Palm Nut Soup (Banga Soup)

Palm nut soup goes by a few names depending on where you’re from in West Africa, but no matter what you call it, it’s rich, nutty, and tastes like it simmered all day. I’m using store bought palm nut concentrate to get all that deep flavor on the table in about 35 minutes.

🧡 Why You’ll Love This

You are going to love banga soup for these reasons:

• Traditional flavor: This soup uses authentic spices like ground crayfish and banga spice to give you a true taste of home cooking right in your own kitchen.
• Simple to make: Using store-bought palm nut concentrate cuts down the prep, taking only about 35 minutes to get everything ready for a filling meal.
• Easy to change: You can easily swap out the seafood for your favorite meats like goat meat, beef, or chicken to make the meal even better.
• Low-carb friendly: It is naturally packed with healthy fats and rich ingredients, making it a light but satisfying soup that fits perfectly into a low-carb lifestyle.

💭 What is Banga Soup?

Banga soup is made from palm fruit extract, which gives it that gorgeous deep orange color and rich, nutty flavor. Palm nut, sometimes called palm kernel, comes from the oil palm tree that is native to West and Central Africa.

It is a staple across the region and goes by different names depending on where you are. In Nigeria, the Delta region calls it banga soup, and the Igbos know it as Ofe Akwu. In Cameroon it is Mbanga soup, in Ghana it is Abenkwan, and in Congo it is Moambe.

Growing up, I used to watch my mum make this from scratch and it seemed to take forever. The traditional method involves boiling fresh palm nuts, pounding them in a mortar, and squeezing out the extract by hand. It is a labor of love!

Thankfully, store-bought palm nut concentrate cuts the process way down and the results are still absolutely delicious. I will walk you through both methods below so you have options.

🥘 Equipment I Use

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

You really do not need much for this recipe, which is one of the things I love about it. A medium to large pot is the main thing you need since the soup needs enough room to simmer properly.

If you are making the concentrate from scratch, a large mortar and pestle is essential for pounding the palm nuts. That is really it! A wooden spoon for stirring and a strainer if you are making the concentrate from scratch will round things out nicely.

🧾 Ingredients Used

• Palm-nut concentrate: There are different brands of palm-nut concentrate on the market, but some of them have been mixed with other ingredients. I like to use Trofai Palm Nut concentrate because it’s in its pure form, and the carbs are relatively low.
• Fresh catfish and shrimp: Banga soup is traditionally made with seafood like fresh fish and shrimp. I grew up eating it with periwinkles, which was always amazing. I have no idea where to buy periwinkles where I live, but shrimp make an excellent substitute.
• Spices: Bouillon powder (maggi cubes), cayenne pepper, ground crayfish, banga spice, and salt. Banga spice gives this soup its unique, finger-licking taste and flavor. It is made from a blend of a few unique traditional spices, like oburunbebe stick, beletete, aidan fruit, and chili pepper. I usually get banga spice from an African store, but you can also get it from Amazon.

🔪 How To Make Banga Soup

Using Store-Bought Palm Nut Concentrate (Quick Method)

This is the method I use most of the time and it is so easy. Here is how it goes:

• Prep the catfish. If your catfish came whole, cut and clean it first. Buying it already cut from the store saves you a good chunk of time here.
• Start the soup. Pour the palm nut concentrate into a pot and place it on medium heat.
• Add the shrimp and spices. Add in the shrimp, bouillon powder, cayenne pepper, ground crayfish, banga spice, and salt. Let everything boil together for 10 minutes so the flavors can start to come together.
• Add the catfish. Gently add your catfish pieces and simmer on medium low heat for about 15 minutes.
• Watch for the oil. Your banga soup is ready when the palm nut oil starts rising to the surface and the whole pot smells incredible. Serve hot and enjoy!

Making Palm Nut Concentrate From Scratch (Traditional Method)

• If you cannot find palm nut concentrate near you, here is how to make it yourself. It takes more time and effort but the result is truly authentic. You will need a large mortar and pestle for this.
• Wash and boil the palm nuts. Measure out your fresh palm nut seeds and wash them well under running water. Place them in a pot with enough water to cover and boil until tender, about 20 minutes.
• Pound them. Pour the cooked seeds into a large mortar and use the pestle to pound and mash them gently. Fair warning, this can get a little messy!
• Extract the concentrate. Transfer the mashed palm nuts to a large bowl, add some water, and squeeze them with your hands. Drain the liquid into a separate bowl. Repeat this a few times. The water will start out very thick and orange and gradually get lighter as you go.
• Boil it down. Strain the liquid into a pot and boil for 30 minutes to an hour until it thickens into a viscous concentrate. From here, follow the steps above to finish your soup.

