A delicious blend of stewed leafy greens bathed in a nutty, creamy sauce of ground egusi seeds, this soup is incredibly popular across West Africa. The off-white, sliced almond-shaped seeds are harvested from the melon fruit of a climbing vine native to West Africa. Also known as egunsi, agushi or egwusi, they act as a thickener in soup, especially when combined with a broth and added to a base of onions, palm oil and irú. This recipe includes chunks of meaty roasted mushrooms and fresh tender spinach leaves, but use what’s available to you, whether that’s meat or more traditional hearty greens, like ẹ̀fó̩ tẹ́tẹ (amaranth greens), ugwu (fluted pumpkin leaves) or tender ẹ̀fó̩ gbure (waterleaf). Each version you make that’s a little different is also a little more personal. But it’s the seeds that make it always recognizable.
Source link
