Low-Calorie Black Soup Recipe You’ll Love

If there’s any Nigerian soup that feels like a warm hug and a detox in one bowl, it’s Black Soup. This Edo classic is naturally bold, earthy, herbal, and deeply satisfying; but today’s version has a twist.

This is my oil-free Black Soup, aka my Cleanse Soup.
It’s the soup I make whenever I want something:

✨ Nourishing
✨ Flavor-packed
✨ High in micronutrients
✨ Light enough to fit into a calorie deficit
✨ But filling enough to stop me from raiding the fridge

The only challenge?
Tracking calories in dry Nigerian leaves should honestly earn someone a PhD. The macros are not documented anywhere, the leaves are blended, rehydrated, and they expand like they’ve been waiting for that moment all their life… so calorie tracking becomes vibes and faith.

But here’s what I do know:

Because the soup is oil-free and uses lean proteins like shrimp and fish, it falls in the same calorie category as my oil-less efo riro (you can check that out here). So I safely estimate 300 calories per serving when eaten with lean proteins.

And the best part?
You can use any version of black soup; Benin style, Esan style, blended uziza/ewedu/bitterleaf combo… the trick is simply to skip the oil, use lean proteins, and let the veggies shine.

Now let’s get into the good stuff.

Why This Black Soup Works for Weight Loss

✔ Oil-free
✔ Loaded with vegetables
✔ Naturally low-carb
✔ Zero “hidden calories” from palm oil
✔ High in micronutrients and antioxidants
✔ Made with lean proteins
✔ Extremely filling for its calorie amount

I personally file this under my safe soups, meaning even if I don’t track every gram, I know I’m not blowing up my calories.

As long as you skip the oil and stick to fish or shrimp, you’re golden.

Black Soup (Oil-Free) Recipe

This oil-free Nigerian Black Soup is a bold, nutrient-rich, low-calorie cleanse soup made with blended dry leaves, fish, and shrimp. Perfect for weight loss, calorie deficit, and healthy eating while keeping all the rich Edo flavors you love.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Course: dinner, lunch, Soup

Cuisine: Nigerian

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• Lean croaker fish cut into pieces
• Shrimp peeled
• Seasoning to taste
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup dried bitterleaf or combination of bitterleaf + uziza + scent leaves
• 1/2 cup dried uziza leaves
• 1/2 cup dried efinrin / basil optional
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 small peppers habanero / atarodo
• 2 tbsp ground crayfish
• Water or stock as needed

Method

 

1. Rehydrate your dry leaves: Soak in warm water for 10–15 minutes, rinse, and drain.
2. Blend the leaves: Dry-blend into a powder
3. Prepare your proteins: Season your fish lightly with salt and seasoning. Set aside.
4. Make the base: Blend onions, garlic, and peppers with a small amount of water. Allow to cook for 5 minutes.
5. Cook the proteins in the base: Add fish and shrimp into your soup base. Bring to a simmer.
6. Add the blended leaf mixture: Stir thoroughly. The soup will darken as it cooks.
7. Season and simmer: Add crayfish, shrimp, salt, and additional seasoning. Simmer for 10–15 minutes on low heat until rich, herbal, and thick.
8. Serve hot: Enjoy alone as a cleanse soup or pair with a low-calorie swallow (small portion).

Notes

 

• For optional add-ins, you can use extra vegetables such as pumpkin leaves/ugu, spinach, etc. (small amounts)
• You can also add a few pieces of dry fish (deboned)