In Yoruba cooking, the soup or stew is at the centre of the meal, eaten with a swallow such as amala, eba or pounded yam. This guide introduces the best-known soups and what makes each one different. Recipes vary between cooks, so treat these as general descriptions.
Well-known Yoruba soups
| Soup | What it is |
|---|---|
| Efo riro | A rich stew of leafy greens cooked with peppers, palm oil and meat or fish |
| Ewedu | A smooth, green soup made from jute leaves, often served with gbegiri |
| Gbegiri | A yellow-brown soup made from cooked and blended beans |
| Egusi | A thick soup made from ground melon seeds, with vegetables and meat or fish |
| Ilá (okra) | A slippery soup made from okra, often cooked with locust beans and fish |
| Obe ata | A hot pepper stew, eaten with rice, yam and many other foods |
What to eat them with
- Amala is a dark swallow made from yam flour, traditionally paired with ewedu and gbegiri.
- Pounded yam goes well with efo riro and egusi.
- Eba, made from garri, is a quick swallow for almost any soup.
See the full range of dishes in our Yoruba food guide, try ofada rice with ayamase, or find street food in the Lagos and Ibadan street food guide.
Shop for the ingredients in Yoruba
Learn the names of vegetables and how to bargain in our guide to market words in Yoruba.
Frequently asked questions
What is gbegiri made of? Cooked and blended beans.
What is ewedu? A green soup made from jute leaves.
Photo: Unsplash contributor, a seller at Bodija Market, Ibadan, illustrative of where ingredients are bought; it does not show the soups. Recipes vary by cook and region.
