Egusi soup is a deeply savory Nigerian stew thickened with ground melon seeds and enriched with greens, meat, peppers, and red palm oil.
Build the soup in layers: cook the meat, bloom the aromatics, toast the egusi briefly, then simmer until thick and nutty before folding in the greens.
Stir the egusi often after adding the stock so the ground seeds do not settle on the bottom of the pot and scorch.
Serving Suggestions
Serve with pounded yam, fufu, eba, or rice. Add extra greens and a small bowl of sliced peppers for a fresh contrast.
Recipe Notes
The soup keeps for up to 3 days refrigerated and freezes well. Reheat gently with a splash of stock if it thickens too much.
Nigerian Egusi Soup with Greens and Beef
A thick, nutty Nigerian melon-seed soup with beef, chicken, leafy greens, peppers, and red palm oil.
Equipment
- Large heavy pot
- Wooden spoon
- Blender
- Ladle
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 cup ground egusi or melon seeds
- 1/2 cup red palm oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
- 1 lb beef stew meat bite-size pieces
- 1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs bite-size pieces
- 2 cups beef stock
- 2 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 tsp ground crayfish optional
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp fine salt plus more to taste
- 2 pieces Scotch bonnet peppers seeded for less heat
- 4 cups chopped spinach or bitterleaf
Pounded Yam
- 2 cups pounded yam flour
- 3 cups water
Instructions
Cook the meat:
- Season the beef and chicken with a little salt. Simmer them with 1 cup of stock until nearly tender, about 30 minutes. Reserve the cooking liquid.
- Blend the onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and Scotch bonnet into a coarse sauce.
Build the soup:
- Heat the palm oil in a heavy pot. Add the blended sauce and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the egusi and cook for 3 minutes. Add the meat, reserved liquid, remaining stock, crayfish, paprika, and salt. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
- Fold in the greens and cook for 5 minutes, until tender but still green.
Make the yam and serve:
- Bring the water to a simmer in a saucepan. Add the pounded yam flour gradually, stirring constantly, until smooth and stretchy. Cover and steam for 2 minutes.
- Shape the yam into portions and serve with ladles of hot egusi soup.
Notes
- Stir the egusi after adding stock to prevent scorching.
- Use spinach if bitterleaf is unavailable.
- Adjust the peppers to suit your preferred heat level.
Nutrition
Calories: 610kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 35gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 980mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8g