The broad, glossy, dark green foliage of the afang plant is widely eaten in West Africa as a vegetable, and its seeds—roasted and pounded into flour—are perceived to be rich in medicinal value. The greens are often combined with meat, seafood, and palm oil, like in this recipe, to make a variety of soups and stews, particularly in southern coastal Nigeria. It is likely that slaves brought from Africa introduced this soup to America.
Recipe Servings: 4
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Total Time
55 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
- 1 lb stew meat, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 hot chili pepper, chopped
- Salt, to taste
- 3–4 sea snails, clams, or mussels
- 2 pieces dried fish, skinned and deboned; soaked and rinsed in hot water
- 2 lb afang leaves, cleaned, stems removed, shredded
- 1 lb spinach, stems removed, shredded
- 1 cup dried shrimp, crushed
- 2 cups red palm oil
Directions
- Bring a small quantity of water (or broth or stock) in a saucepan to a boil.
- Add the meat to the pot and cook on high heat for a few minutes.
- Add the onion and chili pepper, cover, and simmer.
- In a separate pan, bring a bit more water to a boil; add a little salt and the mollusks to the boiling water. Cook covered for 2–3 minutes.
- Remove the mollusks from their shells, and discard the inedible hard foot from each of the snails (if using). Rinse the meat in cool water, drain, and sprinkle with lime juice.
- Add the seafood and dried fish to the meat pot. Cover and simmer for several minutes.
- Add the greens (afang and spinach), dried shrimp, extra water or stock, palm oil, and salt. Cover and continue to simmer until everything is tender.
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