Egusi Soup is an outstandingly delicious, quick, and easy soup with ground egusi seeds, similar to pumpkin seeds. This meaty, nutty, spicy soup is protein-packed and full of tasty greens. And it’s also the ultimate West African comfort food.
You should have seen my excitement the other day when I stumbled upon egusi at an Indian market with the name charmagaz. I could have sworn that we Africans were the only ones who ate them.
Now I know where to find some when the craving hits and don’t want to make the long drive to my favorite African market.
Egusi stew is not so well known by Westerners, unlike our other famous peanut or tomato stews. That’s probably because the star ingredient, egusi, is not readily available and somewhat pricy. But once you get a taste, you’ll fall in love with it.
What is Egusi Soup?
One of my first posts was about egusi soup—an authentic West African classic. People in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, and Cameroon, to name a few, enjoy this delicacy with slight differences in preparation from country to country and even between villages.
Technically speaking, it is not a soup. I believe we Africans have become so complacent, or some would say lazy, we call every sauce or stew a soup.
Egusi Soup Recipe Ingredients
- Meat – Smoked turkey, beef, or a combination of both make a fantastic broth for our egusi soup. Of course, if you’re in a rush, you can use canned broth, and vegetable broth works for a vegetarian option.
- Tomatoes – The whole tomato, juice and all, add a pleasant acidity and color.
- Egusi – You have no idea what you’re missing if you’ve never tried these. We have a particular melon, white-seed melon, which seeds provide protein and flavor for many dishes. You can replace them with pumpkin seeds if you can’t find them locally, though the flavor won’t be as strong.
- Dried Crayfish – The savory seafood flavor complements the veggies and nutty egusi paste perfectly. You can use dried shrimp instead if you don’t have crayfish. Most Asian and Latin grocery stores carry it.
- Spinach – I usually use frozen spinach for this recipe because it’s easier. However, fresh spinach or dark leafy greens such as kale, collards, or bitter greens work great.
How to Make Egusi Soup
- Boil the Meat – In a medium-sized saucepan, boil the beef seasoned with salt (garlic salt), smoked paprika, pepper, and onions until tender – make sure you add plenty of water, so you have about 3-4 cups of beef stock for the soup. Remove the beef and reserve the stock. (Photo 1)
- Saute Onions, Meat, and Crayfish – Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the beef, smoked turkey, and crayfish, and continue cooking. (Photos 2-5)
- Add the Tomatoes – Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, garlic, and 1-2 cups of beef stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for another 5 minutes. (Photo 6)
- Now the Egusi – Add ground egusi and simmer on medium heat for approximately ten more minutes. Then add beef stock as needed to get the desired consistency or prevent burning. (Photos 7-9)
- Add Spinach – Finally, throw in the spinach and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. (Photo 10)
- Serve warm with fried plantains, fufu, yams, or your favorite starchy side dish.
Recipe Variations
- If you want lumpy egusi, I’ve got you covered.
- You can use smoked fish or any meat for this versatile egusi soup recipe.
- A vegan version is super easy; omit the meat, replace the beef broth with vegetable broth and the crawfish with half a cup of pureed sweet potatoes.
Tips and Tricks
- Bitter greens are good for you, but not everyone enjoys them. Adding a little sugar will balance the bitterness.
- You don’t want watery broth, so add just enough water to barely cover the meat. You can add more water if you need to later, but you can’t take it out.
- This recipe uses a lot of oil, and some people may think it’s too much. Feel free to reduce the amount of oil to a couple of tablespoons if you’re worried about the fat content.
- Grilling the meat you remove from the pot for a few minutes really amps up the deliciousness.
- Have you ever had peppers that got a little old and started wrinkling? I’m not talking about the moldy ones; just kinda dried out. They’re not ideal for a salad, but they’re perfect for soups because they don’t add as much moisture.
Make-Ahead Instructions
Most soups and stews with tomatoes taste even better the next day. So go for it, and make it the day before for a stress-free dinner. You can reheat it in a saucepan over low heat until it starts to bubble.
Serving and Storage Instructions
Store dried, shelled egusi in the refrigerator for more than a year and in the freezer indefinitely.
Egusi soup keeps in the fridge for three or four days and three months in the freezer.
