Edikang ikong soup or Ekaikong is a popular Nigerian vegetable soup made with two types of hearty green leafy vegetables, packed full with healthy seafood and meat proteins.
Table of Contents
- 1 Edikang Ikong (Edikaikong Soup)
- 2 Join our recipe group on Facebook
- 3 Why you’ll love this recipe.
- 4 Edikaikong soup ingredients
- 5 How to cook Edikang Ikong soup (Edikaikong)
- 6 What to eat with Edikaikong
- 7 What’s the secret to making Nigerian soups quickly
- 8 More African soups you’ll love
- 9 Edikang ikong Soup
Edikang Ikong (Edikaikong Soup)
So I have been planning to make a post for this recipe. But each time I make Edikang ikong I forget to take pictures. This time I made a mental note to take pictures when my brother mentioned he was coming over from Massachusetts to see us.
Not to worry this soup won’t take the whole day. It’s quick and easy. Way easier and quicker than the traditional method you knew growing up because i have simplified it for you.
Join our recipe group on Facebook
Why you’ll love this recipe.
First off! This soup is the way to an African man’s heart. It’s truly delivers deliciousness in a bowl. We love Edikaikong soup for so many reasons some of which are listed below.
- Nutrient dense:
- Family friendly
- Picky eater approved
- Crowd pleaser
Related recipes: how to make Efo riro soup, Nigerian bitter leaf soup,
Edikaikong soup ingredients
- Ugu leaves
- Water leaves
- Crayfish
- Meats
- Periwinkle
- Palm oil
- Onions
How to cook Edikang Ikong soup (Edikaikong)
Prepping ahead made this delicious soup available in time for us to enjoy. So much so I forgot to take some stages of the process but not to worry it is so easy that you wouldn’t miss those pictures I promise ?.
A little note here, The Original version of this Soup is made from water leaf With and Ugu leaves. Those leaves are not easily accessible here but Spinach (the frozen one) and fresh Kale are a very good substitute. Believe me when I say this Diaspora version is just like the taste from home.
What to eat with Edikaikong
- Microwave Oat fufu
- How to make Eba in the microwave
- Amala
- Pounded yam
- White rice
- Fried plantains
What’s the secret to making Nigerian soups quickly
Let’s get cooking…
As usual I prepared the meats ahead of time so making the soup was a breeze. That’s the secret to making Nigerian soup in less time. I remember when I can growing up in Nigeria, making Nigerian soups while growing up was a Herculean task? Everything was prepared on the same day the soup was to be made so it’s no wonder some non Africans are weary of trying out African Dishes because the impression is that you would grow grey hairs getting food to the table.
More African soups you’ll love
Quiz time: Is it Edika ikong, Edikang ikong or Edikaikong? I would love to know. If you know, please leave me a comment. Thanks!
Did you try this recipe? leave me a feedback, would love to hear from you. Share the love with family and friends. I would love to connect with you find me on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.
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Chichi xx
Edikang ikong Soup
Ingredients
- 350 g beef or smoked turkey precooked
- 300 g cow feet precooked
- 350 g stock fish precooked
- 1 piece African style dried fish deboned and washed thoroughly (optional)
- ¼ cup crayfish coarsely blended
- 5-6 cups meat stock
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1-1/2 cup Palm oil
- 1 Tbsp ground Cameroon pepper or 2 Habanero peppers
- 226g (8oz) Fresh Kale vegetable chopped
- 907g (32 0z) Frozen Spinach completely thawed and all liquid squeezed out
- Salt and/or bouillon powder to taste
Instructions
- Bring meat stock to a boil, Add ground crayfish and dry pepper. .
- Pour Palm oil in a clean sauce pan over medium heat. When oil has heated up, pour chopped onions in. Stir and sauté for a minute.
- Pour pre cooked meats into boiling meat stock. Then pour in the palm oil and sauteed onion mix.
- Stir in, taste and adjust for seasoning accordingly. Cover pot and allow to simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in your completely defrosted and squeezed spinach, allow to simmer for about a minute, then stir in the chopped kale leaves.
- Turn off heat and allow vegetable cook in residual heat.
- Serve with any swallow foods of your choice. I served mine with oatmeal swallow.
Notes
Tips For Recipe Success- Edikang Ikong is not a watery soup, so you have to go easy on the meat stock.
- You can start with 4 cups, adding the 5th and 6th cup as the recipe progresses using your descretion
- Squeezing out the water from the thawed spinach is vital to your water control in the soup.
- For this recipe, more oil is better but you can use less based on your dietary needs.
- Sun dry the vegetable a bit.
- Remember to squeeze out as much water as you can after washing it.
- Transfer to colander and leave for a while to drain some more and to get air dried or you can use a salad spinner if you have one.
- Steam a bit in a dry pot and if a lot of water still comes out drain it then set aside to put in the soup when ready
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER
Waow babe thanks for sharing. Tried it according to your recipe and included shall uhmwa ?
Yayy!!! I am happy you found the recipe helpful. Thank you so much Giny for taking time out to drop your feedback. ?
Very very good. I used goat meat, stock fish and smoked fish. Mehn it was the bomb!!! But my neighbors had to deal with the smell of Kale. I wonder how it can be cooked and mask the smell.
Thanks for sharing the recipe.
You are welcome! ?Thanks so much for the feedback. I love it when I hear from you all. I am glad the recipe worked for you. About the Kale odor I have used kale so much that I have probably gotten used to it. I read somewhere that the odor is more noticeable when you cook kale for long time . I usually don’t cook mine for long. Most times I turn off the heat almost as soon as I add the kale. The residual heat softens the kale. Maybe you should try that. Hope that helps ?
Hi Sierra the rice was cooked on the stove top on medium high heat. If yuu were to cook the rice in the oven like I did with my coconut fried rice, you will need to preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Hope that helps ?
Oh my goodness! I tried out this recipe and It turned out soooo good and delicious. I realized what I have been doing wrong. The amount of palm oil. I had no idea how much to add and it comes out kinda greenish (because of the plenty green veggies). I enjoyed it then but after trying out this recipe. I had no choice to be more generous with the oil. Not too much but just enough.
Wow. Uzo I am glad it worked out. Yes o oil is the secret weapon lol. Thanks so much for this awesome feedback. I appreciate it.
Yum!
You bet ?