nigeria as they are usually served alongside swallows like Eba, Amala, Fufu, and Semo. In Nigeria, we have an uncountable number of delicious soups. In fact, as a tourist, you are spoilt for choices.  Here are top 7 tasty Nigerian soups for tourists.

 

Egusi soup

Egusi soup is unarguably the most popular Nigerian soup. Made using melon seeds, palm oil, vegetables (bitter leaf or any other of our choice) and other condiments, Nigerian egusi soup is best enjoyed with pounded yam, eba, semo/wheat or amala. Egusi soup is a staple of Nigerians and arguably one of the most basic soups to make. So popular is Nigerian egusi soup that in a recent poll conducted by CNN, Pounded Yam and egusi soup was voted as the national food of Nigeria.

 

Banga soup

Banga soup is native to the Deltans. This is unlike banga stew that is native to the Igbos. This is served with starch, eba or fufu. enjoyed by Niger Deltans. Banga soup which means palm nut soup is native to the people of the southern part of Nigeria (Niger-Delta). Banga is one of the most delicious soups and it has the savoriness above all Nigerian soup and it’s in a class of it own. The soup is widely enjoyed all over Africa and it’s called different things by different groups. (Banga by the Deltans/Benins, Obe Eyin by the yorubas, Mbanga by the Cameroonians, amiedi by the urhobos and obey-ekpo by the itsekiris to name a few).  If you haven’t tried it yet, please do you will not regret it.

 

Edikang Ikong

Edikang Ikong soup is native to the people from Akwa Ibom and Cross River states. It is prepared with a lot of pumpkin leaves, water leaves and assorted meat as well as beef. It is quite nourishing.

Efo Riro

Efo Riro is a rich vegetable soup that is widely prepared among the Yorubas. The vegetables that can be used to cook this soup is Efo shoko (Green Amaranth). If this is not available you can simply use spinach.

Bitter leaf soup (Ofe Onugbu)

Bitter leaf soup is very popular in Eastern Nigeria. The name bitter leaf soup can discourage you from eating it. This is not the case as the traces of bitterness is removed by squeezing and washing the leaves several times.

Miyan Kuka

This soup is made from baobab leaves. It is mostly eaten in Northern Nigeria. Hence, when you find yourself in that region, make sure you have a plate of Miyan Kuka with Tuwo Shinkafa (mashed rice).

Abak Atama

Abak Atama Soup is a delicious soup popular amongst the Ibibios of Akwa Ibom. The name is derived from the two main ingredients- Palm Fruit Concentrate (Abak) and Atama Leaves.