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Simple Nigerian Egusi Soup with Spinach: easy nigerian egusi soup recipe for Beginners
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Simple Nigerian Egusi Soup with Spinach: easy nigerian egusi soup recipe for Beginners

A beginner-friendly Nigerian-style egusi soup made with ground melon seeds, chicken, spinach, red palm oil, and optional ground crayfish. Serve this rich, hearty soup with pounded yam, fufu, eba, or rice.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (454 g)
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth divided (720 ml)
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt plus more to taste (1.5 g)
  • 1/3 cup red palm oil 80 ml
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely chopped, about 5 oz (150 g)
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste 30 g
  • 1 cup ground egusi melon seeds (120 g)
  • 1/2 cup water 120 ml
  • 2 tbsp ground crayfish optional (12 g)
  • 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder or 1 crushed bouillon cube about 3 g
  • 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper or dried ground pepper optional (1 g)
  • 5 oz fresh baby spinach roughly chopped (140 g)

Instructions

  • Place the chicken thighs, 2 cups of the chicken broth, and the salt in a medium pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cover loosely and cook until the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. Transfer the chicken to a plate and reserve the broth in the pot. When cool enough to handle, cut or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces.
  • Heat the red palm oil in a Dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until softened. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until it darkens slightly and smells less raw.
  • Pour in the reserved chicken broth and the remaining 1 cup broth. Stir in the ground crayfish, if using, bouillon, and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
  • In a small bowl, mix the ground egusi with the water to make a thick, scoopable paste. Spoon the paste into the simmering broth in small mounds. Do not stir for the first 8 minutes so the egusi can set into soft dumplings.
  • Gently stir and break up some of the egusi mounds, leaving a few larger pieces if you like more texture. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the soup looks thick and the ground melon seeds no longer taste raw.
  • Return the chicken to the pot. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time just until wilted. Taste and add more salt only if needed. Serve warm with pounded yam, fufu, eba, or rice.