Cooking Egusi Soup with Ugwu Leaf | Easy Step-by-Step Guide

Egusi soup is a meal that can be considered to be among the most popular existing meals that are eaten in West African region especially in Nigeria. It is a thick, delicious and a healthy soup belonging to the families of soup prepared from ground egusi seeds, meat, fish and vegetables. Among the common vegetables used in preparation of egusi soup, one of the most widely used is ugu leaf or the fluted pumpkin leaves. Ugu is very creamy, packed with a lot of nutritional value such as iron, vitamins and antioxidants which makes it a wonderful ingredient to be added to this traditional soup.

Ugu leaf should be included in the preparation of egusi soup as it improves the taste of the meal in addition to increasing its nutritional value. Honestly, if this is your first time preparing this particular kind of dish, then don’t get stressed! Although making the egusi soup might appear a herculean task, it is actually a easy task when you have the ingredients and a guide in front of you. In this article, you will learn how to prepare egusi soup with ugu leaf with a list of ingredients, procedure and guides for the first timers in the preparation process. 

What is Egusi Soup..?

Egusi soup is prepared using the seeds of a melon which is used to thicken the soup to produce a custard like consistency. It mostly goes well with different kinds of meat, sundry dried fish, and fresh vegetable especially the leaves ones, and sprinkled with spices in order to make it favorable rather delicious and stomach filling. Ugu leaves commonly referred to as fluted pumpkin leaves has been a part of Nigerian cooking and is ideal for accompany the rich texture of egusi soup. 

Ingredients for Egusi Soup with Ugu Leaf

The first essential thing that you need to do when preparing food is to organize all the ingredients. Below are the list of ingredients you will require to prepare egusi soup with Ugwu leaf. This recipe is meant to serve 4-6 peoples.

Ingredients:-

• Egusi (Ground Melon Seeds): 2 cups
• Beef or Goat Meat: 1 kg (cut into bite-sized pieces)
• Stockfish: 1-2 pieces (optional, for added flavor)
• Dried Fish: 1 cup (optional)
• Palm Oil: 1/2 to 3/4 cup
• Ugu Leaf (Fluted Pumpkin Leaves): 2-3 cups (roughly chopped)
• Crayfish (Ground): 2 tablespoons
• Fresh Habanero or Scotch Bonnet Pepper: 1-2 (adjust based on spice preference)
• Onions: 1 large (chopped)
• Bouillon Cubes (Maggi or Knorr): 2 cubes (or to taste)
• Salt: To taste
• Water or Broth: 4-5 cups
• Seasoning (Curry Powder, Thyme, and Ground Pepper): 1 tablespoon each
• Fresh or Smoked Prawns: 1/2 cup (optional)
• Garlic (optional): 2 cloves (minced)

Step-by-Step Instructions for Cooking Egusi Soup with Ugu Leaf

Step 1: Prepare Your Ingredients

As with any recipe the very first step to the successful completion of the recipe is preparation. It is important that you should prepare all the ingredients that will be used in cooking and do proper measurement before cooking. 

1. Soak the Stockfish and Dried Fish: If you are to prepare stockfish or dried fish, then it is recommended that you warm it up by soaking in warm water for 20-30 minutes. This will assist to ‘melt down’ part of the fish so that it is easier to prepare. You must wash them after which you wash them thoroughly to remove any debris or sand on them. 
2. Chop the Ugu Leaves: Rinse the ugu leaves well with cold water to make sure that you are left with clean leaves. After washing remove the seeds and cut them into small pieces and leave them to dry. In case you are using frozen Ugu leaves, it is recommended that they be thawed before use and water squeezed off them. 
3. Blend the Peppers and Onions: Mix the fresh habanero or scotch bonnet pepper with the onions that have been chopped. If required, you could add a little water into the blender as well you wish. This mixture will heaten up and flavour your Egusi soup. 
4. Prepare the Egusi Paste: Ground Egusi: In a small bowl, prepare by adding a little water into the ground egusi and make a thick paste. This will help to stop the egusi from clumping when you are adding it to the soup. 

Step 2: Boil the Meat and Stockfish

Arrange your beef or goat meat in a huge pot; pour water to it, sprinkle salt, 1 bouillon cube, curry powder and thyme together with ground Todo pepper. Add water and allow the meat to cook until tender taking about 30-40 minutes to reach that stage. If you are using stockfish, you should add it half of the recommended cooking time in order that it should cook together with the meat. 

When the meat is cooked the liquid left is tasty broth, this is why most meals made from vegetables or meat always come with rice. When the meat is tender, take it out from the pot and put it aside however retain the soup as it is; since it will be used later on in the soup.

