HOW TO PREPARE EFO RIRO SOUP

Efo Riro is a traditional Vegetable Soup of the Yoruba Tribe in Nigeria. It is well known for its pleasant taste and richness.Efo Riro is prepared with assorted meat, fish, large quantity of green vegetables and peppers(tomatoes are added, sometimes).This spicy ,savory soup can be accompanied with  bolus meals, such as Amala, Elubo, Pounded yams, Fufu (akpu), Eba or Tuwo Shinkafa .It also goes pretty well with boiled Rice, plantains or yams.Although it is a Yoruba soup, Efo Riro is enjoyed in all parts of Nigeria.

Ingredients for Efo Riro

• Assorted meat and fish. use a combination of the following:
  • Beef
  • Shaki (cow tripe)
  • Smoked fish
  • Dry fish
  • Stock fish
• 20 cl palm oil
• 500g Efo Shoko
• 5 tatashe peppers
• 2 tablespoons ground crayfish
• 2 red onions
• 2 small stock cubes
• 2 tablespoons locust beans (iru)
• Salt & chill pepper (to taste)

The following are the two vegetables that can be used in cooking Efo Riro. The first one and the first choice is Efo Shoko, the second is Efo Tete . Both are available in Nigerian markets.

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  ** Before cooking Efo Riro Soup, pick and wash the vegetables; cut into tiny bits. To get less liquid in the soup,you can blanch the vegetables and set side.

  **Wash the assorted meat and fish. De-bone the smoked fish, and set all aside.

  ** Blend the peppers and tomatoes, and set aside,

  Now to cook the soup…

  1. Season and cook the assorted meat and fish with onions, one stock cube, a little salt and other seasoning of choice. Remember to cook the tougher meat first(in my case;tripe(shaki)
  Cook until the liquid in the pot is well absorbed(dried up) and the meat and stock fish are tender .

  2. In another dry pot, heat up the palm oil, until it begins to smoke a little. Add the ground tomatoes & peppers and fry until the mixture loses its sour taste; Add the eru this takes about 15- 20minutes.

  3. Now add the cooked meat & fish.  ground crayfish and stock cube. Mix thoroughly, cover and leave to boil for 10 minutes.

  4. After 10 minutes, add the vegetables and salt to taste. Mix well and leave to simmer for 5 minutes and your delicious Efo Riro soup is ready.

  Efo Riro is one of my favorite Yoruba soups. So get your taste bud rolling with this rich and tasty soup. Enjoy☺!