This Egusi soup recipe is insanely delicious and easy to make. Before you say I write this about all my recipes, I just want to confirm once again that this is true. I can tell you, this soup is the truth. It is simple and quick to make.
Let me show you how to cook egusi soup in easy steps. Serve this Nigerian soup with pounded yam, amala, eba, tuwo or any other swallow of choice.
To begin with, I wasn't supposed to post this egusi soup recipe on the blog right away. Then, my family had this soup and it was a hit, so I thought I should share it. Whilst in the kitchen, my daughter told me she had been dreaming of eating noodles or okra soup for lunch.
Tough! I told her that we are having egusi soup for lunch, whether she likes it or not (giving her my serious African Mum's side eyes). We had the egusi soup with pounded yam, and she couldn’t stop singing its praises after eating it.
Furthermore, egusi soup is popular in Nigeria and it is best eaten with morsels or “swallow” as it’s popularly called. Egusi soup and pounded are top of the list. Perfect food marriage the universe has ever brought together.
We have other types of soups too (you can check it out here). Egusi soup is very easy to make in varied preferences.
I have more than four egusi recipes on the blog and all with different tastes because of the methods of cooking. The ingredients used in cooking varies too and it is safe to call it egusi soup 101 as it's in the simplest way possible and it can be ready under 40 minutes.
I made this soup with pepper mix, ground egusi (melon seed), smoked turkey, spinach, dried prawns and smoked mackerel. I have a thing for smoked turkey that makes me want to add it to anything I cook.
Its no joke at all, I need deliverance. Don’t blame me though, I think whoever invented smoked turkey should be immortalised. The addition of smoked turkey elevated this dish and we all a second helping just licking the soup.
Ingredients
Ground melon
smoked turkey
Smoked Mackerel
salt
Beef stock cubes
Nigerian pepper mix
Dried Prawns
Iru woro or pete (locust beans): substitute with ogiri or omit if you do not have it
Palm oil
Spinach: any type of spinach can be used but I used baby spinach
Methods of cooking egusi soup
Egusi (Ground melon seed which is not the same as pumpkin seed) can be cooked with a different method.
Frying method: I love this method and I use it a lot. You fry ground melon seed paste in palm oil first before adding the other ingredients.
Boiling method: Check out how I have used both methods in this lumpy egusi soup recipe
How to cook egusi soup in simple steps
- Add ground melon to a bowl, add about a cup of water and mix to form a paste then set aside. Wash and chop the spinach, drain in a colander and set aside.
- Place a big pan on medium heat, add palm oil and heat for about 3 minutes (Do not bleach oil) add the reserved chopped onions and Sautee till translucent
- Add pepper mix, locust beans and stir to combine. Bring to boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the egusi paste in bits to pepper, reduce the heat, do not stir and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and gently stir the soup. The egusi would be lumpy at this point, use the back of a ladle to break the lumps it into desired size/texture
- Add smoked turkey, ground crayfish and crayfish, beef stock (if using) and stir to combine. Add bouillon cubes, taste and adjust accordingly. I didn’t add salt to this soup as the smoked turkey and mackerel already contained salt. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes, check at intervals and stir to avoid burning if need be
- Add shredded smoked mackerel and gently stir into the soup. Add chopped spinach, stir to combine and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Take it off the heat, allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving
Serve and enjoy with any Nigerian swallow of choice, you can even serve over white rice. Not afraid to try new things, cool, then we are related. you may also enjoy this soup with freshly baked Agege bread.
Can I make other types of egusi soup recipe?
Absolutely, check out other methods here
Is this soup healthy?
Yes, it is. It can be considered as a superfood and it is high in protein, vitamins etc. More importantly, I found an interesting read about egusi here (melon seed) and its invaluable benefits. It is worth a read, Like everything in life, moderation is KEY!!!
What other vegetable leaves can I add to Egusi soup
I used baby spinach to cook this egusi soup but there are other varieties of green vegetable leaf that can be added as well
- Pumpkin leaves also called ugu
- Efo Igbo
- Bitter leaves
- Waterleaf (called obe gbure in Yoruba) Check this gbure elegusi recipe for how to prepare it. waterleaf.
