The most popular vegetable options for this soup are Ugu (Pumpkin leaves), Spinach and Bitterleaf. Egusi Soup can be prepared with lumps or without. The one with lumps can be achieved by moulding the ground egusi into balls and cooked in the soup such that you will be eating the egusi balls like meat while enjoying the meal. That without lumps is simply done by frying the egusi in palm oil and adding other ingredients.

Today, we'll learn how to make a much more delicious egusi by spicing it up by adding dry efinrin alongside the ugu leaves, to give the soup a distinctive flavour.

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Ingredients

1.  1 Cup Ground Egusi

2. Assorted Meats

3. 1/2 Cup Palm Oil

4. 3 Red Bell Pepper (Tatashe)

5. 2 Medium Onions

6. 2 Scotch Bonnet (Atarodo)

7. Beef Stock

8. Ugu leaves (sliced)

9. Efinrin/ Basil leaves

10. 1 Medium Size Smoked Fish / Stockfish

11. Salt to Taste

12. Seasoning cubes

Preparation

1. In a pot of palm oil, fry some chopped onion on medium heat

2. Add the blended pepper mix and some seasoning. Since you're going to be using the beef stock later, you don't want to end up with an over-spiced egusi, especially if your stock is well seasoned. Fry for about 10 minutes.

3. Add about 1-2 cups of the stock, depending on how thick or watery you want your soup. Boil for about 5 minutes. You can add water if you do not have stock.

While we allow that to cook, let's make the egusi

4. Blend the egusi and the remaining onion together until it's smooth.

5. Pour the egusi paste/mix into the stew and fry for about 5 minutes.

6. Add the assorted meat and season if necessary. Cook for about 5 minutes and stir quite often to avoid burning and to allow the ingredients get soaked into the beef properly.

7. Rinse the ugu leaves to get rid of the sand and other debris. Then add into our cooking pot of egusi. Cook for 2 minutes.

8. Add the efinrin and cook for 2 minutes as well.

Our tasty and yummy egusi soup is all set.