Gbegiri (Gbẹ̀gìrì)
Overview
Gbegiri is a creamy Yoruba bean soup. Brown or black-eyed beans are soaked and rubbed to remove their skins, then boiled until very soft and mashed or whisked into a smooth purée. Palm oil turns it a warm orange, and it is seasoned with ground crayfish, iru, dried chilli and salt. The soup is mild, earthy and velvety. It is the classic partner of ewedu and pepper stew poured together over amala, especially in Ibadan. It is rarely eaten on its own and is almost always combined with other soups.
History
Gbegiri belongs to the traditional cooking of Oyo and Ibadan in south-western Nigeria. Peeling the beans by hand was once a long shared task for the women of a household. The combination of gbegiri, ewedu and amala is now served in buka restaurants across Lagos and beyond. It is often prepared for parties, naming ceremonies and family gatherings in Yoruba communities.
Main ingredients
Peeled beans, palm oil, ground crayfish, locust beans, dried chilli, salt. The soup is built on bean cooking water and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; usually gluten-free.
Explore: Bean soups · Fish and seafood soups · More soups from Nigeria
Recipe outline serves 4 · ~90 min
Ingredients
- 400 g brown or black-eyed beans, soaked and peeled
- 1.2 l water
- 100 ml palm oil
- 2 tbsp ground crayfish
- 1 tbsp iru
- 1 tsp dried chilli, salt and stock cube
Allergens: Contains: Crustaceans. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.
Method
- Boil the peeled beans until they fall apart, about 45 minutes.
- Mash or whisk until smooth, adding water as needed.
- Stir in the palm oil, crayfish, iru, chilli and salt.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring, and serve with ewedu and amala.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
