Five Vegetable Soup Recipes you can Make with Waterleaf

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Vegetable soup recipes are easy to prepare and packed with a lot of nutrients. They are versatile and can be accompanied by different carbohydrates like yam, potatoes and plantain.
They are popularly eaten with different kinds of swallow as well (eba, wheat, fufu, and pounded yam)
Waterleaf, scientifically known as Talinum triangulare, is one of the key ingredients in most vegetable soup recipes. It can be combined with different other leaves to give different delicious variations of the vegetable soup recipe.

In this blog post, you’ll learn the benefits of waterleaf, as well as five vegetable soup recipes you can prepare with waterleaf and other leaves.

Nutritional Benefits of Water Leaf

● Waterleaf is a rich source of vitamins A and C, which are essential for skin health, vision, and immune function
● It contains minerals like iron, calcium, and potassium, important for maintaining healthy bones, blood cells, and fluid balance
● The leaves also contain fibre which promotes digestion and helps with weight management
● Waterleaf is known for its antioxidant properties, that help protect the cells from damage

Different Vegetable Soup Recipes With Waterleaf

Waterleaf can be combined with several other leaves. The combination gives you a variety of soups with different flavors and tastes.

Some leaves you can combine with waterleaf are:
1. Pumpkin
2. Bitterleaf
3. Afang
4. Oziza
5. Scent leaves

Vegetable Soup Recipe with Waterleaf and Pumpkin

Pumpkin, popularly called Ugu in Igbo language is a nutritious vegetable. Its botanical name is Telfairia occidentalis and it has a lot of health benefits.
It can be used in preparing different dishes like ogbono, egusi, okra soup, and yam or plantain porridge.

When combined with waterleaf, it is called Edikang ikong soup. This is because it is believed to have originated among the Efik people of Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State in the Southern part of Nigeria.
Here’s how to prepare Edikang ikong soup:

Ingredients For Cooking Waterleaf and Pumpkin Vegetable Soup

● Meat (beef, or goat meat)
● Waterleaf
● Pumpkin (ugu)
● Palm oil
● Dried fish
● Stock fish
● Roasted fish
● Blended crayfish
● Blended fresh pepper
● Periwinkles
● Cow skin (ponmo)

● Onions
● Seasoning cubes
● Salt
● Water
● Spices (curry, nutmeg powder, garlic, ground pepper)

Procedure For Cooking Waterleaf and Pumpkin Vegetable Soup

● Marinate the meat with salt, onions, seasoning cubes, and spices
● Wash, shred the vegetables and drain in a colander
● Boil the marinated meat until tender
● Add the cow skin and allow to cook
● Add the stock fish, dried fish, roasted fish, periwinkles, crayfish and pepper and allow to cook for a while
● Add the palm oil and allow to cook
● Add the drained waterleaf and stir properly. Allow to cook for a minute or two
● Add the drained pumpkin, give it a good mix and allow to cook for another two minutes
● Serve with preferred swallow

Vegetable Soup Recipe with Waterleaf and Bitter Leaf

Bitter leaf, scientifically called Vernonia amygdalina, is a bitter-tasting plant. It is usually used for treatment of illnesses due to its medicinal properties.

In Igbo, it’s known as “Onugbu”, in Yoruba, “Ewuro,” and in Hausa, “Shiwaka.” Despite its bitter taste, it is used in many dishes like egusi and ogbono soup.

Ingredients For Cooking Waterleaf and Bitter Leaf Vegetable Soup

● Meat (beef, or goat meat)
● Waterleaf
● Bitterleaf
● Palm oil
● Dried fish
● Stock fish
● Roasted fish
● Blended crayfish
● Blended fresh pepper
● Periwinkles
● Cow skin (ponmo)
● Onions
● Seasoning cubes
● Salt
● Water
● Spices (curry, nutmeg powder, garlic, ground pepper)

Procedure For Cooking Waterleaf and Bitter Leaf Vegetable Soup

● Marinate the meat with salt, onions, seasoning cubes, and spices
● Wash, shred the waterleaf and drain in a colander
● Wash the bitter leaf by rubbing it between your palms (like you’re washing clothes) to reduce the bitter taste
● Boil the washed bitter leaf in water for about five minutes. This further reduces the bitter taste
● Pour the boiled bitter leaf in a colander to drain off the water
● Boil the marinated meat until tender
● Add the cow skin and allow to cook
● Add the stock fish, dried fish, roasted fish, periwinkles, crayfish and pepper and allow to cook for a while
● Add the palm oil and allow to cook
● Add the drained waterleaf and stir properly. Allow to cook for a minute or two
● Add the drained bitterleaf, mix properly and allow to cook for another two minutes

● Serve with preferred swallow

Vegetable Soup Recipe with Water Leaf and Afang Leaf (Afang Soup)

Afang leaf, scientifically known as Gnetum africanum, is called “Ukazi” in Igbo.
Afang soup is also believed to have originated among the Efik people of Cross River State and Akwa Ibom State in the Southern part of Nigeria.

