Nigerian Egusi Soup Recipe

Egusi soup is very popular across West Africa. It is prepared from ground egusi melon seed and typically cooked with meat or fish and leafy vegetables. The recipe I am sharing here is for easy and tasty Nigerian egusi soup, also known as “efo elegusi”, in Yoruba language. It is a version of egusi soup cooked with leafy vegetables.

Efo elegusi is traditionally eaten with foods “swallow” like eba, fufu, iyan (pounded yam) etc. It is also a great accompaniment to rice, yam and plantain.

Nigerian egusi soup with eba close up image

What Is Egusi?

One of the common questions about egusi on google is “Is egusi watermelon seed?”. No, it is not. It is the edible seed of egusi melon fruit (Citrullus lanatus) which is native to West Africa and looks like a small watermelon. The egusi melon has an inedible, bitter flesh and is cultivated just for the seeds.

Egusi melon seed is enclosed in a husk which needs to be opened to reveal the edible part. This creamy white kernel is called egusi/agushi, and the process of removing the husk is called “shelling”.

Unshelled egusi melon seeds — Dried Unshelled Egusi Melon Seeds

Shelled egusi melon seeds — Shelled Egusi Melon Seeds

This melon seed with a high oil and protein content is a staple in West African cooking. Egusi has an earthy, savoury flavour which works well with African condiments like fermented locust beans, ogiri, dried fish etc. Apart from being ground to cook into different soups, it is fermented to make ogiri, a pungent condiment. It can also be fried, boiled or steamed to make snacks like mbika from congo, akara egusi from Western Nigeria etc.

Ground egusi melon seed — Ground Egusi Melon

How To Make Nigerian Egusi Soup

Here are the ingredients you need...

A few notes about the ingredients...

Egusi melon seed: There is no egusi soup recipe without egusi melon, as the soup got its name from the seed. I’m sorry to say, but there is no substitute here. You can buy the seed from Amazon as well as African and Asian shops.
Leafy Vegetable: Green leafy vegetable is an essential component of efo elegusi. I used kale, but you can use others. Commonly used leafy vegetables include cassava leaves (this is prevalent to Ghanaians), spinach, callaloo (efo tete), fluted pumpkin leaves (ugwu), collard green, spring greens, water leaf, bitter leaf, uziza etc.
Added Protein: Egusi soup is typically cooked with an assortment of meat and fish – beef, chicken, dried fish, smoked fish, seafood etc. You can use whichever you prefer or even skip these to make it suitable for vegetarians. Egusi melon seed is a good source of protein and quite nutritious on its own.
Ground or whole egusi: It is best to buy whole egusi seeds as this will allow you to see how fresh the seeds are; and reduce the risk of purchasing adulterated ground products. In some local markets, you can buy the whole seeds; which will be ground in a mechanical grinder in your presence. You can grind melon seeds at home either by using a smoothie maker, coffee grinder or the dry mill grinder, which usually comes as a set with regular blenders. If you don’t have any of these, you can add water to seeds and liquidize in your blender before cooking.

How To Make It

Blend red bell pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, tomatoes and one onion in a food processor with a cup of water.

Defrost the frozen seafood. Wash, strip and slice the kale; chop the remaining onion. Cut the smoked mackerel fillets into smaller pieces. Keep to one side.

Heat the oil in a saucepan for 30 secs, add the chopped onions. We are not looking to bleach the oil here. Fry until the onions appear translucent, then add the locust beans. Stir for one minute to prevent sticking.

Add the blended pepper mix and leave to cook for around 15 mins, stirring occasionally, then add some water into the pot (3-4 cups). Pour in the dried fish and ground crayfish with some salt to taste. Smoked mackerel is salty, and will make the soup more salty, so make allowance for that. Leave to simmer for 5 mins.

Take 2 tablespoons of the cooking sauce and add into the egusi. Mix well to make a thick paste. Use your hands to make small egusi balls before dropping into the pan.

Reduce the heat and allow to cook for 15 mins.

Mix in kale and smoked mackerel. If you think the soup is too thick, add some more water. Leave to simmer for 10 mins, still under low heat.

Add the seafood and leave for 5 mins.

Remove from heat and serve.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use vegetable oil for egusi soup?

Palm oil is preferred as it gives a distinct flavour and colour to efo elegusi. However, if you do not have access to or do not like to use palm oil, vegetable oil should be fine.

How do I make my egusi lumpy?

How do I make my egusi lumpy? Some people prefer their egusi soup with lumps of egusi. If you are one of those people, a cheat method is to mix some eggs into the egusi. So when you are adding liquid, combine ½ of an egg, mix it in; and add it into the pan in small balls. Follow the steps in this recipe after that, and you will end up with lumps of egusi in your soup.

How do I store egusi?

How do I store egusi: Egusi seeds will keep in an air-tight container under ambient conditions for a few weeks. Ground egusi will keep for less time because oil in the seeds goes rancid and gives a funny taste. The seeds and the ground egusi are best stored in the freezer as they will last many months.

Can I freeze egusi soup?

Egusi soup will last a few days in the fridge and many weeks in the freezer.

Other traditional West African soups you must try;

Miyan Taushe - Hausa Pumpkin Soup

Ndole - Cameroonian Bitter Leaf Stew

Peanut Soup