How To Make Nigerian Egusi Soup

In this post, I will show you how to make Nigerian egusi soup. Nigerian egusi soup is one of those soups that is very popular all over Nigerian.

It is more popular among the Igbos but these days every ethnic group within Nigerian can relate to the very delicious egusi soup.

As a matter of fact, you cannot attend any Nigerian even both home and abroad and not get served with some egusi soup. It is very easy to prepare and has various twists with the bitter leaves or with the ugu leaves.

Read Also: How to Prepare Egusi Soup in Nigeria

As much as egusi is simple to make, supports various cooking methods and is acceptable to nearly any palate, it can still go very wrong very quickly and easily so I advise you follow these recipes very closely and carefully to make sure your soup turns out perfect. I would also be including some optional ingredients so you can opt for them or not.

The melon seeds called ‘’egusi’’ in local dialect is very rich in protein and oils. It is a very healthy and rich soup suitable for nearly anybody.

In this post, we will focus on the following headings;

a. how to prepare egusi soup with lumps

b. how to cook egusi soup with tomatoes

c. how to cook egusi soup with spinach

d. how to make yoruba egusi soup

e. how to cook egusi soup without vegetable

f. how to cook egusi soup youtube

g. egusi soup recipe igbo

h. how to cook egusi soup boiling method

Read Also: How To Make Nigerian Stew

Ingredients to make Nigerian egusi soup (for four servings)

1. ½ kg of beef

2. ½ kg of shaki (cow tripe)

3. Stock fish

4. Dried fish

5. 2 tablespoons of ground crayfish

6. 20cl of palm oil

7. 2 cups of egusi (ground)

8. One medium piece of osu (a local thickener, ground)

9. 500g ugu leaves

10. 200g okazi leaves (Optional)

11. 2 teaspoons dried, ground Cameroon pepper

12. 2 seasoning cubes

13. One small ball of okpenyi (Local spice)

14. Salt to taste

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STEPS to make Nigerian egusi soup

a. Wash beef and shaki thoroughly and place in a clean pot.

b. Season with salt and one seasoning cube, add a little water and put on medium heat for about 20 minutes.

c. Soak stock fish in warm water for about 20 minutes.

d. Wash and chop the ugu and okazi and set aside.

e. Wash the dried fish in cold water once or twice to ensure you get rid of all the sand particles that be on the fish.

f. When the shaki has begun to curl in the pot and the beef is tender, add the stock fish and dried fish into the pot and boil for another 10 minutes and then remove from heat.

g. In a separate pot, heat the palm oil on medium heat.

h. Add the ground egusi and stir.

i. Stir constantly to ensure that it doesn’t get burnt.

j. Fry the egusi in hot oil for about 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

k. Add crayfish, seasoning cubes, salt, pepper, okpeni and the ground osu to the mix and stir.

l. Turn the cooked meat and fish along with their stock into the pot of frying egusi.

m. Bring to boil for about 5 minutes.

n. Add the okazi leaves and cook for 2 minutes.

o. Add ugu and cook for another three minutes.

p. Turn off heat and serve your egusi soup with any swallow of your choice.

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Alternative Recipe

a. Ingredients (for four servings)

b. ½ kg of beef

c. ½ kg of shaki (cow tripe)

d. Stock fish

e. Dried fish

f. 2 tablespoons of ground crayfish

g. 20cl of palm oil

h. 2 cups of egusi (ground)

i. One medium piece of osu (optional)

j. 300g bitter leaf

k. 2 teaspoons dried, ground Cameroon pepper

l. 2 seasoning cubes

m. One small ball of okpenyi (Local spice)

n. Salt to taste

Steps

1. Wash the bitter leaf in ordinary cold water while squeezing to remove the bitter juice.

2. Put bitter leaf in a clean pot, add about 2 cups of water and place on medium heat.

3. Do not cover the pot because when bitter leaf boils it foams out, so leave the pot open to prevent it from foaming out and messing up the stove.

4. Leave to cook for about 5 minutes and remove from heat.

5. Strain the leaves and wash again in cold water.

6. Chop and set aside.

7. Wash beef and shaki thoroughly and place in a clean pot.

8. Season with salt and one seasoning cube, add a little water and put on medium heat for about 20 minutes.

9. Soak stock fish in warm water for about 20 minutes.

10. Wash the dried fish in cold water once or twice to ensure you get rid of all the sand particles that be on the fish.

11. When the shaki has begun to curl in the pot and the beef is tender, add the stock fish and dried fish into the pot and boil for another 10 minutes.

12. Add palm oil, crayfish, pepper, more seasoning cubes and a pinch of salt to taste.

13. Leave to boil for about 10 minutes till the oil has sufficiently mixed with the stock from the meat.

14. Stir the soup.

15. Add okpenyi and then add the ground egusi.

16. Cover the pot and allow to cook for 10 minutes till the egusi, water and oil has been mixed properly giving and orange looking soup.

17. After adding the egusi, check that there is sufficient water for the egusi to cook it so it doesn’t cake up and get burnt. Feel free to add a little water if the stock is not enough.

Note that you are aiming for a thickness like that of evaporated though egusi soup cannot be smooth as milk but it can be as thick.

18. Now add your bitter leaf to the egusi.

19. Bitter leaf usually clumps together after it has been washed over and over so while adding the bitter leaf it is advisable to sprinkle it little by little over the top of the soup and stir before adding the next batch.

20. Ensure that your bitter leaf is sparse in the soup that’s why it’s advisable to add the bitter leaf little by little to check the quantity. However, the amount written in this recipe should give the perfect results.

21. Cook the soup for another 5 minutes and then remove from heat and serve while hot with any swallow.

Read Also: 18 Steps to cook ogbono soup with Ingredients

Note

There are also some recipes for cooking egusi that involves moulding the egusi in small balls that are chewed separately while eating the soup.

This is a less popular alternative even though it is still enjoyed by many. Another egusi recipe involves using ‘’achara’’ or fresh bamboo sprouts (not sugar cane) for making the soup, though I Have never tried this.

This is often used alongside the ugu or okazi leaves but it is also a less popular recipe. I would always opt for any of the above simpler and more traditional versions of the egusi soup and I hope you enjoy making and eating yours.

Cheers!!!

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