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Main course · West African

Egusi Soup with Mushrooms and Spinach

45 min Serves 4 ~824 kcal/serving ~£10.00 (£2.50/serving) Dairy-freeGluten-freeVeganVegetarian

Dietary and allergen labels, nutrition and cost are worked out automatically from each recipe’s ingredients and are a guide only. Check the labels on what you buy yourself — especially for allergies or coeliac disease. More about recipe labels.

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Ingredients

  • 200 g ground egusi (melon seeds)
  • 400 g chestnut mushrooms
  • 300 g spinach
  • 5 tbsp red palm oil
  • 2 onions
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 scotch bonnet chilli
  • 400 ml gluten-free vegetable stock
  • 300 g long-grain rice

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories
824 kcal
Protein
25.6 g
Carbohydrate
79.3 g
of which sugars
10.3 g
Fat
43.8 g
of which saturates
13.1 g
Fibre
7.7 g
Salt
0.94 g

Estimated from typical values for each ingredient — a guide, not a substitute for the label on what you actually buy.

Method

  1. 1

    Blend the red pepper, 1 onion and the scotch bonnet with a splash of water. Mix the ground egusi with 6 tbsp water to a thick paste (blitzed pumpkin seeds are the swap if your world food aisle has no egusi).

  2. 2

    Rinse the rice and simmer it in 600ml lightly salted water, covered, for 12-15 minutes until tender.

  3. 3

    Heat the red palm oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the second onion, chopped, and the thickly sliced mushrooms and fry for 6-8 minutes until the mushrooms are browned. Add the pepper blend and fry for 5 minutes.

  4. 4

    Drop in the egusi paste in spoonfuls and leave undisturbed for 5 minutes, then stir gently so it sets into soft curds. Cook for 5 minutes more, stirring now and then so it does not catch.

  5. 5

    Add the vegetable stock and simmer for 8-10 minutes until thick. Stir in the chopped spinach and cook for 3 minutes until wilted. Season with salt.

  6. 6

    Serve straight away with the rice (or pounded yam), and cool any leftover rice quickly.

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