Egusi Soup

Egusi is a simple West African soup that is hearty, delicious, healthy, and rich in flavors.

Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Nigerian, West African, World Cuisine

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Total Time 54

Servings

Calories 436kcal

Author Kate Hahnel

Equipment

Cooking pot or pan
wooden spoon

Ingredients

For the Chicken and Broth

450 g chicken (about 1 lb)
250 g beef tripe - shaki (approximately 0.5 lb)
1 onion finely chopped or blended
½ teaspoon salt
1 Maggi or your preferred bouillon seasoning cube
1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
1-2 cups water for boiling the meat (or more, until the tripe is tender)

For the egusi soup

2 red bell peppers
1 medium-sized tomato
2-3 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers (or as preferred)
4 African bird's eye chilis (Fresno chiles, or as preferred)
2 medium-sized onions (one for blending, dice and reserve the other one for frying the egusi)
½ cup palm oil (use more or less, as preferred)
2 tablespoon iru - locust bean seeds, soaked in hot water, then drained (or dawa dawa)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1½ cups ground egusi
⅓ cup water (for making the egusi paste)
225 g smoked dry fish - approximately ½lb (such as catfish or tilapia - soaked in hot water, drained, bones removed and broken into small pieces)
2 tablespoon crayfish
500 g sliced fresh or frozen spinach - approximately 1 lb cleaned and drained

Instructions

Make the Broth

In a pot, combine chicken, tripe, onion, salt, Maggi, and scotch bonnet pepper. Without adding water, simmer, stirring occasionally, to allow the seasonings to flavor the meats.
Once most of the liquid has evaporated, add the water. Cover, and cook until the chicken is tender.
Remove the chicken using a slotted spoon. Set this aside. Tripe requires longer to cook so continue boiling until tender (about 15 - 45 min, depending on its texture).
Similarly, use a slotted spoon to remove the tripe (see notes below). Set aside and reserve the broth.

Make the Stew

Blend the red bell peppers, tomato, scotch bonnet peppers, bird's eye chilis, and onion until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water to help with the blending if necessary. Set aside.
Heat palm oil in a medium pot until translucent, but do not bleach it.
Add the diced onion and iru (locust beans), and fry briefly for about 1-2 minutes.
Add the blended peppers, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until much of the liquid has reduced, stirring from time to time. The oil will come to the top once ready.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the ground egusi with water to form a thick paste.
Gently pinch chunks of the egusi paste and add this to the sauce.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and allow the sauce to cook for 20 to 30 minutes with little or no stirring, or until the egusi forms a compact mass.
Keep an eye on the sauce. Add more water or broth if necessary, and gently shake the pan or pot to prevent burning.
Add the smoked dried fish, carefully stir to combine, and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
Add the chicken, beef tripe, crayfish, and ⅓ cup of the reserved broth or water, then simmer on low for 5 minutes. Add more or less broth, depending on how thick you like your egusi soup.
Add the spinach then use a wooden spoon to gently stir. Break the egusi accordingly, depending on how lumpy you like your soup.
Cook covered for a further 5 minutes, then check and adjust the seasoning.
Serve with fufu, pounded yam, or your favorite swallow.

Notes

Once boiled, you can choose to fry, bake, or air fry your chicken and tripe, to give it some more flavor.

Leftovers - Preserve leftover egusi stew by letting it cool and storing it in airtight containers; refrigerate for 4-5 days or freeze for 3 months. To reheat, thaw overnight in the fridge and warm on the stovetop or microwave in 2-minute intervals until heated through.

Nutrition