Cabbage Egusi Soup

This quick and easy stew made with lots of cabbage, protein, and healthy oil is nutritious and insanely tasty. You can feel good about feeding your family this delicious meal!

Course Main

Cuisine African

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 50

Total Time 1 10

Servings

Calories 382kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

1½ pounds (680g) or more meat (smoked turkey, beef, chicken, or a combination of both cut in small pieces)
2 tablespoons (30ml) canola or any cooking oil
3 cloves garlic or 2 teaspoons minced garlic
½ medium onion, chopped
2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped
½ cup (60g) ground egusi
½ cup (28g) dried crayfish or shrimp (ground or smashed)
4 cups (300g) shredded cabbage or more

Instructions

In a medium-sized saucepan, boil the meat seasoned with salt (garlic salt), smoked paprika, pepper, and onions until tender. Make sure you have added plenty of water so you have 3-4 cups of beef stock for the soup. Remove the beef and reserve the stock.
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Fry the beef or chicken if desired, then set aside. If not frying, proceed to the next step.
Add the onions and garlic. Sauté mixture until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Then add the beef, smoked turkey, and crayfish, and continue cooking.
Stir in the tomatoes with their juices. Add 1-2 cups of beef or chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Then add ground egusi and keep simmering on medium heat for about 12 minutes. Add stock to achieve the desired consistency or to prevent burning.
Finally, toss in the cabbage and simmer for 2 minutes or more. Adjust seasonings to taste.
Serve hot with plantains, eba, yams, or another side.

Notes

If you don’t like the smell of cabbage but want to add it to the soup, lightly cook it before adding it. You’ll get all that good flavor without the overpowering smell of cabbage in the soup.
If you are using a tough cut of meat, definitely boil it and then fry it. Feel free to skip the frying step if using a more tender cut, like chicken or beef sirloin.
If you have whole egusi seeds and plan on grinding them yourself, a mortar and pestle or food processor will do the job.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition