Nigerian Egusi Soup
Creamy, umami-rich melon seed soup thickened with ground egusi and enriched with spinach and tomatoes. A vegetarian Nigerian classic that's deeply satisfying and ready in under an hour.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 14g
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp palm oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium tomato, diced
- 1 cup ground egusi (melon seeds)
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic clove, minced
- 1 to taste salt and pepper
- 1 optional scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, whole
Instructions
- 1
Heat palm oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers, about 1 minute.
- 2
Add diced onion and cook, stirring often, until softened and translucent, 4–5 minutes.
- 3
Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 4
Add diced tomato and stir to combine. Cook for 2–3 minutes until tomato softens slightly.
- 5
Pour in vegetable broth and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
- 6
In a small bowl, mix ground egusi with 1/2 cup water until smooth paste forms.
- 7
Slowly pour egusi mixture into broth while stirring constantly to avoid lumps.
- 8
If using whole pepper, add it now. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- 9
Add chopped spinach and stir until wilted, about 1–2 minutes.
- 10
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove whole pepper before serving if used.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot (5-quart or larger)
- wooden spoon
- small bowl
- knife and cutting board
- ladle
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
