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Tunde Wey's Gbegiri (Nigerian Bean Soup)


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Closeup of dried honey beansTunde Wey is a Nigerian artist, cook, and writer. He shared this soup recipe with us with the note: "It's not a traditional slurping soup in the American tradition but you can make it whatever you want!"

This dish is traditionally made with Ewa Oloyin (Honey Beans) (pictured above) but field peas can also be used. Iru is a popular condiment in West African cooking, made from fermented locust beans. You can learn more about it on Tunde's website and you can purchase it online from Burlap & Barrel

  • 2 cups uncooked Ewa Oloyin (Honey Beans) or field peas (such as Black Eyed Peas)
  • 1 teaspoon Crayfish (Smoke, Dried, Powdered Shrimp) 
  • 1 tablespoon Dry Red Bird’s Eye Chilis
  • 1 teaspoon Iru powder (available from Burlap & Barrel
  • 1 large red onion
  • 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste 
  • 500 ml palm oil 

Serves 4

  1. Place the beans in a bowl, cover with water, and let soak until plump and the skins begin to loosen, 45 to 60 minutes. Transfer the beans with their soaking water to a large bowl. Add more water to generously cover the beans. Rub the beans between your palms, gently but firmly, to loosen the hulls. Set a sieve over a second large bowl. Pour the soaking water and loose hulls into the sieve, taking care not to pour off any of the beans. Discard the hulls in the sieve, pour the water back into the beans, and repeat the process until all the hulls are removed from the beans. When all of the hulls have been removed, drain the beans and discard the soaking water.
  2. Transfer the beans to a large saucepan, add enough water to cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Season with crayfish powder, chili powder, and iru. Cut onion in half and add to the beans. Season with salt. Simmer until beans are very tender (easily squished between fingers), about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
  3. Transfer contents of saucepan to a blender along with about 1 cup water and blend until smooth. Stir in an additional 1 cup water and blend again. Transfer purée to a large bowl. Slowly stir about 3 cups water into bean mixture to thin it out. Return mixture to large saucepan and heat over medium. Season with additional crayfish and powdered iru, if desired. Slowly add palm oil to beans, stirring constantly.
  4. Traditionally served with Amala, Ewedu (Jute), and Stew for a meal called AbulaOtherwise you can just pour it over beans, rice or platanos!

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