Step 3: Fry the Egusi Paste

Add the palm oil in another pot and let it heat over medium heat. Egusi soup cannot be prepared without palm oil which, with its distinct bitter-sweet taste and bright red hue helps to make the soup a connoisseur’s delight, he believe. After that pour the oil and let it heat up, without letting it splutter, add the chopped onions and stir fry for about 2-3 minutes until they turn slightly brown. 

Then, you pour the egusi paste into the pot. Cook the paste in the palm oil, stirring it frequently to avoid burning of the paste. This step is rather important since it aids in the release of the desired, rich and nutty flavor of the egusi. After about 5-7 minutes the egusi will become soft, continue frying for another 3-5 minutes until the egusi is golden brown and has a slightly crumbled texture. 

Step 4: Add the Blended Pepper Mixture

After the egusi is well fried, put the blended items such as pepper and onion in the pot. Mix up all the ingredients and turn the heat back on to cook for another 5 to enable spices to well combine. The pepper on the other hand will overcome the thickness of the egusi as well as introduce a certain level of heat in the soup. 

Step 5: Add the Meat, Fish, and Broth

Taken at this stage is to return the pot to the heat and add the fried egusi, stockfish and dried fish that has been cooked earlier. Then, add the remaining meat broth you have set aside and mix well the ingredients. The egusi will be roasted to a crisp and the broth will be used to ease out the egusi and create a very tasty soup. 

You only need to let the soup cook for about 10-15 minutes on low heat while occasionally stirring so that the soup does not stick to the bottom of the pot. If you found out that the soup is very thick, then it is advisable to add more water or broth to suppress the thickness you do not like.

Step 6: Add the Crayfish and Prawns (Optional)

 To give one more dimension to the taste of the soup, put the ground crayfish and the prawns into it. Crayfish brings out a flavor that else is considered to be salty, again this flavor complements or rather boosts the taste of the food. P/S: It is necessary to heat the soup to allow the prawn to cook and, at the same time, the cray fish to melt in the soup. 

 Step 7: Add the Ugu Leaves

You can now add the ugu leaves to your soup and your soup is almost ready. Add the chopped Ugu into the soup and allow it simmer for about 3-5 minutes. Ugu is very sensitive to heat, it cook very fast, it does not require long time on heat. The leaves will get tender as will add their nutrients to the ingredients in the soup making it green in color. 

Step 8: Final Seasoning and Adjustments

Take a spoonful of the egusi soup that you have prepared and enjoy the taste and if the taste is off balance feel free to rectify this through seasoning. In case one wants the meal to be slightly salty you can add more salt, in case one wants more of a savory taste then one can add more bouillon cubes, in case one wants a meal to be more spiced one can add more pepper. If the soup is too thick, it means that you have used little water or stock; therefore, add some more water or stock. If it is too thin then you leave it to cook with the lid off a little longer until it thickens. 

Step 9: Serve Your Egusi Soup

Let me finalize by saying your egusi soup cooked with ugu leaf is now ready to be served! This mouth watering soup goes well with pounded yam, fufu, eba (garri) or even rice. Take a big spoon and generously scoop a portion of the food and place it on a plate then eat with the preferred side dish.

Tips for First-Time Cooks

1. Preparation is Key: Preparation: Before preparing the meal, it is advisable that all the ingredients required for the preparation are well prepared to start the cooking process. This will definitely ease the process of cooking. 
2. Fry the Egusi Well: The egusi should be fried well in order to have the right nutty taste required in the preparation of the meal. Take time in this step and when stirring to ensure that the soup does not burn. 
3. Don’t Overcook the Ugu: Ugu leaves cook very fast and as such, one should ensure they do not burn them as this makes them unedible. This way, incorporating them at the tail end of the cooking process ensures they retain their nutrients and bright color. 
4. Season to Taste: It is recommended that you should always take a spoonful of soup as you are preparing it. Remember the intensity of the seasoning, bouillon cubes, salt or pepper can be adjusted to your desired level. 
5. Ask for Help: If you have a question concerning any of the steps, it is advisable to consult someone who prepared the dish. Preparing foods with other individuals is also an entertaining and fulfilling endeavor. 
6. Practice Makes Perfect: There shouldn’t be pressure on the first attempt, it’s okay if it’s not perfect. Like with any other dish you attempt to make, the first time may not be that great but the successive attempts will bet a little better. 

Conclusion

Ugwu leaf egusi soup is a delicious, filling meal that is as representative of Nigeria as any other food could be. If you love your foods creamy and healthy, then this egusi soup garnished with fluted pumpkin leaves should do the trick. This guide simplifies the process of preparing egusi soup with ugwu leaf so that new cooks can also prepare it at home without any assistance. Well then, get your ingredients and go ahead and start preparing the food.