Ogbono Soup (Nigerian Wild Mango Seed Soup)

Name: Ogbono Soup (Nigerian Wild Mango Seed Soup)
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 500g stewing beef, cut into bite sized cubes; 1 onion, halved; 1 tsp salt; 1l water; 100g ground ogbono (wild mango seed); 100ml red palm oil; 2 tbsp ground crayfish; 1 scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and finely chopped for less heat; 2 smoked mackerel fillets, skin removed and flaked; 200g spinach

A thick, glossy Nigerian soup made with ground ogbono seeds, palm oil, beef and smoked fish, made to scoop up with fufu or pounded yam.

Time1 hr 20
LevelMedium
Costabout £2.38 a head

Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.

Estimated nutrition per serving

647kcal
8.5gcarbs
5.2gof which sugars
47.8gfat
16.4gsaturates
45.2gprotein
2.6gfibre
2.0gsalt

A rough estimate worked out from the ingredients, for the serving size above. It is a guide only and not medical advice. If you count carbs or manage diabetes, check with your own tools and your care team.

4 servings

Ingredients

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500 gstewing beefcut into bite sized cubes
1onionhalved
1 tspsalt
1 lwater
100 gground ogbono (wild mango seed)
100 mlred palm oil
2 tbspground crayfish
1scotch bonnet chillideseeded and finely chopped for less heat
2smoked mackerel filletsskin removed and flaked
200 gspinach

Method

1
Put the beef, onion halves, salt and water in a large pan. Bring to the boil, skim off any grey scum, then cover and simmer for 45 minutes until the beef is tender. Keep all the cooking liquid.
45 min
2
In a second large pot, warm the palm oil over a low heat for 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and stir in the ground ogbono until you have a thick, pale brown paste with no dry patches.
3
Return the pot to a low heat. Add 600 ml of the beef cooking liquid a ladleful at a time, stirring well after each one so it stays smooth. The soup will start to thicken and turn slippery.
4
Add the beef, ground crayfish and chilli. Simmer gently with the lid slightly open for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the soup is thick and stringy when you lift the spoon. Add a splash more liquid if it gets too stiff.
15 min
5
Stir in the flaked mackerel and the spinach. Cook for 3 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Taste and add salt if needed.
6
Serve hot in deep bowls with fufu, eba, pounded yam or plain boiled rice.

Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.