How to Cook Egusi Soup? Nigeria is a country blessed with diverse cultures and different traditions. In addition, it is a country that is also blessed with several delicacies and one of these food delicacies is the Egusi soup delicacy. So, have you always wanted to know how the popular Egusi is made? Worry less as in this blog post today, I will be enlightening you on how to cook Egusi Soup right from its ingredients to easy steps on how to prepare it. So, grab a chair, sit back and learn.
The Egusi soup has two different popular methods of cooking it. That includes the frying and the boiling method. However, in this article, I will be enlightening you on both methods. Read on and become a pro at making Egusi soup. Then once you are done making it, serve it hot with your favorite swallow. So, without further ado, let’s go into the major focus for the day. That is “How to cook egusi soup”.
Ingredients Required To Cook Egusi Soup
Of course, you can’t cook food without ingredients. So, here I would be listing some ingredients for you that you can use to cook your Egusi soup. Some of these ingredients include;
- Palm oil.
- Salt.
- Smoked Turkey.
- Crayfish.
- Ground Melon (melon powder).
- Iru woro or Pete (locust beans), or Ogiri.
- Red bell pepper (tatashe).
- Spinach or vegetable.
- Smoked Mackeral.
- Seasoning cube or powder.
- Rodo.
- Onion.
- Meat.
- Stockfish.
- Water.
With these ingredients, you can cook your Egusi soup and it will come out delicious. Also, you can add other ingredients that have not been listed here but that you like and are aware of that makes the soup tastes better.
How to Cook Egusi Soup
Step 1
Pour the ground melon powder into a bowl, and make a very thick paste by you adding a cup of water and stirring. Chop your onions and set aside.
Step 2
Wash your meat and put the washed meat in the pot, add some ingredients to it (salt, seasoning cube, onions, salt, and so on). Add some water and heat till the meat is tender.
How To Cook Egusi Soup – Step 3
Wash the stockfish thoroughly with hot water to remove sand and set aside, also wash the smoked turkey and mackerel and set aside too.
Step 4
Chop the spinach and wash the spinach thoroughly (using cold or hot water), drain in a colander, and set aside.
Step 5
Add palm oil to the pot and heat for about 2 minutes (do not bleach oil), and add the restrained chopped onions and fry till translucent.
How To Cook Egusi Soup – Step 6
Add locust beans, pepper mix, and stir till it is thoroughly mixed. Boil for 5 minutes.
Step 7
Reduce the heat and add the Egusi (melon) paste bit by bit into the pepper, do not stir, and cover the pot with a lid. Boil for 10 minutes.
Step 8
Remove the lid, and stir the soup gently. The Egusi will be bumpy at this point, use the back of a spoon to break the bumps into the size or texture you want.
Step 9
Add your smoked turkey, crayfish, meat, and your stockfish and stir to mix. Then add your seasoning cube or powder, taste, and adjust accordingly. Add very little salt to the soup because the smocked turkey and mackerel already have salt in them. Boil for another 10 minutes, check regularly to avoid burning.
Step 10
Mix gently after adding your smoked mackerel to the soup. Add your chopped spinach, stir to mix together, and continue boiling for 5 minutes. Take the heat off, and let it cool for about 5 minutes to 10 minutes before you serve it.
Conclusion
Egusi soup is one of the most popular soups in Nigeria, and there are various cooking directions across different Nigerian ethnic groups. Igbos prepare ofe Egusi while Yoruba prepare efo elegusi, and their ingredient is similar but the procedures are a little different.