Okra soup with fish and lean protein

Name: Okra soup with fish and lean protein
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 portions

Fresh okra soup with well-cooked fish and lean meat — provides protein, fibre and folate, and cooks quickly.

Make this recipe

Portions

Ingredient quantities update automatically. Cooking times may need a little adjustment when you change the batch size.

Only swaps that keep this recipe pregnancy-safe are offered. Allergen information below updates when you choose one.

Ingredient unavailable: use leave out and use more fish instead of lean beef or goat meat

For 4 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

This recipe contains foods that can contribute to a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy.

Step 1. If using meat, boil it in the water with the onion for 25–30 minutes until fully tender and cooked through.
Step 2. Add the oil, tomatoes and fish and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily.
Step 3. Stir in the chopped okra and cook for 5 minutes only, so it stays green.
Step 4. Add the washed greens and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 5. Serve hot with a small portion of swallow, brown rice or boiled yam.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Wash all fruit, vegetables and leafy greens thoroughly in clean water before use.
Cook meat, chicken, fish and eggs thoroughly — no pink meat, no runny egg yolk or white.
Keep raw meat, chicken and fish away from cooked food, and use separate boards, knives and plates.
Cool leftovers quickly, refrigerate where power allows, and reheat once until piping hot throughout. If you cannot refrigerate safely, cook only what you will eat.
Avoid unpasteurised milk and dairy products, and avoid raw or undercooked foods during pregnancy.
Guidance can differ — follow current Nigerian pregnancy advice or the advice of your midwife, doctor or antenatal clinic.
Choose commonly eaten smaller fish such as tilapia, croaker, mackerel or sardines, and avoid eating large amounts of large predatory fish such as shark, swordfish or marlin, which may contain higher levels of mercury.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Food-based dietary guidelines for Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria and FAO, reviewed 4 September 2026
Five keys to safer food — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026