Ingredients For Cooking Waterleaf and Afang Vegetable Soup

● Meat (beef, or goat meat)
● Waterleaf
● Afang leaves
● Palm oil
● Dried fish
● Stock fish
● Roasted fish
● Blended crayfish
● Blended fresh pepper
● Periwinkles
● Cow skin (ponmo)
● Onions
● Seasoning cubes
● Salt
● Water
● Spices (curry, nutmeg powder, garlic, ground pepper)

Procedure For Cooking Waterleaf and Afang Vegetable Soup

● Marinate the meat with salt, onions, seasoning cubes, and spices
● Wash, shred the waterleaf and drain in a colander
● Wash and blend or pound the afang leaf. Afang leaf is usually tough. Hence the need to blend or pound before cooking
● Boil the marinated meat until tender
● Add the cow skin and allow to cook
● Add the stock fish, dried fish, roasted fish, periwinkles, crayfish and pepper and allow to cook for a while
● Add the palm oil and allow to cook

● Add the drained waterleaf and stir properly. Allow to cook for a minute or two
● Add the afang, mix well and allow to cook for another three to five minutes
● Add a little palm oil again, stir and allow to cook for a minute. Afang leaves absorb a lot of oil so it needs more oil.
● Serve with preferred swallow

Vegetable Soup Recipe with Waterleaf and Oziza

Oziza leaf, botanically called Piper guineense, is a spicy leaf.
It is used in preparing soups like egusi, okra and ogbono. When combined with waterleaf, it
gives an amazing taste.

Ingredients For Cooking Waterleaf and Oziza Vegetable Soup

● Meat (beef, or goat meat)
● Waterleaf
● Oziza leaves
● Palm oil
● Dried fish
● Stock fish
● Roasted fish
● Blended crayfish
● Blended fresh pepper
● Periwinkles
● Cow skin (ponmo)
● Onions
● Seasoning cubes
● Salt
● Water
● Spices (curry, nutmeg powder, garlic, ground pepper)

Procedure For Cooking Waterleaf and Oziza Vegetable Soup

● Add the palm oil and allow to cook
● Add the drained waterleaf and stir properly. Allow to cook for a minute or two
● Add the drained oziza leaves, give it a good mix and allow to cook for another two to five minutes
● Serve with preferred swallow

Vegetable Soup Recipe with Waterleaf and Scent Leaf

Scent leaf is a spicy leaf with a distinctive aroma. Its botanical name is Ocimum gratissimum. In local parlance, it is known as nchanwu, efirin and daidoya in Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa languages respectively.
It can be added to different dishes like stew, porridge, egusi, okra and ogbono soup to add flavor.
It can also be cooked with waterleaf using the vegetable soup recipe described below:

Ingredients For Cooking Waterleaf and Scent Leaf Vegetable Soup

● Meat (beef, or goat meat)
● Waterleaf
● Scent leaves
● Palm oil
● Dried fish
● Stock fish
● Roasted fish
● Blended crayfish
● Blended fresh pepper
● Periwinkles
● Cow skin (ponmo)
● Onions
● Seasoning cubes
● Salt
● Water
● Spices (curry, nutmeg powder, garlic, ground pepper)

Procedure For Cooking Waterleaf and Scent Leaf Vegetable Soup

● Marinate the meat with salt, onions, seasoning cubes, and spices
● Wash, shred the vegetables and drain in a colander
● Boil the marinated meat until tender

● Add the cow skin and allow to cook
● Add the stock fish, dried fish, roasted fish, periwinkles, crayfish and pepper and allow to cook for a while
● Add the palm oil and allow to cook
● Add the drained waterleaf and stir properly. Allow to cook for a minute or two
● Add the drained scent leaves, give it a good mix and allow to cook for another two to five minutes
● Serve with preferred swallow

Things to Note Before Cooking Vegetable Soup

● Water leaf produces water when cooked. So minimal water should be added when cooking. If there’s too much water, the soup will be watery
● The major liquid should be the palm oil
● Shred the leaves, especially the water leaves early enough and put in a colander to drain off excess water before cooking
● Cook your proteins in little water and allow it dry up a bit before adding other ingredients
● Leave the pot open once you add the waterleaf to prevent water retention from the steam
● The waterleaf should be at least double the quantity of the other leaf● Don’t cook for too long to retain the nutrients and prevent it from being too soft

With these five different vegetable soup recipes, you’ve got a lot of ideas to keep you busy cooking and eating till the end of the year.
To create even more variations of vegetable soup using this recipe, you can combine two of the leaves with waterleaf. For instance, ugu and oziza or ugu and scent leaf with waterleaf. Amazing, right?
I hope you enjoy exploring these dishes. Have fun cooking and eating.