Efo Riro (Ẹ̀fọ́ rírò)
Overview
Efo riro is a rich Yoruba vegetable soup from south-western Nigeria, made with a large amount of leafy greens. A base of red bell peppers, tomatoes, scotch bonnet chillies and onion is blended and fried in palm oil until it thickens. Iru, fermented locust beans with a strong flavour, is fried in the oil too. Then boiled beef, goat meat, tripe, smoked fish and stockfish go in with ground crayfish and stock, and finally a big pile of chopped spinach or African greens is folded through and cooked briefly. It is thick rather than brothy and is eaten with pounded yam, eba or rice.
History
Efo means leafy vegetable and riro means stirred, so the name describes the way the greens are folded into the pepper sauce. It is one of the classic soups of Yoruba cooking, served at parties and Sunday meals in Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta. Each family has its own mix of meats and fish, and it is often cooked in a big pot that lasts for several days.
Main ingredients
Spinach (efo), red bell peppers, scotch bonnet, palm oil, locust beans (iru), beef and stockfish. The soup is built on pepper and palm oil base and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Bean soups · Beef soups · Fish and seafood soups · Spinach and greens soups · More soups from Nigeria
Recipe
Method
- 12 min
Fry the iru and some chopped onion in the palm oil for 2 minutes.
- 220 min
Add the blended peppers and fry for 20 minutes until thick and the oil rises.
- 310 min
Add the meat, fish, crayfish and stock and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 45 min
Stir in the greens and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, then season and serve.
- ✓
Serve. About 1h 15m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
