Ground melon seeds cooked into a rich, nubbly soup with greens and assorted meats — the pride of the Igbo southeast.

Where does Egusi Soup come from?

Egusi Soup is a Nigerian (Igbo) dish from Enugu (Southeast), Nigeria.

Can Egusi Soup be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Egusi Soup recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Egusi Soup take to make?

About 65 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 5.

Recipe

Name: Egusi Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: Nigerian (Igbo)
Ingredients: 1.5 cups egusi (melon seeds), ground; 1.5 lbs total beef + smoked fish, assorted; 1/3 cup red palm oil; 4 cups spinach or bitterleaf, chopped; 2 + 1 + 1 tomatoes + red bell pepper + onion, blended; 1 Scotch bonnet; 2 tbsp ground crayfish; 3 cups stock; for 5 pounded yam, eba, or rice, to serve

Africa → 🇳🇬 Nigeria → Enugu (Southeast)

Egusi Soup

Nigerian (Igbo) · medium · serves 5

prep 20 min · cook 45 min

~523 cal · 42g protein · 10g carbs · 35g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Golden egusi soup with greens beside pounded yam

🇳🇬 Enugu (Southeast)

Egusi — protein-rich melon seed — thickens Nigeria’s most beloved soup, the one served when in-laws visit and at every celebration in Enugu. The technique argument (frying the paste vs. boiling lumps) has outlasted several governments.

Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 5 —

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1.5 cups egusi (melon seeds), ground — a seed, not a nut — naturally nut-free

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1.5 lbs total beef + smoked fish, assorted

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1/3 cup red palm oil

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4 cups spinach or bitterleaf, chopped

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2 + 1 + 1 tomatoes + red bell pepper + onion, blended

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1 Scotch bonnet

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2 tbsp ground crayfish

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3 cups stock

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for 5 pounded yam, eba, or rice, to serve

Instructions

Season and simmer the meats (or mushrooms and tofu) in the stock 20 minutes; keep everything.

Fry the blended tomato-pepper-onion in palm oil 8 minutes until it deepens.

Mix the ground egusi with a little water into a paste and add in spoonfuls; fry 10 minutes, stirring, until it curdles into golden nubs.

Add the meats, stock, crayfish (or paprika), and Scotch bonnet; simmer 10 minutes.

Fold in the greens for the final 5. Serve with pounded yam and your right hand.

Enugu celebration tradition.

Ratings & reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to cook it.

🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

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Enugu (Southeast). Igbo heartland, where egusi soup answers every occasion.

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Nigeria. West Africa’s giant, home of the great jollof rivalry.

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Africa. Fifty-four countries of tagines, stews, and fire-kissed grills.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →