SeanT21:

Bitter leaf soup is so bitter.

If you don't wash your leaves properly, the soup will be bitter. It's a little strenuous today, but it's definitely worth it as you're rewarded with a delicious pot of soup

I wash my leaves for nearly an hour, depending on how much soup is being made. When washing, don't use too much water as that makes it difficult to wash the leaves; they disintegrate and too much water prevents you from washing properly. I put small oil in the water if the leaves are foaming too much. After the water has turned black, I like to pull the leaves from the water, strain, and start washing in new water. Always try your leaves before you finish washing! There's no time limit on washing. There's no way of checking if your leaves are ready unless you taste it, in my opinion. There should be no bitterness in the leaves when you're done washing.

Sorry OP, I know you asked for a recipe. I don't have one but here's a little advice so that one's soup isn't bitter

bayleaf:
funy enough i like the bitter taste. i wash mine just once and put it in the soup.

SeanT21:
Bitter leaf soup is so bitter. U are brave oo.

Here is a Nigerian recipe.

Ingredients


The following are the ingredients for Bitter Leaf Soup



1kg of assorted meat (Beef, ox tail, shaki, cow leg, goat meat)



I medium smoked fish


I big size stock fish


100grams grounded Crayfish



2 Maggi cubes



1 big sized onion



2 tablespoonfuls dried grounded red hot chilli pepper



10 tablespoonful of red palm oil



2 medium sized white cocoyam



Freshly squeezed or dried bitter leaf



Salt – ½ teaspoonfuls



1 tablespoonful of dried curry powder



½ teaspoonfuls of dried thyme leaves


10 cups of water





Servings: 5





Cooking Time : 90 minutes





Method :





Thoroughly wash the assorted meat in clean warm water. Put in a medium sized pot, add about a cup or two of water and two cubes of maggi seasoning or bullion cubes, half onion, sliced, salt to taste, little sprinkle of dried curry powder – about ½ tablespoonful, dried thyme leaves, and bring to boil for about 20 minutes.



Thoroughly wash the stock fish with sponge to remove any vestige of sand gain and allow to run under plenty of tap water. The stock fish is best soaked overnight to allow it absorb water and become tender. Cut the stock fish into servable bits and add it to the boiling meat. Allow to boil for 5 – 10 minutes.



Add the washed medium smoked fish, and allow the whole mixture of assorted meat, stock fish, and smoked fish to boil for another 5 minutes.



Now add about 4 cups of water into the pot of boiling meat and fish, and add about 1 or 2 tablespoonful of dried red hot pepper to taste and freshly squeezed or dried bitter leaf (3 to 4 balls of hand squeezed fresh bitter leaf, or 3 – 5 tablespoonful of dried bitter leaf. Allow to boil for 3 – 5 minutes.



At this point, add the palm oil, and already cooked and mashed cocoyam to thicken the soup. Where you can not get cocoyam a sprinkle of garri would do the same.



Add salt, and pepper to taste again, and allow to cook for 10 minutes.



Your bitter leaf soup is ready to eat.



Bitter leaf soup can be eaten or served with pounded yam or semolina or eba

http://www.africanfoods.co.uk/bitter-leaf-soup.html

SeanT21:
Bitter leaf soup is so bitter. U are brave oo.

Here is a Nigerian recipe.

Ingredients


The following are the ingredients for Bitter Leaf Soup



1kg of assorted meat (Beef, ox tail, shaki, cow leg, goat meat)



I medium smoked fish


I big size stock fish


100grams grounded Crayfish



2 Maggi cubes



1 big sized onion



2 tablespoonfuls dried grounded red hot chilli pepper



10 tablespoonful of red palm oil



2 medium sized white cocoyam



Freshly squeezed or dried bitter leaf



Salt – ½ teaspoonfuls



1 tablespoonful of dried curry powder



½ teaspoonfuls of dried thyme leaves


10 cups of water





Servings: 5





Cooking Time : 90 minutes





Method :





Thoroughly wash the assorted meat in clean warm water. Put in a medium sized pot, add about a cup or two of water and two cubes of maggi seasoning or bullion cubes, half onion, sliced, salt to taste, little sprinkle of dried curry powder – about ½ tablespoonful, dried thyme leaves, and bring to boil for about 20 minutes.



Thoroughly wash the stock fish with sponge to remove any vestige of sand gain and allow to run under plenty of tap water. The stock fish is best soaked overnight to allow it absorb water and become tender. Cut the stock fish into servable bits and add it to the boiling meat. Allow to boil for 5 – 10 minutes.



Add the washed medium smoked fish, and allow the whole mixture of assorted meat, stock fish, and smoked fish to boil for another 5 minutes.



Now add about 4 cups of water into the pot of boiling meat and fish, and add about 1 or 2 tablespoonful of dried red hot pepper to taste and freshly squeezed or dried bitter leaf (3 to 4 balls of hand squeezed fresh bitter leaf, or 3 – 5 tablespoonful of dried bitter leaf. Allow to boil for 3 – 5 minutes.



At this point, add the palm oil, and already cooked and mashed cocoyam to thicken the soup. Where you can not get cocoyam a sprinkle of garri would do the same.



Add salt, and pepper to taste again, and allow to cook for 10 minutes.



Your bitter leaf soup is ready to eat.



Bitter leaf soup can be eaten or served with pounded yam or semolina or eba

http://www.africanfoods.co.uk/bitter-leaf-soup.html

mzhyde:
I m igbo from Anambra State and this is how I do it

1kg beef
2 stockfish heads
1 roundof smoked cat fish
2 tbspoons of achi or 6 medium sized cocoyams
100g ground crayfish
Up to 300 g washed bitterleaf
2 cooking spoons red oil
2 wraps ogili

Preparation
Put your bitterleaf in a pot and boil with lots of water till stems turn yellow to further remove bitterness
Put the stockfish, smoked fish and meat in your main pot , add water to cover and leave abt half an inch above the meat and start cooking
Nows the time to boil cocoyam till soft and pound till no more lumps can be felt
When your main stock has boiled,add already boiled bitterleaf and leave to boil,then
,add your pounded cocoyam and leave to boil
Then add crayfish,fresh pepper,2 cubes of knorr,2 spoons of oil, salt to taste, if you are using achi,nows the time to dissolve in water and add to the point.i wld recommend adding it half a tablespoon at a time every 5 mins till you get the consistency yoù prefer

Then , reduce our flame and leave to simmer...do not
tun yet

Turn when you see it boiling cheerfully
Your soup is ready when your meat is tender

My ppl eat it with akpu(pounded cassava)

A word of caution, none of the quantities of achi , cocoyam or bitterleaf are exact, I ve never measured them before,use your discretion,I ll measure it next time and update this

Since I came to calabar,I ve started using shelled periwinkles and my yoruba friend loves it...he s even asking for it as a birthday treat
Tell me how you get on

Ama80:
u mean u use curry,thyme,onion to cook bitterleaf soup.aru!

aydelicious:

don't add curry to it but you can only add a little thyme to it and the onions will be chopping to it.

Ama80:
jump n pass

Pavore9:
Onions, curry, thyme in bitterleaf soup?