HOW TO COOK EGUSI SOUP

• FEBRUARY 12, 2023 

Photo credit; Cook AF

Hi besties, welcome to today's episode. we will be learning how to cook Egusi soup. 

Egusi soup is a special soup in Nigeria peculiar to the Eastern part of Nigeria. It is the traditional soup of the Igbo culture. It is rich, spicy, and very tasty. It is usually served with varieties of swallow such as semolina, Eba, fufu, and pounded yam. Egusi seeds are packed with healthy nutrients such as Vitamin B1, B2, C, and A. 

egusi seeds.

There is hardly any home in Nigeria where Egusi soup is not eaten at least once or twice a month. It is usually cooked with any protein of choice. My favorite for Egusi is always Goat meat, accompanied by Cow skin popularly known as "ponmo" in Nigeria. What is Egusi soup without ponmo anyways?😍

If you are in the diaspora, You can find most of the Ingredients for this recipe in an African store. However, you can make substitutes if you cannot find the exact one stated below. 

PALM OIL: Palm oil gives egusi soup its traditional taste. If you cannot find one, you can substitute it with olive oil. 

SCOTCH BONNET/YELLOW PEPPER: You can substitute this with habanero pepper or dry chili flakes. You can also use any fresh chili pepper of your choice. 

MEAT: For this recipe, we will use goat meat but you can use any meat of your choice. 

DRIED CATFISH: It is traditional to use some dry fish while cooking egusi soup as it gives it a unique flavor. Some people prefer to use smoked fish instead. However, if you don't have access to any, you can skip this. 

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Egusi

1 bell pepper

4 scotch bonnet pepper

2 yellow pepper

1 bulb onion

1 dried catfish

Stock fish

1.5 cups of palm oil

Goat meat

Cow skin

Tripe(popularly known as Shaki)

4tbsp crayfish

Bullion cubes

salt

Pumpkin leaves. (you can use spinach in the absence of the pumpkin)

photo credit;Low carb Africa

INSTRUCTIONS

Chop some onions and set aside.

• Soak your smoked catfish in hot water, and leave for 10 minutes. wash thoroughly. Make sure to -remove all the bones from the fish.

• Wash your vegetables thoroughly to remove all traces of sand and dirt. chop and set them aside. 

• Pour your already ground egusi into a bowl, add some water to make a thick paste, stir and set aside. 

•  Wash your goat meat and pour it into a pot, add your already washed stock fish, cow skin, some chopped yellow pepper, onions, salt, and some bullion cubed to taste. (I like to add yellow pepper to my meat for added flavor). Stir to incorporate ingredients. Cook till tender. Make sure to keep the meat stock as you will need it later.

HOW TO COOK

• Pre-heat some palm oil on medium heat for 3 minutes, add your chopped onions, and allow to fry for 1 minute. 
• Add your already blended pepper and allow to fry for about a few minutes, add your catfish, some salt, and bullion cubes. Allow to fry for another 10 minutes until it looks like the watery content has dried out from the pepper. (while adding salt and bullion cubes to your soup, bear in mind that you already have some in the meat stock so that you do not over-spice your soup).

photo credit;Low carb Africa

• Add the meat stock and allow it to simmer for a few minutes. Do not add too much at this stage so that the pepper doesn't take too long to dry out. This may cause it to lose taste.  '

• Scoop the egusi into the pepper sauce, cover, and allow to simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes.

• Add the meat with the stock fish, tripe, and cow skin you boiled earlier. Stir properly and allow to cook for another 5 minutes. (If at any stage you think the soup is too thick, add the leftover meat stock) If you do not have any,  you can add some warm water. Cook on low heat for 10 minutes. 

• Taste to see if the spice needs adjustment. 

• Add your chopped vegetables, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Do not overcook the vegetable so that it doesn't lose its nutrients.

photo credit;kikifoods

Some people prefer their egusi soup without vegetables, so you can make yours according to preference. 

If you will be cooking this soup for the first time, it is okay if it doesn't come out perfectly. Remember, experience is the best teacher!