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A bowl of Nigerian egusi soup with beef, leafy greens, red palm oil, and pounded yam.

Nigerian Egusi Soup with Greens and Beef

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A thick, nutty Nigerian melon-seed soup with beef, chicken, leafy greens, peppers, and red palm oil.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Nigerian
Calories: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Nutrition Notes

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

Equipment

  • Large heavy pot
  • Wooden spoon
  • Blender
  • Ladle

Method
 

Cook the meat:
  1. 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.
  2. Blend the onion, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and Scotch bonnet into a coarse sauce.
Build the soup:
  1. Heat the palm oil in a heavy pot. Add the blended sauce and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. 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.
  3. Fold in the greens and cook for 5 minutes, until tender but still green.
Make the yam and serve:
  1. 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.
  2. Shape the yam into portions and serve with ladles of hot egusi soup.

Nutrition

Calories: 610kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 35gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 980mgFiber: 7gSugar: 8g

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.