Vegetarian Egusi Soup with Rice

Ingredients

Quantities are for one portion.

• 1 tspvegetable bouillon powder
• 50 gred bell pepper, chopped
• 200 mlvegetable stock
• 1onion, roughly chopped
• 80 glong-grain white rice (dry weight)
• 1 tbsppalm oil (or vegetable oil)
• 40 gground egusi seeds (melon seeds)
• 0.5scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded
• 100 gfresh spinach, chopped
• 100 gcanned chopped tomatoes

Method

1. Rinse the long-grain white rice and cook it according to the package instructions until fluffy.
2. In a blender, combine the chopped tomatoes, red bell pepper, half of the onion, and the scotch bonnet pepper, blending until smooth.
3. Heat the palm oil in a pot over medium heat, dice the remaining half of the onion, and fry it until translucent.
4. Pour the blended tomato mixture into the pot, add the vegetable bouillon powder, and let it fry and reduce for fifteen minutes.
5. In a small bowl, mix the ground egusi seeds with a little water to form a thick paste, then drop spoonfuls of the paste into the simmering stew.
6. Pour in the vegetable stock without stirring immediately, cover the pot, and let it cook for ten minutes so the egusi clumps form.
7. Gently stir the stew to break up the egusi clumps slightly, fold in the chopped fresh spinach, and simmer for five more minutes.
8. Serve the hearty, thick egusi stew hot alongside the cooked white rice.