How to Prepare Afang Soup

The popularity of Afang soup in Nigeria is rapidly increasing. This delicious soup will surely spark your interest in Nigerian cuisine if you’re interested in learning more about it.

The indigenes of Cross River and Akwa Ibom State, the Efiks, are the originators of this delicious soup. You can try any traditional dishes from various Nigerian cultures and ethnic groups, regardless of your language, background, or ethnicity.

Afang soup is at the top of the list of all the native foods of the Ibibio and Efik people. Today we’re going to learn how to cook this soup.

However, there are other delicious dishes from these tribes that you may also want to try like the Atama, Editan, Edikangikong soup, and a lot more.

How to Cook Afang Soup

As a born and raised indigene of Akwa Ibom State, I can say that Afang soup is the easiest to cook among all the soups I know.

And this soup is my favorite because it still comes out very delicious with little or no ingredients.

Some people make use of the dry Afang but I will recommend the fresh one. The fresh Afang gives this flavourful taste that will make you ask for more.

Afang soup is made with Afang leaf (Gnetum africanum), waterleaf along other ingredients like stockfish, dry fish, periwinkle, snail, crayfish, cow skin(kpomo), etc. depending on what you have to make your soup sumptuous.

Ingredients Used in Making Afang Soup

Below is a list of things you can use to make those delicious meals more sumptuous:

1. Afang Leaf (Fresh)

2. Waterleaf

3. Meat (Goat meat preferable)

4. Stockfish

5. Dryfish

6. Periwinkle

7. Crayfish

8. Cow Skin (kpomo)

9. Fresh pepper

10. Salt and Seasoning to taste

Related Soups to Try:

• How to Prepare Atama Soup with Waterleaf
• How to Make Oha Soup
• How to Prepare Egusi Soup
• How to Make Nigerian Okra Soup

Steps on How to Prepare Afang Soup

Before you start your cooking, make sure that all utensils you are using are properly washed and clean, because obviously, we are what we eat. So, hygiene is very important when it comes to what we are eating.

Here are the step-by-step guides on how to make this delicious meal:

Step 1

Pluck your fresh Afang leaf, wash it, and dry then slice it into the tiniest cut (if already cut you can skip this). Pound the slices or Grind using a grinder, not a blender.

(Note, the Afang must be sliced into the tiniest cut, so it will be easy to pound if you are pounding)

Step 2

Thoroughly wash your already plucked waterleaf to avoid dirt and sand in your soup. Slice the waterleaf after being washed and set aside.

Step 3

Prep and wash your meat, stock fish, periwinkle (if shelled), Kpomo (cow skin) into a clean pot and add your pepper, salt, and Maggi (seasoning cube) to taste. Cook on low heat, after 2mins add a little water and cover to cook till meat is tender and soft.

Step 4

Add your sliced meat into your pot of steamed meat and other ingredients; add your crayfish, and dry fish, stir (If your periwinkle is unshelled you can add it now), and cover to cook.

Step 5

Don’t cook your water leaf for too long to have this fresh and delicious Afang soup taste. Cook it for 2-3 minutes at most.

Step 6

Pour in your Grinded/pounded Afang, stir (do this when your cooker is off), and cover the Pot. Prepare your swallow and enjoy your soup in its glory.

You can enjoy Afang soup with eba, fufu, or pounded yam. But I recommend Fufu as it goes very well with the soup.