Vegetarian Efo Riro

This is a simple and easy-to-follow vegetarian efo riro, a popular Nigerian soup, that is delicious and healthy.

What is Efo Riro

Efo riro is a traditional leafy green “soup” hailing from the Yoruba peoples. Efo is a Yoruba word for leafy greens while riro roughly translates to stir. I put quotations around soup because to an outsider, it has a stewy consistency, which is the case for many types of Nigerian “soups”.

Traditionally, efo riro is made with a base of palm oil, onions, a blend of peppers (both sweet and spicy), seasoned with crayfish and locust beans then mixed with a large amount of efo. In Nigeria, one has access to the leaf of choice — Efo Shoko (also known as Lagos spinach / plumed cockscomb or scientifically known as celosia argentea, which is in the amaranth family). They are similar in size and appearance to regular spinach and mild in flavour.

Alternatively, one can use efo tete (also known as African Spinach or scientifically known as Amaranthus Hybridus). These are incredibly similar to callaloo, a popular leafy green eaten across the Caribbean Islands.

The greens with sauce make for a simple, healthy and delicious accompaniment to any starch of choice. For more details, you can check out this blog from 9jafoodie, who also sells the seeds for purchase.

Why everyone should eat Amaranth leaves

Researching this blog opened my eyes to the powerhouse that is amaranth leaves. Amaranth, in the western world, is mainly known for its gluten-free grains but not so for its greens, which are consumed across the world. On the African continent, amaranth is eaten from East to West to South, known by various names, and serves as an important source of protein and nutrients for many (up to 25% of the daily protein needs), as the leaves are made of up 30% protein. (1) These greens contain essential amino acids like lysine and methionine at levels higher than soybean meal. (1)

In addition, they are touted for their iron and calcium content, but there is less information on the bioavailability of these minerals to humans (especially as calcium inhibits iron absorption). (1) Aside from iron and calcium, they are known to have high amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. (1)

What you will need for this recipe

• Palm Oil: Palm oil is the oil from the palm fruit, which is indigenous to West Africa. For more details on palm oil, please check out this blog post (click here)
• Onions
• Mixture of peppers: I am using red bell pepper and scotch bonnet
• Tomato ( this is optional. As a Ghanaian I prefer my sauces to be very savoury so tomato helps cut down from the sweetness of peppers. If you want to keep it traditionally Nigerian, you do not need the tomato)
• Spices: Dawa Dawa/Iru gives it an authentic flavour and smell. I also included cameroonian pepper for flavour and a mixture of nori and mushroom powder to substitute the crayfish flavour. For more details on my nori and mushroom powder, you can check out my shito recipe.
• Greens: I used a mix of efo shoko, efo tete and callaloo. My greens were grom from seeds that purchased from 9jafoodie’s seed page: jollof code.
• Plant based Protein: Since this is a vegetarian efo riro, we will not be using meat. Instead, we will be using a mixture of mushrooms, air-fried tofu and konjac tripe but use what ever plant based protein you want.

FAQ + Substitutions

1. Can I use any type of leafy green? You can use any combination of greens. I suggest using frozen spinach, which is readily available at many grocery stores
2. Can I substitute the palm oil? You are welsome to use any vegetable oil you want; however, if possible, please make sure to purchase palm oil for that added authentic flavour
3. Can I substitute dawa dawa? Dawa Dawa/iru is such a unique flavour that it is hard to find a complete substitute. You can omit it from the recipe.

What you can serve this recipe with.

• Efo riro pairs well with a variety of carbs.
• For my meal, I paired it with eba which is a cassava-based swallow. To learn how to make eba, make sure to check out this video.
• Boiled Yam – check out this blog post on how to cook West African Yam

Want to try other Flavourful Nigerian Inspired Recipes?

• Plantain Porridge
• Adalu
• Ayamase

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment. Also tag me on social media(@eatwithafia on tik tok and instagram)

Print Recipe

Vegetarian Efo Riro

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Nigerian

Keyword: efo riro, nigerian food

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 small onions 1 finely chopped, 1 roughly chopped
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 tomato optional, for authentic flavour sub for a sweet red pepper like bell pepper or Portuguese pepper
• 2 tbsp of red palm oil
• 1 tsp each of Dawa Dawa and Cameroon pepper can sub Cameroon pepper for paprika
• 1 tsp of nori mushroom blend see shito recipe for more details
• 1 shopping bag full of greens
• 1 tsp of better than bouillon veggie paste can sub with any vegetable cube/bouillon of choice
• 1 block of extra firm tofu cubed and air fried (optional)
• 6 shiitake mushrooms optional
• konjac tripe optional
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Saute finely chopped onions in palm oil till soft
• While the onions are sautéeing, blend the peppers, tomato (if you are using it) and roughly chopped onion in a blender or food processor
• Once the onions are soft, add the Dawa Dawa and mix for a minute then add in the blended mixture. Let this mixture cook at medium heat for about 10 minutes
• Add the rest of your seasoning to the pot (nori+ mushroom powder, better than bouillon, Cameroon pepper), the mushrooms, the tofu, tripe, and a dash of water
• Let everything cook at medium-low for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the sauce is cooking, prep your greens by roughly chopping them and then pouring hot water on them. This helps to blanch the greens and remove any dirt. Quickly follow with cool water then squeeze the water out. This way, when the greens are added to the pot, they will not release lots of extra water.
• Once your sauce is thick, add in your blanched greens.
• Mix everything well, cover and let it simmer at medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust based on preference.