How to make Cashew Nut Soup?

Cashew nut Soup

Cashew nut soup is quite similar to Egusi and I must say this is such a pleasant discovery that we can make soups with cashew nuts. I can imagine that there is a tribe somewhere in the middle belt of Nigeria that have this soup because a lot of cashew nuts are grown in this areas. It just happens that I have not discovered the local name for this soup yet.

Whenever I create a new dish the first thought is can the ingredients be shopped for easily. With Cashew nut soup this is the case, you can rustle up this soup within 45 minutes or much less if you are using fish as the protein. I have played around with cashew nuts in not so local dishes, and found that it thickens sauces very well which is why I have become attached to it. There is always a can in my fridge.

Bitter leaf is my choice of vegetable for this soup. As you know Cashew nut is slightly on the sweet side and I generally don’t think our local soup should be sugar sweet, more the umami sweet if you know what I mean. I do like bitter leaf generally, Ofe Onugbu, Ukang Etidot are some of my favourite soups all cooked with Bitter leaf of varying degrees of bitterness. In the case of Cashew nut soup I went for the slightly more bitter taste but again you can wash out the bitterness if you wish or simply use some other vegetable like spinach or Ugu.

The texture of Cashew nut soup is similar to the Efik or Ibo Egusi. The speed of thickening of the soup is another good selling point for this soup. I think for me next time I fall a victim of watery Egusi I will use cashew powder to complement to get a good result.

How to make Cashew nut soup?

1/2 cup salted roasted Cashew nut (the type sold in shops)

6-8 pieces Goat meat

1 medium size smoked Catfish

8-10 pieces smoked Prawns

1 table spoon ground Crayfish

1 cup washed Bitter leaf

1/2 medium size Onion

Scotch Bonnet Pepper to taste

2-3 cooking spoons Palm Oil

Seasoning cubes to taste

Salt to taste

Method

1. Season the meat with some onion, pepper, seasoning cubes . Allow to marinade for about 20 mins. Steam meat in its juice till dry. Then add some more water and cook till meat is soft

2. Whilst meat is cooking blend cashew nut into powder

3. Wash bitter leaf to desired taste. Chop into large chunks.

4. When meat is cooked, add the fish , crayfish, crayfish some more water and bring to boil again until the fish is soft. Correct the seasoning and add the oil and boil for about 5 mins

5. Add the Bitter leaf and cook for 1 minute

6. Sprinkle on the cashew nut powder and stir well to mix . Allow to cook until soup thickens. When cooking this soup for the first time you may be tempted to add more cashew nut powder than needed. It is important to allow the soup to cook for a little while to see if it thickens to your desired consistency before adding more powder.

7. Serve Cashew nut soup with pounded yam.