Egusi soup is a staple across Nigeria and in many parts of West Africa. The soup takes its name from the seeds that both thicken and flavor it. Egusi soup typically features meat (such as beef, smoked poultry, goat, cow skin, and offal) and seafood, as well as nutritious bitter greens.

Egusi soup is served with eba! Find the eba recipe [here](https://www.bmc.org/recipes/eba).



 

    Serves: 5 servings    Total Time:  70 minutes Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 60 minutes  

 [  ](#) 

 

 

## Ingredients

[Substitution Guide](/nourishing-our-community/teaching-kitchen/substitution-guide)

 Stockfish - 12 pieces  Meat – 1 lb meat of choice (lean stew beef, chicken etc.) Bouillon – 1 maggi cube, or 1 teaspoon bouillon paste  Bay\_leaf – 1  Curry\_powder – 1 ½ teaspoon Thyme – 1 teaspoon, dry Rosemary – sprig, fresh or ½ teaspoon dried  Red\_Pepper\_Flakes – 1 teaspoon (optional)  Garlic – 3 cloves, minced Onion – 2 , diced, divided  Tomato – 1, roughly chopped  Habanero – 3 each Bell\_Pepper – ½ red, roughly chopped  Crayfish – 1 cup, dried Red\_Palm\_oil – 3 Tablespoons  Egusi\_Seed – 2/3 cup, ground  Spinach – 6 cups, sliced  Bitter\_Leaf – ½ cup Salt – to taste  

## Instructions

Step 1

Soak stockfish in boiling water for 10 minutes to rehydrate and remove any sand, then strain. 

Step 2

In a pot, cover the meat or fish with water, add 1 ½ teaspoon salt, and 1 bouillon cube, and 1 bay leaf , curry powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, garlic, ½ onion. Cover pot, and allow to boil. Boil until meat is tender ~ 30 minutes, or according to your taste. 

Step 3

Combine ½ cup water, the tomato, habaneros, ½ onion, 1 bell pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Set the rest aside.

Step 4

Add crayfish + 1 cup water to a blender, blend until smooth. 

Step 5

Heat red palm oil over medium, in a soup pot. Add ½ onion and cook until softened. Add the ground egusi seed and mix. The mixture should be thick. 

Step 6

Add the blended tomato mixture and the blended crayfish. Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the stockfish, meat, and the cooking liquid from the meat. Bring to a simmer and then add the bitter leaf and spinach. Cook 10 more minutes. Serve with eba. 

 

### Notes

## Nutrition Information

  Calories: 508.13 Calories Fat: 30.36g Saturated Fat: 11g Carbohydrates: Net Carb: 17.49g Dietary Fiber: 3.56g Protein: 35 Sodium: 1117