Palm oil has a pretty bad reputation. Why? Some say it’s eco-unfriendly and harmful to the human body. Others say nay nay because palm oil is rich in antioxidants, vitamin E, and beta-carotene. Even more than carrots and tomatoes, and it’s the world’s most highly consumed vegetable oil. Whichever side you are on, there’s no denying this soup is tasty, and palm fruit pulp and oil are part of the reason. So what is banga or palm nut soup? It’s a rich, hearty sauce cooked in West Africa made from pounding palm nut fruit to extract the pulp (not the oil from the seeds). This process should be done carefully, without breaking the kernels (nuts) inside the fruit. Then the pulp is slowly simmered with an assortment of meats (smoked and fresh), crayfish, and spices. And then, you ramp up the nutrition with bitter leaf or spinach. You can find the ingredients for this tasty dish with a quick online search. People serve this soup with rice or any starchy side in most parts of West Africa. However, it’s a crime to serve this dish without kwacoco – its time-honored mate in Cameroon.
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Banga/Palm Nut Soup
Prep the Beef – Add meat, salt, garlic, smoked paprika, black pepper, and onion in a medium-sized saucepan, and cook until tender, approximately 30-40 minutes. You can halve this process by using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Reserve beef stock. (Photos 1-2) Palm Nuts – Place palm nuts in a large pot. Add water to cover the palm nuts and boil until tender (about 1 hour). (Photo 3) Pound – Place the cooked tender palm nuts into a mortar and pound to extract the pulp. Then transfer it all to a large bowl or pot, add 4 cups of hot water, and strain to separate the skin from the pulp. Place the palm nut concentrate in a pot. (If using the canned palm nut concentrate, dilute the concentrate with 2 cups of water and add to the pot.) (Photos 4-9) Assemble – Add the reserved beef stock, cooked meat, smoked fish, crayfish, beef bouillon, and salt. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until it is nice and thick. (Photos 10-11) Add Vegetables – Throw in the chopped spinach, and adjust for soup consistency with water or stock. Adjust for salt and pepper and simmer for 2 more minutes. (Photo 12) Serve over rice or kwacoco.
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
For a super tasty and quick West African dinner, you can make the base of the soup ahead and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve this soul food goodness hot off the stove in individual bowls or family style with rice or fufu. If you have leftovers, they’ll last for 4 days refrigerated or 3 months frozen. Reheat your leftover banga soup on the stove or microwave until bubbly. Thaw frozen soup in the fridge overnight, then heat it on the stove.
What to Serve With Palm Nut Soup
In Cameroon, kwacoco is the main side dish. But fufu, cassava fufu, pounded yams, and ugali are also popular. Fried plantains are another classic served throughout West Africa that adds a nice saltiness and crunch to the soup.
More Soul-Satisfying Soup Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Rich and satisfying palm nut soup, affectionately known as banga and mbanga, is a hearty treat for the family. Would you like to enjoy more dishes exploring deliciously diverse West African cuisine? Then give me a follow on Facebook and Instagram for more delectable recipes. 🤩
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”d6J0gGp5″ upload-date=”2023-03-27T14:27:33.000Z” name=”BANGA SOUP 1.mp4″ description=”Banga or Palm Nut Soup is a delicious West African soup made from heavily pounding palm nut fruit to extract the pulp. ” player-type=”collapse” override-embed=”false”] This blog post was originally published in February 2013 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
