THE NIGERIAN VEGETABLE SOUP EDIKANG IKONG

The Nigerian Edikang Ikong soup or simply vegetable soup is native to the Efiks, people from Akwa Ibom and Cross River states of Nigeria. It is a general notion that the Edikang Ikong soup is very nutritious and this is very much so. Prepared with a generous quantity of pumpkin leaves and water leaves, this Nigerian soup recipe is nourishing in every sense of the world.
Ingredients
• 1kg Pumpkin leaves
• 500g water leaves (tanilium triangulare)
• 600g beef, and dried fish
• Pepper, salt and ground crayfish: to taste
• 250ml palm oil
• 1 ½ Cup Periwinkle
• 2 Medium Onions
• 2-4 Stock Cubes

Alternative vegetables for those who cannot buy water leaves and pumpkin leaves:
Use the following to replace the classic Nigerian vegetables for this soup:
1kg normal frozen spinach
200g ground frozen spinach
250g lamb’s lettuce [canonigos in Spanish]
Defrost the frozen spinach, cut the normal frozen one into tiny pieces and mix with the ground frozen spinach. Wring out the water from these and add them when the written recipe requires you to add the pumpkin leaves.
Wash, pick and cut the lamb’s lettuce into tiny pieces. Add them when the written recipe requires you to add water leaves
BEFORE YOU COOK THE EDIKAIKONG SOUP

1. Wash and cut the pumpkin and water leaves into tiny pieces. Put them in separate sieves to drain out the water as much as possible.
2. Cut the beef into small pieces. Cook the beef and dried fish with the 2 bulbs of diced onions and the stock cubes with as little quantity of water as possible.
   COOKING DIRECTIONS
3. When the meat is done, add a generous amount of palm oil, the crayfish and pepper and leave to boil for about 10 minutes.
4. The palm oil serves as the liquid in the Edikang Ikong soup. You should try as much as possible to make it the only liquid in the soup.
5. Add the periwinkle and water leaves and leave to cook for another 5 minutes. You may have to cook for less time at this stage so that the water leaves are not over-cooked.
6. Now add the pumpkin leaves and salt to taste. Stir the contents of the pot very well and turn off the heat. Cover the pot and leave to stand for about 5 minutes.
7. Thats it!
   Serve with Garri (Eba), Semolina Fufu, Amala, Cassava Fufu or Pounded Yam.