Easy Egusi Soup Recipe 

12,000naira

Egusi soup is the unspoken national soup of Nigeria, it has different variations of preparation but you end up with the same finger licking result.

Egusi soup ingredients includes ground melon seed, pepper mix, spinach, beef, crayfish, iru and other condiments. Egusi soup and fufu are commonly paired together but it can also be eaten with other swallows like Fresh garri (Eba), Amala, Semovita, Pounded yam, and the likes. Some people like my husband even serve Egusi soup over Rice.

Ready in 120 minutes

Serves 8 people

2280 calories 

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Egusi melon (1200 naira)
• 1 Cup Palm Oil (400 naira)
• Crayfish (100 naira)
• locust beans/ Iru (100 naira)
• Vegetables ( Ugwu, bitterleaves, Uziza leaves) (200 naira)
• Fresh pepper and tomatoes (500 naira)
• 2 Onions (100 naira)
•  Stock Cube (100 naira)
• Kilo of Chicken  (6000 naira)
• Dry Fish (1000 naira)
• Fresh fish (3000 naira)
•  Salt To Taste

Preparation

• Blend the tomato and pepper. Try using as little water as possible to reduce the cooking time.
• You can opt for ground egusi or buy egusi seeds that you blend yourself. I like to buy ground egusi as I find it easier to work with but many people prefer the egusi seeds because depending on where you buy from, ground egusi might have some dirt particles inside. But if you have a clean and reliable vendor, ground egusi is the way to go. I mix the ground egusi with some water to form a paste.

• Time to cook the chicken. I bought live chicken which was the same price as a kilo of frozen chicken. I prefer the toughness of the live chicken compared to the softness of the frozen chicken. This is especially best for soups. I parboiled the chicken with salt, bullion cubes, ground crayfish and pepper. Cooking hard chicken takes some time so make sure to check on the chicken from time to time.

• Heat the palm oil in a pot. Once the chicken is cooked to your desired softness, place a pot on the store and pour in your oil. Allow  it to melt over medium heat but don’t bleach the oil. Throw in your diced onion, dry fish, iru and the remaining ground crayfish. Allow everything fry for about 3 minutes on medium heat.
• Add the blended tomato and pepper mix. Once the onions is translucent, add the blended mix of tomato and pepper and allow to cook till the water is reduced. This should take about 15 minutes on medium heat, stir frequently about every 5 minutes to prevent burning.
• Add the Egusi and cooked chicken. When the stew base is ready, add the remaining iru/locust bean, cooked chicken with its stock, then gently introduce the blended egusi into the mix but don’t stir it at this point. Cover it and allow to cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, before finally introducing the fresh fish. I like to add the fish last as it only takes a few minutes to cook so it doesn’t scatter in the soup.  Keep an eye on the soup, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
• Finally add the vegetables. I like to use ugwu/ pumpkin leaves and washed bitterleaves but you can also use uziza leaves and/or spinach and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes.  Taste the soul for seasoning and make adjustments if necessary. You can add some water if the soup is too thick.
• Serve while still hot. Your soup is ready to be eaten with Eba, fufu, semovita or rice. Enjoy!!

Tips

Reduce the quantity of palm oil to cut down the calorie content of the soup.i

If you intend to keep the soup for later use or have some leftovers, keep it in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can also store egusi soup in the fridge for up to 4 days If you plan to consume it within a short time.

When you are ready to serve, pop the soup on the stovetop under low heat or place it in a microwave using a microwave-safe container.