The short answer
Gbegiri is a smooth, savoury Nigerian soup made from beans, a speciality of Yoruba cooking in south western Nigeria. Brown or black-eyed beans are cooked until very soft, then mashed and sieved into a smooth, thick, pale yellow soup, seasoned with palm oil, pepper, ground crayfish and other flavourings. It is most famous as part of abula, the beloved combination of gbegiri, ewedu and a rich pepper stew, eaten together with amala. Smooth and comforting, gbegiri is a treasured Yoruba classic. In the UK the beans and other ingredients are sold by African food shops.
What to remember
- Gbegiri is a smooth, savoury Nigerian bean soup, a Yoruba speciality.
- It is made from brown or black-eyed beans cooked soft, then mashed and sieved smooth.
- It is seasoned with palm oil, pepper, ground crayfish and other flavourings.
- It is most famous as part of abula, with ewedu, stew and amala.
- The beans and ingredients are sold by African food shops in the UK.
For Yoruba Nigerians in Britain, gbegiri is a deep taste of home. It is the smooth, golden bean soup poured beside ewedu and stew over amala, the abula that says a proper Yoruba meal, the comforting soup that grandmother sieved by hand, the flavour that says the south west and home. Making gbegiri far from home brings back family kitchens and Sunday meals and the beloved ritual of abula, the warmth of home in every smooth, savoury spoonful.
There is real heritage in it too, in a soup so tied to Yoruba cooking and to the treasured combination of abula. It reflects a whole culture of soups and swallows eaten together, and to make and share gbegiri is to keep that culture alive. Making gbegiri and abula for family who grew up on it, or introducing a friend to the smooth bean soup with amala, is an act of welcome and heritage. That smooth, savoury taste of home is the quiet gift of gbegiri.
What is gbegiri?
Gbegiri is one of the most treasured soups of Yoruba cooking in south western Nigeria, a smooth, savoury soup made entirely from beans. To make it, brown beans, or sometimes black-eyed beans, are cooked until they are very soft, then mashed and passed through a sieve to remove the skins and give a smooth, thick, pale yellow soup. It is seasoned with palm oil, which adds richness and colour, along with pepper, ground crayfish, locust beans and other flavourings, building a deep, savoury taste from a humble base. The result is silky, comforting and full of flavour.
What sets gbegiri apart is its smooth, almost velvety texture and its rich, beany savouriness, quite different from a chunky bean dish. It is a classic of Yoruba home cooking and a point of pride, and it is most famous for the company it keeps. Gbegiri belongs to the world of Nigerian soups we cover in our guide to Nigerian food, and it is best known as one part of the beloved combination called abula.
Gbegiri ewedu and abula
Understanding gbegiri means understanding abula, because gbegiri is most loved as part of this classic trio. Abula is the much loved Yoruba combination of three things eaten together: gbegiri, the smooth bean soup, ewedu, a light, draw soup made from jute leaves, and a rich, spicy pepper stew, often called gbegiri stew or simply stew. When these three are served together over a swallow, that combination is abula, and it is a celebrated Yoruba meal.
The three components complement each other beautifully: the smooth, savoury gbegiri, the light, slippery ewedu and the rich, peppery stew, layered together and eaten with a swallow, most classically amala, the dark yam flour swallow. Each part can be eaten alone, but together as abula they are something special, and gbegiri is a key member of the trio. This layering of soups and stew is a signature of Yoruba eating, and it is why gbegiri is so closely tied to ewedu and amala in people's minds. This is general food information rather than dietary advice.
How is gbegiri mad and enjoyed?
Making gbegiri takes a little patience but few ingredients. The beans are boiled until completely soft, then mashed thoroughly and sieved, or blended and sieved, to remove the skins and achieve the characteristic smooth texture, which is the key step. The smooth bean purée is then cooked with palm oil, ground pepper, ground crayfish, locust beans (iru), stock and salt, and simmered until it is well combined, rich and the right consistency, not too thick or too thin. Achieving a smooth, lump-free soup is the mark of good gbegiri.
Gbegiri is enjoyed above all with a swallow and usually alongside ewedu and stew as abula, eaten with the hand by pinching off the swallow and scooping up the soups. It is comforting, savoury and satisfying, and it is a favourite at home and at Yoruba gatherings and celebrations. While it shines as part of abula, gbegiri can also be enjoyed more simply with a swallow and stew. For anyone exploring Yoruba food, gbegiri, especially as part of abula with amala, is a wonderful, original experience. Smooth and rich, it is Yoruba comfort food at its best.
Where to buy the ingredients in the UK
Making gbegiri at home in Britain is very doable, as the ingredients are easy to find through African food shops. The main ingredient is beans, brown beans or black-eyed beans, which these shops stock, along with the palm oil, ground crayfish, locust beans and pepper you need for the seasoning. Supermarkets carry black-eyed beans too, though African food shops are the best source for brown beans and the traditional seasonings.
If you want to make gbegiri, and perhaps the full abula, an African food shop can point you to the right beans and the palm oil, crayfish and locust beans that give it its flavour, and the ewedu and amala to go with it. You can find African food stores near you or look up Caribbean food stores near you, many of which serve Nigerian communities. With soft-cooked beans, a good sieve and the right seasonings, you can make this smooth, treasured Yoruba soup at home.
Frequently asked questions
What is gbegiri?
Gbegiri is a smooth, savoury Nigerian soup made from beans, a speciality of Yoruba cooking in south western Nigeria. Brown or black-eyed beans are cooked until very soft, then mashed and sieved into a smooth, thick, pale yellow soup, seasoned with palm oil, pepper, ground crayfish and other flavourings. It is most famous as part of abula, with ewedu and stew.
What is abula?
Abula is the much loved Yoruba combination of three things eaten together: gbegiri, the smooth bean soup, ewedu, a light draw soup made from jute leaves, and a rich, spicy pepper stew, served together over a swallow such as amala. The three complement each other, and gbegiri is a key member of the trio. Abula is a celebrated Yoruba meal.
What is gbegiri made of?
Gbegiri is made from beans, usually brown beans or black-eyed beans, cooked until very soft, then mashed and sieved to remove the skins and give a smooth texture. This bean purée is cooked with palm oil, ground pepper, ground crayfish, locust beans (iru), stock and salt, and simmered until rich and smooth. The sieving is the key to its characteristic velvety texture.
What is gbegiri eaten with?
Gbegiri is enjoyed above all with a swallow, and most classically alongside ewedu and a pepper stew as abula, eaten with the hand over a swallow such as amala. The smooth gbegiri, light ewedu and rich stew are scooped up together with the swallow. It can also be eaten more simply with a swallow and stew.
Where can I buy the ingredients in the UK?
African food shops stock the beans, brown beans or black-eyed beans, along with the palm oil, ground crayfish, locust beans and pepper you need, and supermarkets carry black-eyed beans too. An African food shop can point you to the right beans and traditional seasonings, and the ewedu and amala to make the full abula. African Stores lists African and Caribbean food shops across the UK, so you can find one near you.
