Ewedu Soup with Lean Beef Strips

Ewedu is made from jute leaves, whisked briskly with a traditional broom whisk until the soup turns silky and slightly frothy. It's a texture unlike almost anything else on a West African table, and it comes together quickly once the leaves are washed and chopped.

Lean beef strips are seared separately first, so they keep some char and don't turn stringy from over-boiling, then simmered briefly in the finished soup so they soak up the broth's flavor. Crayfish rounds out the savoriness without needing much added salt.

Beef is a solid source of iron, and jute leaves contribute their own share too, so this soup can be a genuinely useful pick for anyone paying attention to iron intake. It's also naturally low in carbohydrates and high in protein, making it a good, light main on its own or spooned over a small portion of a starchy side.