Coooking contest: How I prepared my sumptuous okra soup

Hello friends, welcome to today's cooking contest where I will be sharing my local delicacy "Okra Soup." Okra is mostly found in Nigeria and popular among the Yorubas, Igbos, Hausa, Efik, and other Nigerian ethnic groups.

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When I was little, my mom never prepared this soup for the family, and this made me and my siblings stay away from the soup. I only started eating okra soup just a few years back and it's not all the time but once in 2-3 months, and I must prepare it myself else I won't eat it if prepared by someone.

Thank you @goodybest for the opportunity given to me through this contest to share my local meal here.

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Now, I will give you a step-by-step on how I prepared my okra soup.

Ingredients for my okra soup

•Wash your meat thoroughly with salt and put in a pot, set it on fire, and allow to boil until it's done.

•While the meat is still on fire, wash the okra thoroughly with salt and water. Make sure to wash it twice or more depending on how dirty the water turns.

my sliced okra

•Slice the okra to your desired shape and size and set it aside.

my sliced vegetables and onions

•Pick your vegetables by separating the leaves from the stem. Wash it thoroughly with salt and water. Make sure to wash more than twice. After which you slice and set aside. Slice your onions too.

Blended crayfish

pepper in a manual blender

•Blend the crayfish, blend the pepper, and keep aside

•By now the meat should be ready. Then add red oil, add thickener (optional), and allow to boil for about 20mins. I didn't use the thickener because I don't like it. The thickener (ogbono) is a substance that draws when added to the soup.

Oil in a plate

Oil and spice boiling in a pot

•If no thickener, then add your oil, add the blended crayfish and pepper, add your spices if any. Cover the pot and allow the ingredients to boil.

Vegetables and onions added to the soup

•Now you are ready to add your sliced vegetables and onions. Once added, cover the pot and allow to steam just for 1 minute before you stir.

•Lastly, add salt to taste, cover the pot for another 20 seconds, and finally, the soup is ready.

It can be served with either garri, fufu, pounded yam, wheat, semovita, or any other thing you wish for.

My sumptuous okra soup

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Health Benefits of Okra

•Super good for digestion: Okra is high in fiber which is very good for digestion. Fiber helps to bulk up your stool and promotes waste movement easily. It can also help to prevent constipation.

•Boost the immune system: Okra is rich in vitamin C which helps the body produce white blood cells that fight infections.

•It is good for the skin and hair: The vitamin C in okra helps in tissue repairs and keeps the skin shiny and tender. Okra is a moisturizer for dry and itchy scalp.

•Strenghtens the bone: Okra is a high source of calcium and vitamin K which can protect the bones from breakage.

•Helps reduce weight: Since okra is high in fibers, it can take a longer time to digest, meaning that one cannot have the space for other junk food until digestion takes place. Okra is high in protein and low in calories.

A selfie with my plate of soup

_ Thank you for reading my post_

I invite @princa @talktofaith @ruthgold @yakspeace