5 Must-Have Nigerian Soups You Need to Try
In Nigeria, the most populated country in Africa, traditional soups are not just meals. Aside from being a door to heritage, culture, and memories, these soups are also a tradition that carries across generations.
From Sunday family meals to celebrations, these soups have a history that goes beyond times. Whether you’re enjoying them with fufu, pounded yam, or any African swallow, each soup tells its own story.
At Aso Rock Market, we bring you the best authentic ingredients to make these soups anywhere in the United States—so you never have to search far for “African grocery store near me.”
And if you're exploring African flavors, be sure to check out our list of 10 Must-Have African Spices: Origins, Culinary Uses & Why They Matter for extra seasoning inspiration and our guide to 10 Essential African Ingredients. Every Kitchen in the Diaspora Needs to build a well-stocked pantry.
Image from All Nigeria Recipes
1. Egusi Soup
Egusi Soup is one of Nigeria’s most iconic dishes, loved by almost every tribe. It’s made from ground melon seeds, slowly cooked with palm oil, vegetables, and a rich blend of spices. For proteins, you can cook with meat, fish, stockfish, and crayfish, all of which add special aromas and different flavors.
It's rich and thick enough to scoop using fufu, eba, or pounded yam.
Egusi is often served at weddings, naming ceremonies, and festive celebrations. If you want to taste Nigeria’s favorite and widely accepted soup, Egusi Soup is the best place to start.
2. Ogbono Soup
Ogbono Soup, popularly known as “draw soup” due to its natural thick and stretchy texture, is made from wild mango seeds ground into powder. Its velvety consistency sticks to your swallow, making every swallow satisfying and smooth.
Ogbono is mostly cooked with assorted meats and stockfish. Spinach, bitterleaf, or Uziza leaves for added flavor.
In many Nigerian homes, Ogbono Soup is a weeknight favorite because it’s easy and fast to prepare yet full of flavor.
For those new to African cuisine, this soup is a perfect way to discover the sweetness of Nigerian spices.
3. Afang Soup
Afang Soup, a major dish of the Efik and Ibibio people of southern Nigeria, is made from a combination of Afang leaves (wild spinach) and waterleaf, creating a balance between earthy and fresh flavors.
Periwinkles, snails, goat meat, or smoked fish can be used for proteins to add layers of flavor.
This soup is a powerhouse of nutrients, rich in fiber, iron, and vitamins. It’s often prepared for special guests as a sign of respect and hospitality. It’s best paired with garri or fufu, although you can use any swallow of your choice.
4. Efo Riro
One of the most iconic soups from the Yoruba kitchens of southwestern Nigeria is Efo Riro, a vegetable-rich soup that tastes heavenly and colorful. Made with spinach or pumpkin leaves, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and any type of assorted proteins, it’s both healthy and flavorful.
Efo Riro has a lighter feel compared to thicker soups, making it perfect for those who prefer less heavy meals but still want the best of Nigerian flavors. It's a standard diet in most households, often enjoyed with any type of swallow or even rice
5. Ofe-Nsala Soup (White Soup)
Nsala Soup, also called “White Soup,” is a popular soup from southeastern Nigeria, especially among the Igbo tribe. Unlike other soups, it’s made without palm oil, giving it a pale appearance. Ground uziza seeds and utazi leaves give it a peppery taste, while yam or cocoyam is used as a thickener.
Traditionally served to new mothers for its believed healing benefits, Ofe-Nsala Soup has a refreshing, clean flavor that makes it stand out among other Nigerian soups. It’s best enjoyed with fresh pounded yam, which absorbs the spicy, warm broth.
Bringing Nigeria to Your Kitchen
At Aso Rock Market, we stock fresh and dried ingredients to use in all your Nigerian soup cooking—palm oil, crayfish, melon seeds, dry fish, afang leaves, proteins, and much more.
Whether you’re shopping online or visiting our store, we make it easy to find everything you need.
Enjoy Nigeria. Enjoy home. Shop Aso Rock Market—online or in-store to you.