How to Cook Authentic Afang Soup Abroad Using Spinach Instead of Waterleaf

If you grew up eating Afang Soup in Nigeria, you already know that it is more than just another vegetable soup. It is rich, hearty, deeply savoury and packed with meat, seafood, leafy vegetables and palm oil.

But what happens when you live in Europe, the UK, America or somewhere else outside Nigeria and waterleaf is difficult to find?

Don’t worry—you can still make a delicious Afang Soup.

In this recipe, we will use fresh spinach (épinards) as a practical substitute for waterleaf. Spinach is relatively easy to find in supermarkets across Europe and has the moisture and soft texture needed to help create a good Afang Soup.

The key ingredient you should not substitute is the Afang leaf itself, also known as Okazi. It is what gives the soup its distinctive flavour and texture.

What Is Afang Soup?

Afang Soup is a traditional Nigerian vegetable soup associated particularly with the Efik and Ibibio people of southeastern Nigeria, especially Cross River and Akwa Ibom.

The soup is traditionally prepared with two important leafy vegetables:

Afang/Okazi leaves – finely sliced or ground
Waterleaf – used to provide moisture and a softer vegetable base

Afang leaves have a firm, slightly tough texture and a distinctive earthy flavour. Waterleaf, on the other hand, is much softer and releases plenty of moisture when cooked.

Because fresh waterleaf can be difficult to find outside West Africa, spinach is one of the easiest alternatives for people living abroad.

Ready to make your delicious Afang Soup?

🛒 Ingredients

This recipe makes approximately 6–8 servings.

Vegetables

250–300 g Afang/Okazi leaves, finely sliced
500–700 g fresh spinach (épinards)
1–2 onions, chopped
2–4 fresh Scotch bonnet peppers or habanero peppers, blended or finely chopped
1–2 tablespoons ground crayfish

Meat and seafood

You can adjust the combination according to what you have available.

500 g beef, cut into medium-sized pieces
300 g assorted meat – tripe, cow skin, beef feet, etc.
300–500 g goat meat, optional
300 g smoked fish
200–300 g stockfish, soaked and cleaned
200–300 g prawns or periwinkle, optional

Other ingredients

250–350 ml red palm oil
1–2 stock cubes, optional
Salt, to taste
Water or meat stock, as needed

Tip for people abroad: Most of these ingredients can be found in African supermarkets. Look for Afang/Okazi leaves in the frozen or dried vegetable section if fresh leaves aren’t available.

Spices to use for this soup include Albanero pepper, yellow pepper, some black pepper, Maggi (any choice), salt and some crayfish for that African taste.

Chicken is marinated for several hours in a dahi (yogurt), lemon juice, and spice mixture.

Fully recipes directions

🥬 Preparing the Afang and Spinach

This is one of the most important parts of the recipe.

1. Prepare the Afang leaves

If you’re using fresh Afang leaves, wash them thoroughly and remove any unwanted stems.

Then slice them very thinly.

Afang leaves can be quite fibrous, so don’t leave them in large pieces.

If you’re using frozen pre-sliced Afang, simply allow it to thaw and drain excess water.

If you’re using dried Afang, soak it briefly in clean water according to the package instructions, then drain it well before using.

PREP: 30 MINS

COOK: 40 mins

Difficulties

NORMAL

SERVES 2 OR 4 WITH

OTHER MEALS FOOD

Instructions

2. Prepare the spinach

Wash the spinach thoroughly to remove dirt and grit.

If using fresh spinach:

Remove thick stems if necessary.
Chop the leaves into smaller pieces.
Drain well.

You don’t need to cook the spinach separately.

Important: Spinach releases water as it cooks, which is exactly why it works well as a replacement for waterleaf.

🍖 Step 1: Cook the Meat

Place your beef and other tough meats into a large pot.

Add:

Chopped onion
Salt
Stock cube, if using
A little water

Cover the pot and allow the meat to cook until tender.

