Chef-tested recipe
Ground melon seeds cooked with beef, goat, dried fish, crayfish, palm oil, peppers, and greens
Egusi soup is a substantial Nigerian dish built around ground melon seeds rather than a thin Western-style broth. The seeds enrich and thicken a savoury stock containing meat, fish, crayfish, palm oil, peppers, and leafy vegetables. Regional and household methods vary; this version forms the egusi into soft curds before folding in the meats and greens, producing a rich soup designed to be eaten with a swallow such as pounded yam or eba.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 8 servings
- Prep Time
- 45 mins
- Cook Time
- 2 hours
- Total Time
- 2 hours 45 mins
- Cuisine
- Nigerian
- Course
- Main dishes
- Cooking Method
- Meat stock simmering, pepper frying, and egusi curd cooking
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Best Served With
- Best served with pounded yam, eba, amala, semolina swallow, fufu, or plain white rice.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Large stockpot with lidpaid link
- Wide heavy cooking pot with lidpaid link
- High-speed blenderpaid link
- Fine-mesh strainerpaid link
- Large mixing bowlpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Cutting boardpaid link
- Digital kitchen scalepaid link
Ingredients
For the meat and fish stock
- Beef chuck, cut into 4 cm pieces: 900 g
- Goat shoulder, cut into 4 cm piecespaid link: 700 g
- Stockfish, soaked and cleaned: 200 g
- Dried smoked fish, cleaned and deboned: 200 g
- Red onions, quartered: 300 g
- Ground crayfish: 50 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 15 g
- Water: 2200 ml
For the pepper base
- Red bell peppers, roughly chopped: 500 g
- Red onions, roughly chopped: 200 g
- Scotch bonnet chillies: 30 g
- Red palm oilpaid link: 300 ml
- Fermented locust beans, rinsedpaid link: 40 g
For the egusi and greens
- Ground egusi melon seedspaid link: 600 g
- Red onion, finely grated: 150 g
- Water: 350 ml
- Ground crayfish: 30 g
- Ugu pumpkin leaves, sliced: 600 g
- Spinach leaves, sliced: 400 g
- Fine sea saltpaid link: 5 g
Preparation Overview
Soak stockfish according to its type until pliable, clean the dried fish carefully, and remove every bone. Blend the bell peppers, onion, and Scotch bonnet until smooth. Mix the ground egusi with grated onion and water into a thick paste shortly before cooking.
Method
Place the beef, goat, stockfish, quartered onion, 50 g crayfish, salt, and water in a large stockpot.
Bring to a simmer, skim the surface, cover partly, and cook for 60 to 80 minutes until the meats are tender. Add the cleaned dried fish for the final 15 minutes.
Lift out the meats and fish carefully. Strain and reserve 1600 ml of the stock.
Blend the bell peppers, 200 g onion, and Scotch bonnet into a smooth pepper mixture.
Heat the palm oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat without allowing it to smoke or bleach. Add the pepper mixture and locust beans.
Fry for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture reduces and the oil begins separating at the edges.
Combine the ground egusi with grated onion and 350 ml water. Drop the paste in large spoonfuls over the pepper base without stirring.
Pour 500 ml reserved stock around the egusi mounds, cover, and simmer gently for 15 minutes so the paste sets into soft curds.
Turn the curds carefully, add another 700 ml stock, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Fold in the beef, goat, stockfish, dried fish, and remaining crayfish. Add enough stock to reach a thick stew-like consistency and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the ugu and spinach in batches and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until wilted but still green.
Adjust salt and thickness, rest for 10 minutes, and serve hot.
Beginner Technique Notes
Clean dried and stockfish carefully and check the finished pot again for bones.
Palm oil should become hot and fragrant but must not smoke or bleach.
Allow the egusi paste to set before stirring if you want visible soft curds.
Add leafy greens near the end so they retain colour and a fresh vegetal flavour.
Tips and Variations
Use only beef when goat is unavailable, or include tripe and cow foot for a more elaborate assorted-meat pot.
Spinach can replace ugu entirely outside Nigeria, although the flavour will be milder.
Add stock gradually because egusi thickens strongly as it cooks and rests.
Adjust Scotch bonnet to the diners, but retain enough pepper for a rounded Nigerian flavour.
Serving Ideas
- Spoon the thick egusi soup into a wide bowl with visible meat, fish, melon-seed curds, and greens, placing the chosen swallow beside it.
Storage
Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat to at least 74°C with a little water or stock. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Nutritional Value
Allergen Notes
Contains fish and crustacean shellfish from dried fish and crayfish. Egusi is a seed. Check stockfish, smoked fish, palm oil, and fermented locust beans for processing cross-contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is egusi?
Egusi refers to protein-rich melon seeds that are dried and ground for soups and stews across West Africa.
Why is egusi called soup when it is thick?
In Nigerian cooking, soup commonly describes richly seasoned dishes eaten with a swallow, even when their consistency resembles stew.
Can I make egusi without meat?
Yes. Use mushrooms and vegetable stock, omit fish and crayfish, and increase the greens for a plant-based adaptation.
Why did my egusi become dry?
Too little stock or excessive heat can tighten it; add hot stock gradually and keep the simmer gentle.