How to cook egusi without vegetable
In Nigeria (West Africa), the popular egusi soup recipe without vegetable is called egusi ijebu
Can I make egusi soup without oil?
Yes, you can, just skip the step where you add palm oil.
Which type of oil is the best for this soup?
I would say palm oil. I am yet to come across anyone who cooks the soup with vegetable oil.
Tips
Add beef, chicken or fish to the soup if you can't source smoked turkey.
Stockfish can be used to substitute smoked fish used in this recipe. If you will be using stockfish, ensure it is washed in hot water with salt. rinse clean to get rid of the debris before adding to the soup.
Other Nigerian Soup Recipes You should try
Nigerian beef stew: this can be served over this soup if you want.
Finally, as always lovelies, if you make this egusi soup, I'll recommend it with pounded yam. Please leave a comment for me. Also, pin this recipe on Pinterest or tag me your beautiful yummy image on Instagram.
See you on my next post
All the best x
Egusi Soup
Ingredients
- 12 pieces smoked turkey grilled
- 3 smoked mackerel fillets
- 2 cups ground melon (egusi)
- Nigerian Pepper mix I used a combination of 2 red bell pepper, 2 scotch bonnet and 1 large onion, reserve little chopped onion for later
- 1 cup palm oil
- 1 tbsp locust beans (Iru woro) substitute with ogiri or dawadawa
- 1 tbsp ground crayfish use more if desired
- ⅓ cups dried prawns washed use more if desired
- 2 bouillon cubes
- cups chopped spinach washed
- 1 cup beef stock (optional, I used this because I had it in the fridge)
Instructions
- Add ground melon to a bowl, add about a cup of water and mix to for a paste then set aside
- Place a big pan on medium heat, add palm oil and heat for about 3 minutes (Do not bleach oil) add the reserved chopped onions and Sautee till translucent
- Add pepper mix, locust beans and stir to combine. Bring to boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the egusi paste in bits to pepper, reduce the heat, do not stir and cover the pot with a lid. Cook for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid, and gently stir the soup. The egusi would be lumpy at this point, use the back of a ladle to break it into desired size/texture
- Add smoked turkey, ground crayfish and crayfish, beef stock (if using) and stir to combine. Add bouillon cubes, taste and adjust accordingly. I didn’t add salt to this soup as the smoked turkey and mackerel already contained salt.Continue to cook for another 10 minutes, check at interval and stir to avoid burning if need be
- Add shredded smoked mackerel and gently stir into the soup. Add chopped spinach, stir to combine and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Take if off the heat, allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving
Notes
- Substitute spinach for any other green leaves of choice
- Swap smoked turkey for beef or goat meat
This recipe was originally published in February 2019 but now updated for housekeeping with step by step photos and some tips.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? PLEASE RATE IT AND LEAVE ME A COMMENT. USE #MYACTIVEKITCHEN OR TAG @MYACTIVEKITCHEN ON INSTAGRAM SO I CAN SEE YOUR PHOTOS, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR CREATIONS. THANK YOU!
I definitely enjoyed the write up and how explanatory everything was.. kudos! Would make this sometime following the steps in my leisure time. Keep up the good work Ajoke!
When I cook the egusi soup my family really love it
I prepare the egusi with green leaf and I put locust beans and I used the soup to eat White rice with chicken and it makes the white rice more delicious and my family love the delicious meal for dinner since that day I was the one cooking for all the family .
I followed every step of this method and it came out so nice and delicious.
The funny thing is that I have nothing to cook with other than salt and maggi, no meat/fish.
I used bitter leaf and scent leaf and trust me, it's so delicious😋
Thank you😘
Question. Is it possible to make egusi soup without the crayfish? I don't eat crustaceans, but would love to enjoy this meal.
Yes, Sun, you can make egusi soup with ccrayfish. Thanks for stopping by and kindly let me know how you get on.
Hey Sun if you don't like the taste of crustaceans you can just omit it, but if you don't eat them for dietary or moral reasons I would recommend you add ground dried seaweed with the seasoning. I use it as a crayfish substitute in many soups and stews.
Yes you can however the flavour isn’t as pronounced as the dish is intended!
Thank you for this delicious recipe. It came out great and I had it with pounded yam just as you recommended