Sweet potato and ugu soup

Name: Sweet potato and ugu soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 3 portions

A light soup of sweet potato and ugu leaves. Provides fibre, vitamin A and vitamin C-containing vegetables, and is gentle enough for days when a full meal feels like too much.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Portions: 3

Easy
Pregnancy
Vegetarian
Fibre-rich
Budget-friendly
Quick and easy

Make this recipe

Portions

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

Swap an ingredient

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

Ingredient unavailable: use spinach instead of ugu leaves
Ingredient unavailable: use yam or pumpkin instead of sweet potato

Ingredients

For 3 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

500 g sweet potato, washed, peeled and cubed
200 g ugu leaves, washed thoroughly and shredded
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
2 medium tomatoes, washed and chopped
1 tbsp groundnut oil
900 ml unsalted vegetable stock or water

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

Method

Step 1. Heat the oil and soften the onion and tomato for 5 minutes.
Step 2. Add the sweet potato and stock and simmer for 18–20 minutes until tender.
Step 3. Mash a few pieces against the side of the pot to thicken the soup.
Step 4. Stir in the washed shredded ugu and cook for 3 minutes.
Step 5. Serve hot, with bread or a small portion of rice if you are hungry.

Allergens for your selection

No declarable allergens in the ingredients as currently selected.

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

Food safety

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.
Use pasteurised milk and dairy products, and avoid raw or undercooked foods during pregnancy.
No meal can be described as completely risk-free. Guidance can differ — follow current Nigerian maternal-health advice or the advice of your midwife, doctor or antenatal clinic.
Beans, vegetables, fruit and wholegrains contain fibre, which — with enough fluid through the day — can support normal bowel function as part of a balanced diet.

Allergens

No common declarable allergens are listed in this recipe's ingredients.

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

Sources

Food-based dietary guidelines for Nigeria — Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria and FAO, reviewed 4 September 2026
WHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026
Five keys to safer food — World Health Organization, reviewed 4 September 2026