🍽️ What to Serve With Palm Nut Soup

Banga soup is traditionally served with starch, which is the classic Delta pairing and honestly so good if you can get it. It also goes beautifully with other fufu dishes like pounded yam, eba, or any of your favorite low carb fufu options.

For a low carb meal, I love serving it alongside cauliflower rice since that nutty, rich soup soaks right in and it tastes absolutely incredible. A simple bowl of low carb fufu with banga soup is one of those comfort food combinations that just hits differently every single time.

♨️ How To Store and Reheat

Banga soup stores really well, which makes it perfect for batch cooking. In the fridge, it keeps for up to five days in an airtight container. The flavor actually deepens overnight so the next day’s bowl is often even better than the first.

For longer storage, you can freeze it for two to three months. To reheat from frozen, let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight and then warm it up in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally until hot all the way through.

💡 My Expert Tips

• Banga spice is non-negotiable. It is what gives this soup its truly authentic flavor. If you skip it, the soup will still taste good but it will not have that unmistakable banga taste. Order it on Amazon if your local African store does not carry it.
• You can use meat instead of seafood. Although banga soup is traditionally made with seafood, it is also delicious with goat meat, beef, or chicken if that is what you have on hand.
• Add scent leaves for extra flavor. A handful of scent leaves stirred in near the end adds a beautiful dimension to the soup.
• Do not worry about the oil. Palm nut soup naturally produces a lot of oil. If it seems like too much, just drain some off when the soup is done. It is totally normal.
• Add greens if you like. Spinach or other leafy greens are a great addition. Stir them in during the last few minutes of cooking so they stay vibrant and do not get overcooked.

👩‍🍳 Questions You Might Have

Originally published in Dec 2020, this post was updated in June 2026 for accuracy and to include more helpful content.

📖 Recipe

Palm Nut Soup (Banga Soup)

Palm nut soup is a rich, nutty West African soup made from palm fruit extract. Depending on where you’re from, you might know it as banga soup or ofe akwu, but it’s all the same delicious dish. This version uses store bought concentrate so you get that deep, slow-cooked flavor in just 35 minutes.

Print
Pin

SaveSaved!

Course: Soups & Stews

Cuisine: African

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 340kcal

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Using store-bought concentrate

• Pour the palm nut concentrate into a pot.

  1 can Palm-nut concentrate

• Add in the shrimps and spices and let it boil for 10 minutes.

  8 oz shrimps, 1 tablespoon bouillon powder, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon ground crayfish, 1.5 tablespoon banga spice, 1 teaspoon salt

• Add your catfish and simmer for about 15 minutes.

  2 lbs catfish

• When the oil from the palm nut starts to rise to the surface, your banga soup is ready.

Make the palm nut concentrate using a mortar and pestle (optional)

• Wash the palm nut seeds, and place them in a pot with enough water to cover them.

• Boil till tender (about 20 minutes).

• Pour the palm kernel seeds into a mortar and use a pestle to gently pound and mash them.

• When the palm nut seeds look mushy, transfer them to another large bowl. Add some water, squeeze the palm nuts, and drain into a separate bowl.

• Repeat several times till the water looks a bit lighter.

• Strain the water from washing the palm nut into a pot.

• Boil for about 30 minutes or an hour until the liquid has a thicker viscosity.

• Continue cooking the banga soup using instructions from above.

Notes

• Although palm nut soup is traditionally made with seafood like fresh fish, shrimp, or periwinkles, you can also cook it with meat.
• You can add scent leaves to your soup for an additional dimension of flavor.
• Palm-nut soup produces quite a bit of oil. If this bothers you, you can drain some of it when it’s ready.
• You can add more or less cayenne pepper, depending on your preference.
• You can also add spinach or other leafy greens to this Nigerian soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 137mg | Sodium: 722mg | Potassium: 429mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 1mg

Tayo Oredola is the founder of Low Carb Africa, where she shares healthy, low carb dishes with global flavors. She is passionate about teaching people how to cook drool-worthy dishes while losing weight and living their best lives. Tayo’s recipes have been featured on MSN, Women’s Health, Parade, Yahoo News, Pure Wow, Essence, and other online publications.