FAQs
Egusi is a wild member of the gourd family with very dry skin and bitter flesh. It looks like a watermelon but tastes quite differently. The seeds are incredibly nutritious and high in protein and oil. We often use them in West Africa to thicken soups and add depth to many dishes.
You bet! This exotic sauce is a nutritional POWERHOUSE! Its high protein content and mineral-rich health benefits may lure you in, but the taste will keep you coming back for more.
You can purchase these seeds in African Markets, Indian markets, or online, but if you are in West Africa, they are available in most markets.
That is totally up to you! Beef, lamb, goat, and dried fish are all traditional ingredients. Tripe and other offals also make a mouthwatering soup. Even chicken or turkey will sneak in there on occasion.
What Goes with Egusi Soup
Fufu, fried sweet plantains, and pounded yams are traditional sides. Jollof rice may not be so usual, but it shows up sometimes, and we don’t complain.😉 I also like to have a stack of injera for a stress-free starchy side.
More Fabulous African Recipes to Try
We Cameroonians also use egusi to make a delectable and highly addictive egusi pudding. Here are some more recipes I’m sure you’ll love.
Conclusion
This highly satisfying one-pot meal is super easy. Have you tried it yet? Please let me know in the comments how your family liked it.
Watch How To Make It
This blog post was first published in October 2014 and has been updated with new write-up, photos, and a video.
Egusi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound (453 g) meat, smoked turkey, smoked fish or beef, or any meat of your choice
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) pepper
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) smoked paprika
- ¼ cup (62.5 ml) canola oil (see note #3)
- ¼ cup (62.5 ml) palm oil (see note #3)
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, about 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup ground egusi
- ⅓ cup ground or smashed crayfish
- 1 cup (30 g) spinach, or more (I used frozen spinach)
Instructions
- In a medium-sized saucepan, boil the beef seasoned with salt (garlic salt), pepper, smoked paprika, pepper, and onions until tender – make sure you add plenty of water, so you have about 3-4 cups of beef stock for the soup. Remove the beef and reserve the stock.
- Heat the canola and palm oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until they are translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add your choice of meat and crayfish, and continue cooking.
- Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, garlic, and 1-2 cups of beef stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add the ground egusi and simmer on medium heat for approximately 10 more minutes. Then add beef stock as needed to get the desired consistency or prevent burning.
- Finally, throw in the spinach and let it simmer for 4-5 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Serve warm with fried plantains, fufu, yams, or your favorite starchy side dish.
Tips & Notes:
- Bitter greens are good for you, but not everyone enjoys them. Adding a little sugar will balance the bitterness.
- You don’t want watery broth, so add just enough water to barely cover the meat. You can add more water if you need to later, but you can’t take it out.
- This recipe uses a lot of oil, and some people may think it’s too much. Feel free to reduce the amount of oil to a couple of tablespoons if you’re worried about the fat content.
- Grilling the meat you remove from the pot for a few minutes really amps up the deliciousness.
- Have you ever had peppers that got a little old and started wrinkling? I’m not talking about the moldy ones; just kinda dried out. They’re not ideal for a salad, but they’re perfect for soups because they don’t add as much moisture.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Mario Lloyd jr says
The best food
Thank u & enjoy….
imma africanbites says
Thank you. This sure is. 🙂
Tracy Hunley says
Imma, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your website! I have cooked many of your recipes and they’ve all turned out beautifully. I want to try to make Egusi but it looks difficult. My son married a girl from Cameroon and she make Egusi with pounded yam for Thanksgiving with an okra stewed in tomatoes dish and I was in heaven! I will make Egusi when I have an afternoon with plenty of time. Please post more African recipes?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Tracy. Thank you for stopping by. Let me know if you try this recipe. (Here are my Pounded Yam and Okra Stew recipes.) Enjoy!
Monique Aaron says
First let me thank you for your Guyanese dishes. My Guyanese husband loves them. Look, my husband is allergic to fish. is there anyway I can make this without the smoked crayfish and it taste good? I’m excited to try this. Also should I use Palm Oil for this recipe?
April says
Can this be made in a crockpot? What how long would you recommend it on low?
imma africanbites says
Hi, April. I haven’t tried making this using a crockpot. But I’ll definitely post it here once I’ve tried it.
Rakieda says
This is my second or third time making this recipe and it is always delicious!!!!