Nigerian Egusi Soup [Two Easy Recipe]

 Egusi soup is one of the most popular Nigerian soups, and the aroma produced when making this delicacy is enough to make ones mouth water.

The inclusion of stock, crayfish, prawns and many other veggies like ugwu leaf will no doubt bring out the best out of your egusi soup. 

But, I still see people who ask questions on how to make egusi soup, or even on some benefit of egusi soup.

In the article, I have compiled the two most popular ways of preparing egusi soup.

How to make Nigerian egusi soup

Egusi soup is also widely called melon soup. This is because it is made from blending or smashing melon seeds, and then adding a handful of other ingredients to give you the delicacy you want.

CHECK: Ogbono Soup Recipe

The first type of egusi soup I'd be sharing with you is called egusi Ijebu. In this method of cooking, the melon seeds is blended together with the pepper, thus making it different from other types. This mixture is always watery.

How to cook Melon soup (Egusi Ijebu)

This process is very easy, as I've explained earlier, the melon see will be blended together with pepper, which will later be combined with other ingredients. Checkout this easy egusi soup recipe.

Egusi soup ingredients

• Melon seed (2 cups is ideal)
• Pepper (your desired quantity, but I'd advise you don't use tomatoes, and you use little pepper to avoid making the food peppery)
• Palm oil
• Crayfish
• Vegetable (I like using ugwu leaf, but you can try out water leaf or any other)
• Seasonings (salt and maggi - I prefer using knorr cubes)
• Your protein (fish, meat, ponmo etc)
• Onion

Now for the fun part...

How to cook Nigerian egusi soup

Follow these easy step to prepare your very own hot pot of melon soup.

1. Blend your pepper, and egusi, crayfish and onion together and set aside.
2. Wash your proteins and bring it to a boil. This may take some time, maybe even up to 3 minutes. After this step is completed, sieve your stock from the pot and set aside.
3. Place your pot under medium heat and pour in the already-blended egusi. [Are you surprised by this? Don't be, this Nigerian egusi soup is one of the best, it's tested and trusted.] Let the mixture boil for about two to three minutes, then add in some quantity of your stock and palm oil.
4. Let it cool for some minutes. Pour in your protein, add the ugwu leaf and let it cool for a few minutes.
5. Serve your egusi soup with fufu or pounded yam.

The second process on how to make egusi soup is done with dry blended melon seeds.

In the egusi soup recipe, instead of blending the melon seed with the pepper, everything is done separately.

Most people conclude that this cooking style is specifically for the igbos, while the egusi ijebu belongs to the Yorubas. So based on the speculations, I present to you ...

Igbo egusi soup recipe

Using the same above mentioned ingredients.

1. Blend your melon seed with crayfish and set aside.
2. Blend your pepper together, alongside the onions.
3. Place a pot under medium heat and pour in the palm oil, allow it heat for a while, then pour in the pepper and allow it cook for a couple of minutes.
4. By this time you must've washed and boiled your proteins, and set aside the stock. 
5. Pour in your stock into the pepper on the fire and let it cook. 
6. Afterwards por in the dryly blended melon seeds and stir together until it looks thick. (If it becomes too thick, add little quantity of water.) Let it cook for some more minutes.
7. Enjoy.

So there you go, you now know the two best ways to make egusi soup.

NOTE:

- You can decide to pour in the blended melon seed before the stock, either ways is fine.

- The second egusi soup preparation I dropped can also contain vegetables. Infact, this style won't be complete without leafy veggies like ugwu, uziza or water leaf.

If you're adding your vegetable, for example, ugwu to the soup, pour it in in the last stage, that is when you've poured in all other ingredients, then allow it to cook for a few minutes.

Now there's a new (or maybe not so new) type of melon soup that is being prepared, and that is the egusi soup without palmoil.

This delicacy is prepared like the two other melon soup recipe I've shared with you, but it skips one ingredients, and that's palmoil.

But before even explaining how it is made, you may be wondering, or asking yourself the health benefits of even eating this soup, or so you simply ask how healthy is egusi soup? 

Well below are a few health benefits of eating egusi soup.

Egusi is packed with many vital and beneficial nutrients which are good for the body and these nutrients are not limited to protein, potassium, vitamin B1, sulphur, fats, calcium, magnesium, carbohydrate, zinc, copper, vitamins A, E and C, manganese, dietary fibre and more - Wikipedia 

Other soup recipes you can try out:

• Okro soup with ugwu
• Nigerian chicken stew recipe
  
• Nigerian efo riro

Now you know more than enough on egusi soup, egusi soup ingredients and egusi soup preparations.

Try out this recipe and share with your friends, don't forget to tag us on Instagram.