Nigeria • West African Culinary Heritage

Classic Seafood Okro Soup

Nigerian Seafood & Okro Soup

A vibrant Nigerian okro soup brimming with fresh seafood, tender fish and delicately sliced okro in a richly seasoned palm-oil broth.

PREPARATION

30 minutes

COOKING

50 minutes

TOTAL TIME

1 hour 20 minutes

SERVES

6 servings

FROM THE MAISON PANTRY

Ingredients

1½ pounds fresh okro, finely sliced or pulsed briefly
1 pound firm white fish, cleaned and cut into large pieces
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound crab legs or cleaned blue crab pieces
8 ounces mussels or clams, scrubbed and rinsed
4 ounces dried stockfish, soaked, rinsed and softened
½ cup natural red palm oil
½ cup finely chopped onion
¼ cup ground crayfish
2 tablespoons CaMasi Maison™ Ground Okro, optional for additional body
1–2 habanero peppers, finely blended or adjusted to taste
1 tablespoon iru or dawadawa, optional
4 cups fish or seafood stock
1 teaspoon ground Cameroon pepper
2 teaspoons premium sea salt, divided and adjusted to taste
2 cups sliced ugu or spinach, optional

THE MAISON METHOD

Preparation Method

Prepare the seafood: Rinse the fish, shrimp, crab, mussels and softened stockfish separately. Keep the delicate seafood chilled until it is ready to be added.
Build the broth: Warm the palm oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook gently for 3–4 minutes without browning.
Season the foundation: Stir in the ground crayfish, blended habanero, Cameroon pepper and iru, if using. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Simmer the stockfish: Add the softened stockfish and seafood stock. Season with 1 teaspoon of sea salt, cover and simmer for 15 minutes so the broth develops a deep marine character.
Cook the firm seafood: Add the crab pieces and firm fish. Cover and simmer gently for 8–10 minutes. Avoid vigorous stirring so the fish remains intact.
Add the okro: Stir in the sliced fresh okro and the optional ground okro. Simmer uncovered for 5–7 minutes, stirring gently until the soup becomes lightly thickened and pleasantly viscous.
Add the delicate seafood: Gently fold in the shrimp and mussels or clams. Cover and cook for 4–6 minutes, until the shrimp are opaque and the shells have opened. Discard any shells that remain closed.
Finish with the greens: Fold in the ugu or spinach, if using, and simmer for another 2–3 minutes—just until tender and vibrant.
Balance and serve: Taste and adjust the remaining sea salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and allow the soup to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

A NOTE FROM THE MAISON

Maison Notes

For the best texture, slice the okro finely by hand or pulse it only briefly in a food processor. Overprocessing can make the soup excessively smooth.
Add the seafood in stages. Firm fish and crab need more time, while shrimp and shellfish should be added near the end to keep them tender.
Serve warm with eba, pounded yam, oat swallow, plantain flour swallow or your preferred heritage accompaniment.

PLEASE NOTE

Allergen Information

Contains fish, shellfish and crustaceans from the fish, stockfish, shrimp, crab, mussels and ground crayfish. Check all packaged seasonings before use. Prepared in a kitchen where other allergens may be present.

FROM THE CAMASI MAISON PANTRY