Name: Nigerian Egusi Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 1 lb assorted beef cuts, tripe, and cow foot, cut into bite-size pieces; 1 medium onion, quartered; 2 Maggi or Knorr seasoning cubes; 1 tsp salt, plus more to taste; 1 small smoked catfish or stockfish, soaked and flaked (about 1 cup); 4 cups water; 1/2 cup palm oil; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 2 cups ground egusi (melon seeds); 2 tbsp ground dried crayfish; 2 tbsp locust beans (iru or dawadawa), optional; 2-3 habanero or scotch bonnet peppers, finely chopped; 2 seasoning cubes and salt to taste; 4 cups chopped ugu leaves, bitter leaf, or spinach

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Egusi Soup is one of Nigeria's most beloved dishes, built on ground melon seeds that fry in palm oil until nutty and rich. It's loaded with assorted meats, dried fish, and leafy greens for a hearty, deeply savory stew traditionally eaten with fufu or pounded yam.

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time60 mins

Servings6

Yield6 servings

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

480 kcalCalories
38 gFat
12 gSaturated Fat
8 gCarbs
3 gFiber
2 gSugar
28 gProtein
720 mgSodium
650 mgPotassium
180 mgCalcium
4 mgIron
18 mgVitamin C
220 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the meat and stock

1 lb assorted beef cuts, tripe, and cow foot, cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium onion, quartered
2 Maggi or Knorr seasoning cubes
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 small smoked catfish or stockfish, soaked and flaked (about 1 cup)
4 cups water

For the soup

1/2 cup palm oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cups ground egusi (melon seeds)
2 tbsp ground dried crayfish
2 tbsp locust beans (iru or dawadawa), optional
2-3 habanero or scotch bonnet peppers, finely chopped
2 seasoning cubes and salt to taste
4 cups chopped ugu leaves, bitter leaf, or spinach

Directions

Season the assorted meats with the quartered onion, 2 seasoning cubes, and 1 tsp salt in a pot. Add 4 cups water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until the meats are tender and the stock is flavorful.
Add the soaked, flaked smoked fish or stockfish to the pot in the last 5 minutes of simmering. Strain and reserve the stock separately once the meats are done.
Heat the palm oil in a heavy pot over medium heat for about 2 minutes until it melts and clears. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent.
Stir in the ground egusi and fry, stirring constantly, for 6-8 minutes until the mixture looks grainy and the palm oil begins to separate from the seeds. Do not let it scorch.
Add the locust beans, ground crayfish, chopped peppers, and remaining 2 seasoning cubes; stir for 1 minute to toast the aromatics.
Pour in 3 cups of the reserved meat stock and stir well to combine. Add the cooked meats and flaked fish, then cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes so the egusi absorbs the broth.
Stir in the chopped greens, taste, and adjust salt. Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes until the leaves are just wilted but still bright green.
Serve hot in bowls alongside fufu, pounded yam, eba, or amala.

Cook’s Notes

Fry the egusi thoroughly in palm oil — this step builds the nutty flavor and prevents the soup from tasting raw or grainy.
A mix of meats is traditional: shaki (tripe), pomo, and cow foot add collagen and richness that helps thicken the soup as it cools.
If the soup thickens too much on standing, loosen it with a splash of warm stock when reheating.
Bitter leaf gives the most authentic flavor, but spinach or ugu leaves are milder, more accessible substitutes.