The cooking time will depend on the type of meat you’re using.

If you’re using tougher meats such as beef feet or tripe, cook these first because they require considerably more time.

Don’t throw away the meat stock!

This stock is full of flavour and will form the foundation of your Afang Soup.

If you have smoked fish or stockfish, prepare them separately by cleaning and removing bones where necessary.

🐟 Step 2: Add the Seafood and Smoked Fish

Once the meat is tender, add your:

Smoked fish
Stockfish
Prawns
Crayfish

Add some of the reserved meat stock if the pot is too thick.

Allow everything to simmer together for about 5–10 minutes.

This allows the flavours from the seafood and meat to combine.

🌴 Step 3: Add the Palm Oil

Now add your red palm oil.

For a good-sized pot of Afang Soup, approximately 250–350 ml gives you a rich, traditional result.

Stir gently and allow the palm oil to cook with the meat and seafood for about 5 minutes.

You don’t need to fry the palm oil separately.

Afang Soup is not the same as a tomato-based Nigerian stew—the characteristic colour and richness come largely from the palm oil, meat, seafood and leafy vegetables.

🌶️ Step 4: Add the Pepper and Crayfish

Add your blended or chopped Scotch bonnet peppers.

Then add the ground crayfish.

Stir everything together and allow it to simmer for another 5 minutes.

At this point, taste the stock.

Adjust the:

Salt
Pepper
Crayfish
Stock seasoning

before adding the vegetables.

🥬 Step 5: Add the Spinach

Now comes the important substitution.

Instead of waterleaf, add your chopped spinach.

Add it gradually rather than dumping everything into the pot at once.

Stir gently.

The spinach will quickly begin to wilt and release moisture.

Don’t add too much water!

This is one of the biggest mistakes people make when preparing Afang Soup abroad.

Because you’re using spinach instead of waterleaf, you may be tempted to add lots of water to make the soup loose.

Don’t.

Start with very little additional water, if any.

Remember that the spinach itself will release moisture.

🌿 Step 6: Add the Afang Leaves

Once the spinach has softened slightly, add your finely sliced Afang/Okazi leaves.

Mix thoroughly so that the Afang is distributed throughout the soup.

Allow the soup to cook for approximately 5–10 minutes.

You want the vegetables to remain green and retain some texture.

Avoid boiling the vegetables for an excessively long time.

🍲 Step 7: Taste and Finish

Now give the soup a final taste.

Check:

Is the salt right?
Is there enough pepper?
Is the crayfish flavour strong enough?
Is the palm oil sufficient?
Is the soup too thick?
Is it too watery?

If it is too thick, add a small amount of meat stock.

If it is too watery, allow it to simmer uncovered for a few minutes.

If it lacks depth, a little extra crayfish or smoked fish can make a big difference.

Once you’re happy with the consistency and seasoning, turn off the heat.

Your Afang Soup is ready.

🍽️ What Do You Eat Afang Soup With?

Afang Soup is traditionally enjoyed with Nigerian swallows.

Some excellent options include:

🥣 Garri/Eba

A classic combination. The slightly firm texture of eba works beautifully with the rich vegetable soup.

🍠 Pounded Yam

Soft, stretchy pounded yam is another excellent choice.

🌾 Fufu

A very popular option and particularly convenient if you live abroad because frozen or packaged fufu is widely available in many African shops.

🌿 Poundo Yam

Another convenient alternative for people abroad. It is much quicker to prepare than traditional pounded yam.

🌽 Semolina

Semolina swallow is also excellent with Afang Soup.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 367 calories; 26.2g fat; 5.7g carbohydrates; 20.3g protein; 81mg cholesterol; 64mg sodium.

You can buy fresh spinach from Akpan.fr, also from supermarkets such as Carrefour, Auchan, Leclerc or Intermarché, while sourcing Afang/Okazi, crayfish, palm oil, stockfish and smoked fish from an African grocery store.

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