Southern Africa · Soup
Sopa de Feijão Nhemba (Cowpea and Greens Soup)
A hearty, comforting Mozambican soup featuring earthy cowpeas, diced orange sweet potatoes, and tender simmered greens in a light garlic broth.
The story
Rooted in the agricultural heartlands of Gaza and Inhambane, Sopa de Feijão Nhemba is cooked by Chope and Tsonga families to sustain laborers during the chilly winter months. The dish highlights feijão nhemba (black-eyed peas / cowpeas), a resilient indigenous legume paired with seasonal pumpkin leaves (mboa) and sweet potatoes. A culinary secret of village cooks is gently crushing a ladle of cooked cowpeas against the pot wall to naturally thicken the broth without needing starches or dairy.
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