Egusi Soup (Ofe egusi / Ọbẹ̀ ẹ̀gúsí)

Name: Egusi Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Nigeria
Ingredients: 200 g ground egusi seeds; 80 ml red palm oil; 500 g beef or goat, pre-cooked in seasoned stock; 100 g smoked fish or stockfish, flaked; 2 tbsp ground crayfish, 1 onion; 1-2 scotch bonnets, blended; 200 g spinach or ugu leaves, chopped

Overview

Egusi soup is one of the most popular dishes in Nigeria and across West Africa. Its defining ingredient is egusi: the protein-rich seeds of a wild melon, ground into a pale meal that thickens the soup and forms soft, nutty curds as it cooks. The base is red palm oil and a well-seasoned stock of beef, goat or tripe, often boosted with dried crayfish, stockfish and smoked fish. Leafy greens such as bitter leaf, spinach or ugu are stirred in at the end, and scotch bonnet peppers bring the heat. In West Africa the word soup often means a thick, saucy dish, and egusi is eaten with swallows like pounded yam, eba or fufu.

History

Egusi seeds come from melons and gourds that have been grown in West Africa for a very long time, valued because the seeds are rich in protein and oil. Ground into a meal, they have been used to thicken soups and stews across the region. Egusi soup is cooked by many peoples of Nigeria, including the Yoruba and Igbo, with different greens and seasonings, and similar dishes are eaten in Ghana and other neighbouring countries. Nigerian families abroad have helped make it known internationally.

Main ingredients

Ground egusi melon seeds, palm oil, leafy greens, stockfish or smoked fish, beef or goat, scotch bonnet. The soup is built on palm oil and meat stock and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; usually gluten-free.

Explore: Beef soups · Fish and seafood soups · Spinach and greens soups · More soups from Nigeria

Recipe

4Serves

1h 5m20 prep · 45 cook

~500kcal / serving

MediumDifficulty

Method

1
Mix the egusi with a little water and chopped onion to form a thick paste.
2
5-8 min
Heat the palm oil, add dollops of egusi paste and fry gently for 5-8 minutes until it forms curds.
3
15 min
Add 500 ml meat stock, the meat, fish, crayfish and peppers; simmer for 15 minutes.
4
3-5 min
Stir in the greens and cook for 3-5 minutes; adjust salt.
5
Serve hot with pounded yam, eba or fufu.
✓
Serve. About 1h 5m from start to bowl.

Pictures

Egusi Soup: Agusi soup — Photo: Sir Ibee · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Egusi Soup: Egusi soup also know as melon seed is a West Africa dish, popular in countries like Nigeria, Cameroo — Photo: Noila's Enterprises · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Sources

Egusi (Wikipedia)

Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.