Entree: Nigeria – Yoruba Southwest – Egusi Soup (Thick West African soup made with ground melon seeds, leafy greens, and assorted meats)

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 25 min

Cook 1 hr 15 min

Total 1 hr 40 min

Ingredients

- 6 cups (1.4 L) beef stock or water with bouillon
- 1 lb (454 g) boneless beef stew meat, cut into bite-size cubes
- 8 oz (225 g) assorted smoked fish and/or stockfish, deboned and flaked
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) palm oil
- 2 cups (200 g) ground egusi (melon seeds)
- 1 large onion, chopped (about 8 oz / 225 g)
- 2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, blended with 1/2 cup (120 ml) water (adjust to heat preference)
- 1/4 cup (30 g) ground crayfish
- 1 tbsp (15 g) iru (locust beans) or 1 tbsp (15 g) fermented ground iru if available (optional)
- 2 seasoning cubes (Maggi or Bouillon) or to taste
- Salt to taste
- 4 cups (about 100 g) chopped ugu (pumpkin leaves) or spinach or bitter leaf, rinsed and chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil (for initial frying if needed)

Instructions

1. In a large pot, bring the beef and stock to a boil. Skim any scum, reduce heat, and simmer until the beef is tender, about 45–60 minutes. Remove beef and reserve the stock; keep meat pieces aside.
2. While the beef cooks, blend the chopped onion and peppers with a little water to a coarse puree. Set aside.
3. Heat the palm oil in a heavy skillet or pot over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add half of the blended onion-pepper mixture and sauté briefly until fragrant.
4. In a bowl, mix the ground egusi with a few tablespoons of water to form a thick paste. Shape the paste into spoonful-sized patties or drop spoons of paste into the hot palm oil to fry lightly, turning to form browned lumps (this develops flavor and texture).
5. Add the fried egusi lumps to the pot with reserved stock. Stir gently, then add the remaining blended onion-pepper mix, ground crayfish, iru (if using), smoked fish, and seasoning cubes. Simmer 10–15 minutes to allow flavors to marry.
6. Return the cooked beef pieces to the pot. If the soup is too thick, add additional hot stock or water to reach desired consistency. Simmer another 5–10 minutes.
7. Add the chopped ugu or spinach and cook until the greens are wilted and tender, about 3–5 minutes. Adjust salt and seasoning to taste.
8. Remove from heat and serve hot with fufu, pounded yam, or your preferred swallow.