Nigerian egusi soup with chicken and spinach

Name: Nigerian egusi soup with chicken and spinach
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 600 g chicken thighs; 200 g pumpkin seeds; 3 tablespoons red palm oil; 300 g peeled tomatoes; 200 g spinach; 100 g smoked fish; 500 g poultry stock; 1 pc onion; 3 cloves garlic; 1 pc chilli peppers; salt; ground pepper

Eduard LáskaSoupNigerian cuisine x se líbilo

Egusi is among the best-known dishes of West Africa. In Nigeria it appears on holidays and on ordinary days alike. Its base is ground melon or pumpkin seeds, which give the soup a thick body and a nutty flavor. It simmers slowly in red palm oil with chicken, smoked fish and leafy greens. Every family keeps its own version. Some like it mild, others fiery. The result is a hearty, filling dish for the whole family.

Příprava: 20min

Vaření: 45min

CELKOVÝ ČAS: 1h 5min

Step by step process

Preparing the Chicken and Tomato Base

1
Start the egusi by seasoning the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Keep the heat high. Sear them in red palm oil on all sides until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
2
Add the chopped onion and minced garlic to the remaining oil and soften them for three minutes. Stir in the chopped chilli and peeled tomatoes. Cook for five minutes until the tomatoes break down into a thick sauce. Stir now and then.

Finishing the Egusi Soup

3
Grind the pumpkin seeds in a blender to a coarse flour. Add them to the tomato base and stir-fry for three to four minutes, until the seeds soak up the oil and turn lightly golden. Watch it closely.
4
Pour in the chicken broth, return the seared thighs and add the crumbled smoked fish. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes over low heat. In the last five minutes, fold in the spinach and season with salt and pepper.