By Ify Mgbemena 

There are soups you eat because you’re hungry, and then there are soups that make you slow down after the first spoonful just to appreciate what you’re tasting.

Seafood okro soup is the kind of meal that announces itself before it reaches the table—the aroma of palm oil, pepper and crayfish filling the kitchen, while prawns, fish and other seafood simmer gently in a beautifully seasoned broth.

The best part? It doesn’t require hours at the stove. With the right ingredients and a few simple techniques, you can have a deeply flavoured pot of seafood okro without losing the freshness of the seafood or the signature draw of the okro.

Ingredients

Fresh okro, finely chopped

Prawns, cleaned and deveined

Fresh fish, cut into pieces

Calamari, cleaned and sliced

Crab or crab meat

palm oil

Onion, chopped

Fresh peppers, blended or finely chopped

Ground crayfish

Cubes

Salt, or to taste

Seafood or fish stock

Water, as needed

Chopped ugu or spinach (optional)

How to Make It

Start by preparing the seafood. Clean the prawns, calamari and crab thoroughly, then rinse the fish and cut it into medium-sized pieces. Season lightly with a little salt and set aside.

Place a clean pot over medium heat and pour in the palm oil. Allow it to warm gently, there’s no need to bleach the oil.

Add the chopped onion and pepper and sauté for about 2–3 minutes. Stir in the ground crayfish and allow it to cook briefly until the mixture becomes fragrant.

Pour in the seafood or fish stock, followed by about one cup of water. Add the seasoning cubes and taste for salt. Bring everything to a gentle boil.

Now add the okro.

Stir gently and allow it to cook for about 4–5 minutes. Don’t overcook it; you want the okro to retain its fresh flavour, colour and characteristic draw.

Add the crab and fish first, allowing them to cook for a few minutes before adding the prawns and calamari. These cook quickly, and adding them too early can leave you with tough, rubbery seafood.

Simmer for another 3–5 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning. If the soup is thicker than you prefer, add a little water or stock until you reach your desired consistency.

Finally, stir in the chopped ugu or spinach, if using, and cook for another 1–2 minutes before turning off the heat.

And that’s it.

Your seafood okro should be glossy, aromatic and generously packed with seafood, with just enough broth to bring everything together.

Serve hot with eba, pounded yam, fufu, semovita or any swallow of your choice.

Note:  The prawns should be tender, the fish soft but intact.

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