Description
Nigerian egusi soup is rich, flavor-packed, and hearty. This favorite soup is indeed one of the best soups in African cuisine, and it is loved both at home and in restaurants. Egusi soup is easy to make as it requires only a handful of ingredients, including ground egusi seeds, meat, dry fish, ground crayfish, and other ingredients. You can pair egusi soup with “swallow,” such as fufu, garri/eba, pounded yam, amala, oat fufu, etc. Plain white rice equally pairs well with egusi soup as well.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of ground egusi
- 4 – 6 meat broth/stock (I used all the broth from boiling the oxtail and beef)
- 3 lbs. Oxtail (cooked until fork tender)
- 2–3 lbs. beef (boiled/cooked till fork tender)
- 1 lb of dry fish (wash thoroughly and remove all the bone)
- ¼ cup of ground crayfish
- 2 cubes of Knorr or Maggi cubes, plus more for boiling the oxtail and beef
- 1/3 cup of red oil
- 6 oz tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon Ground African chili pepper/African bird’s eye chili pepper or habanero
- Salt to taste plus more for boiling the oxtail and beef
- 1 medium-sized onion, plus 1 large onion for boiling the oxtail and beef
- Fresh spinach (frozen works too)
Instructions
- Prep the Meat. Wash and cook all the meat before starting to cook your soup. Place washed oxtail into a clean pot, and add enough water to cover the meat. Then add ½ an onion, two teaspoons salt, and one teaspoon Knoor, cook until fork tender, separate the meat from the broth, and set aside. Reserve the broth to cook the egusi soup. Repeat the above process to cook all the meat separately.
- Clean/Prep the Fish. Wash and debone dry/smoked fish, and set aside. If the fish is very dry, consider boiling it for a few minutes to soften a bit prior to using/cooking your soup.
- Cook Your Egusi Soup. Place a big pot on the stove and turn your stove to medium. Add palm oil and allow to heat up a bit (about ½ a minute) or so. Add your ground egusi and keep stirring to combine red palm oil and egusi for about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and continue to combine with the egusi/red palm oil already in the pot. Add some salt (one teaspoon or less). (You may want to lower the heat at this time to avoid burning). This process reduces the raw taste of the egusi and tomato paste. Then add all the meat broth (about 6 cups.) Give a good stir, making sure to dissolve any visible “paste lump.” Add all the meat and fish (already cooked oxtail, beef, and dry fish; stir. Now add the other condiments: ground red pepper (African bird’s eye pepper), Knorr cubes, and ground crayfish. Stir everything together and taste. Cover and simmer (on low-medium) for 30– 40 minutes, checking and lightly stirring every 5 minutes. You will surely notice when the soup thickens and tastes like cooked egusi.
- Add Spinach and Finish Cooking. Add spinach around the 35 – 37 minute mark or when you think that your soup is almost ready. Then stir and allow another 3 minutes for everything to simmer. Your soup is ready after that. Taste for flavors and adjust before turning off the stove. Serve with pounded yam, garri, or white rice. Enjoy!!! Don’t forget to watch the video for proper cooking instruction and guidance.
- Serve with pounded yam, garri, or white rice. Enjoy!!!
Notes
Cook all the meat before making the soup, if possible, a day before. Also, boil the meats separately; for instance, I boiled the oxtail separately from the red beef meat. If I were using cow foot, too, I would cook them separately as well.
Season each of the separate meats when you boil them. This ensures you have a well-seasoned broth.
When boiling the meats, please add more water as the water dries up. This happens especially for meat that takes longer to cook, such as cow foot and oxtail. Alternatively, boil your oxtail and cowfoot in the pressure cooker if you have one.
Make sure to wash your dry fish properly and debone them. “Dry fish bone accident” is horrifying. Always debone your fish, whether cooking for yourself or others. Perhaps soak your dry fish in hot salty water to rid it of sand/dust. Soaking always allows the fish to soften and the bones to let go.
There are several green leaves that you can add to your egusi, such as ugu (African fruited pumpkin leaves). However, I’m using spinach, as that’s what I can find here. I wouldn’t use spring mix, though.
The time for boiling the meat is excluded from the overall preparation time.
