Nigerian Egusi soup is a tasty soup made with ground melon seeds, meats and blended peppers, all fried in palm oil. It is garnished with vegetables and eaten with swallows like the famous fufu.

To think that it was just yesterday that the internet was agog with videos of fufu and Egusi soup. The trend was more TikTok-led at the time and gradually pervaded other social media platforms. Fufu on its own has no pleasing taste, it requires being paired with a protein-rich, tasty and savoury soup such as this one.

Food is proof that many cultures are similar, we have different names for a singular recipe or food ingredient. Egusi soup is made with ground melon seeds and blended peppers fried in palm oil. It is usually garnished with different proteins such as dried catfish, shrimp, cow skin cuts etc.

Ingredients Needed for Nigerian Egusi Soup

1. Egusi (Ground Melon Seeds)

Egusi seeds in their whole or ground form can be purchased in your local African store. It is high in protein, Vitamin A, B1 and B2 which are beneficial in the repair of body tissue and the strengthening of bones.

2. Pepper Mix

You will need a fresh blend of red bell peppers, scotch bonnets and onion for this recipe.

3. Palm Oil

Palm oil which is oil produced by the palm nut is one of the most nutritious types of oils. Its redness enriches the colour of the soup. You can purchase a bottle of palm oil on my storefront, tested and trusted!

4. Protein

I used a combination of cow meat and skin for my soup. I also added in fresh shrimp, dried catfish, ground crayfish and stockfish (stockfish is dried cod which releases an uncommon but pleasant flavour to the soup). Yup, not a cheap soup to make.

The soup starts with the cooking of the meats before adding all other ingredients to cook in the broth, hence, you may have to adjust the length of the cooking based on the choice of meats used.

5. Chopped Spinach

Regular spinach can be bought from your local store, chop and rinse well before adding it into the soup.

If you would like to give it that extra cultural touch as done by Nigerians, you can add in locust beans which should also be available in your nearest African store.

In Nigeria, the fresh version is used. Being outside Nigeria, I settle for the dry version of locust beans. It might not exactly have a pleasing smell but it adds an umami essence to the overall dish.