Egusi soup is the one most people ask for by name — ground melon seeds cooked into a thick, savoury soup with leafy greens and your choice of protein. It freezes well, feeds a crowd, and every ingredient below ships UK-wide.

What Is Egusi Soup?

Egusi is ground melon seed, used across Nigeria to make a thick, protein-rich soup. It's typically cooked with a leafy vegetable — ugwu (pumpkin leaves) or bitter leaf (onugbu) — plus palm oil, crayfish and a protein of your choice. We stock ready-milled egusi: Ground Egusi, no grinding required.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 200g Ground Egusi
• 100ml (about 7 tbsp) 3SIEE Premium Palm Oil
• 1 bunch Fresh Ugwu (Pumpkin Leaves), sliced
• 1 pack Fresh Bitter Leaves (Onugbu), washed well — optional, for the traditional bitter edge
• 2 tbsp Dried Crayfish, ground
• 400g Frozen Mackerel Fish, or your usual soup fish — see our mackerel buying guide
• You will also need: assorted meat or stockfish (to taste), 2-3 scotch bonnet peppers, 1 onion, 2 stock cubes, salt

How to Make Egusi Soup

1. If using meat, season and pre-boil it with onion and a stock cube until tender. Add the fish for the last 5 minutes.
2. Blend or crush the scotch bonnet roughly.
3. Mix the ground egusi with a little water to a thick, crumbly paste — don't make it runny.
4. Heat the palm oil in a pot over medium heat, then add the pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add spoonfuls of the egusi paste into the oil without stirring at first — let it fry lightly for 3-4 minutes so it doesn't turn rubbery.
6. Pour in the stock gradually, stirring gently, then add the ground crayfish and remaining stock cube. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the egusi is cooked through.
7. Add the meat and fish back in, then the bitter leaf if using — it needs a few minutes to soften.
8. Add the ugwu last and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until it wilts. Taste and adjust salt.

What to Serve Egusi Soup With

Egusi is a swallow soup — pounded yam, garri (eba), semo or fufu all work well. Browse our Flour & Swallow range to stock up at the same time.

Party Quantities

• 6 people: 200g egusi, 100ml palm oil, 400g fish
• 12 people: 400g egusi, 200ml palm oil, 800g fish
• 30 people (events/catering): 1kg egusi, 500ml palm oil, 2kg fish — see our Trade Club for bulk pricing

Tips for UK Kitchens

• Fry the egusi paste gently before adding stock — rushing this step is the most common reason egusi turns rubbery instead of soft.
• No leafy greens on hand? Frozen spinach is the closest UK-supermarket stand-in, though it won't have ugwu's texture.
• Egusi soup freezes well for up to 3 months — portion it before freezing for easy weeknight reheats.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is egusi made of?

Egusi is ground melon seed. Our Ground Egusi is pre-milled, so there's no grinding or roasting needed at home.

Why is my egusi soup rubbery?

Usually because the paste was added to the stock too early or stirred too much before it had a chance to fry in the oil. Let it sit undisturbed for the first few minutes.

Can I make egusi soup without meat?

Yes — fish alone, or a vegetable stock with extra crayfish for depth, both work. Just don't skip the crayfish; it carries a lot of the soup's flavour.

Is egusi soup halal?

The soup itself contains no non-halal ingredients from us. If you're adding meat, everything in our range is halal except shaki, Nigerian dried cow meat and Seasoned Smoked Goat Meat.

Shop This Recipe

Get everything for egusi soup delivered UK-wide: Add all ingredients to cart, or browse the Fresh African Vegetables and Frozen Meat, Fish & Poultry collections to build your own basket.