his recipe is a part of my Global Vegan Challenge where each week I research and develop a recipe from a different country in the world. Many of these recipes are veganized based off their omnivore counterparts. While not all of these recipes are a one for one what you’ll find in their country, I hope you’ll still find them delicious!
Recipe Notes
- Egusi seeds come from the egusi gourd, and are the only part of the plant that is eaten by people. Some recipes will sub for pumpkin seeds, but egusi tastes so much different I strongly recommend ordering some online if you can’t find them locally.
- Egusi is frequently severed with fufu, which is what you see on top of the soup below. I attempted to make fufu but the recipe didn’t turn out great so only sharing how to make the soup with you today. 🙂
- Traditionally palm oil is used in this soup, however I abstain from it so I subbed for refined coconut oil instead.
- Pending the size / type of your tomatoes you may need to add more water to your egusi so it isn’t too thick.
- When I originally made this I added 1 tablespoon of locust beans. These fermented beans were a bit much for my taste so I’ve omitted from the recipe, but they aren’t consistently found in egusi recipes so you can probably do without.
Vegan Egusi Soup
Details
6 to 8 Servings
30 minutes
30 minutes
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Ingredients
5 Large Tomatoes
2 Yellow Onions
8 ounces Spinach
2 Scotch Bonnets
1 Red Bell Pepper
8 Garlic Cloves
2 cups Egusi, Ground
1 Block Medium Tofu (optional for added protein)
1 cup Water, divided (1/2c for pot, 1/2 cup for egusi as required)
2 Bullion Cubes
1/4 cup Refined Coconut Oil
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for sautéing)
1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
1 tablespoon Maggi Seasoning
2 teaspoons Salt (plus more to taste)
Directions
- Dice tomatoes and bell pepper. Mince scotch bonnets. Set Aside.
- Mince garlic and dice onions. Set aside.
- Heat up a pain on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Sauté tomatoes, scotch bonnets, and bell pepper until softened.
- Add tomatoes and peppers to a blender. Blend until smooth or liquified.
- Add tomato and pepper sauce to a stock pot. Add 1/2c water, bullion cubes, tomato paste, maggi seasoning, and salt. Stir periodically, and add splashes of water if tomato sauce becomes too thick.
- Drain tofu. Crumble into small pieces and add into sauce. Mix well.
- Heat up a pain on medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Sauté onions and garlic until translucent.
- Once finished, add onions and garlic to a blender with egusi. Blend until thickened. If too thick, add up to 1/2c of water.
- Take egusi mixture and add dollops of it to the tomato sauce. Do not mix. Cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. If tomato sauce is too thick, add additional water as needed.
- After 15 minutes has passed, check on egusi and if thickened, gently fold into the soup.
- Fold in coconut oil and spinach. Taste test and add additional salt if needed. Turn off heat, cover, and allow flavors to marry for 10 minutes.
- Once finished, serve immediately hot with a side of fufu or all by itself. Enjoy!
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