4 tasty soups/sauces to replace your Nigerian red stew

Except you've just stepped off a shuttle from the planet Neptune, chances are if you live in Nigeria, you've likely heard of the recent hike in the price of tomatoes.

For many, this hike in price is not a welcome development as tomatoes are usually the bane of many a Nigerian staple dish from jollof rice to good, ol' stew.

With the current ludicrous tomato prices, however, there's no better time to give tomato stew a break and try out other equally delicious sauces.

Here are 4 tasty sauces to replace your Nigerian red stew this tomato scarce period.

1. Ofe akwu/banga: A popular dish amongst the Igbos and Urhobos respectively, ofe akwu/banga is a very tasty, rich sauce that is made with oil extracted from palm kernel. While the Urhobos tend to eat theirs sans vegetables, the Igbo variation sees the inclusion of nchu anwu (scent leaf). This sauce is great for eating rice and can be used for swallows as well. Check out this great ofe akwu recipe here, and a banga soup recipe here.

2. Vegetable sauce: This sauce is great for more than one reason, asides being very tasty, vegetable sauce is highly nutritious and ideal for those in the process of losing weight. There are various kinds of vegetable sauces, including one made with groundnut oil and onions, and a good old edika ikong version that can be eaten with rice and swallow. Check out this edika ikong recipe courtesy Nigeria Cuisine here.

3. Peppersoup: Anyone who's ever lived in Port Harcourt or any other South-South region will be familiar with the concept of rice and pepper soup, especially catfish peppersoup. With the rainy season upon us, there's no better time to enjoy this recipe. Get the authentic pepper soup recipe courtesy Sisi Yemmiehere.

4. Tangerine beef sauce: Tangerines are a healthy fruit that can be used in salads and smoothies, but ever thought of a tangerine sauce? Food blogger, Afrolems recently shared her Tangerine beef sauce recipe in response to the tomato price hike as well. Check it out here.