Savour the tantalizing flavours of Afang soup

Afang soup, a super-versatile soup popular among the Efik and Ibibio people of Nigeria is a brightly favoured soup made with an assortment of leafy vegetables of afang leaves (okazi in Igbo) and water leaves. Afang soup is very similar to Edikang ikong soup just that Edikang ikong is made with water leaves and ugu leaves. Afang soup can be served alongside Nigerian swallows such as eba, semovita or pounded yam.

Ingredients

The ingredients needed to prepare afang soup are:

Afang leaf or okazi leaf, Water leaves, Beef or goat meat, Fish, Cooked shelled clams, Snails, Palm oil, Red onions, Scotch bonnet pepper, Crayfish, Chicken bullion, Crushed red pepper (optional), Salt and seasonings to taste

Preparations

• Slice both onions and scotch bonnet pepper and set aside
• On low-medium heat in a clean large stock pot, braise the goat meat with onions, scotch bonnet pepper, 1 tsp bullion and 1 tsp salt for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender
• Few minutes into braising the goat meat, add 1/2 a cup of water to prevent burning à
• Wash your water leaf in cool water to remove sand and dirt. Pick off the tough stems but save the tender stems and leaves, chop and set aside
• Roughly grind the afang leaves just to break it up a little
• Once the meat is tender and is done braising, set aside
• In a deep pot, heat up the palm oil on medium heat and fry the other sliced onions until it starts turning brown
• Add in snails and clams and continue to fry for another 5 minutes
• Add in the braised meat and reserve the broth
• Add in 2 teaspoons of bullions, crayfish and if you are the spicy type, add crushed red pepper and stir
• Add in the chopped water leaf. Once the water leaf starts to wilt, add in the afang leaves and stir.
• Add the broth ( braising liquid) to the stew, reduce the heat and continue cooking with the pot covered for another 10 minutes
• After 10 minutes, taste the stew for any adjustment
• Turn off the heat and allow the soup to sit for 5 minutes. Then your afang soup is ready!! You can serve with any Nigerian swallow of your choice. So Yummy!

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