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