Nigerian · soup

Efo Riro (Sautéed Leafy Greens Stew)

Name: Efo Riro (Sautéed Leafy Greens Stew)
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Cuisine: Nigerian
Ingredients: 4 cups spinach; 3 tbsp palm oil; 1.5 lbs assorted meats; 2 tbsp crayfish (ground); 3 scotch bonnet peppers; 2 tatashe (red bell pepper); 1 onion; 2 tbsp locust beans (iru); 2 seasoning cubes; salt to taste

Efo Riro (Sautéed Leafy Greens Stew) reads umami 5.1, richness 4.0 and salinity 3.7 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Nigerian soup, about 1 hr 45 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 5.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 2.3 / 10
Sour & Bright — 0.9 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.9 / 10
Rich & Fat — 4.2 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.1 · Richness 4.0 · Salinity 3.7 · Heat 3.5 · Marine & Briny 3.4 · Allium 3.1 · Sweetness 2.1 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Bitterness 1.7 · Earthy 1.6 · Fruity 0.9 · Floral 0.9 · Sourness 0.7 · Nutty 0.6 · Citrus 0.6

What's in it (10)

4 cups spinach
3 tbsp palm oil
1.5 lbs assorted meats
2 tbsp crayfish (ground)
3 scotch bonnet peppers
2 tatashe (red bell pepper)
1 onion
2 tbsp locust beans (iru)
2 seasoning cubes
salt to taste

Time & effort: about 1 hr 45 min (45 min active) · effort: easy

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 117.9 kcal, 5.5 g protein, 9 g fat, 4.4 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Fry onion and locust beans in palm oil until fragrant, then add blended peppers and cook until the oil floats on top.
Stir in cooked meats, ground crayfish, and seasoning and simmer briefly.
Add finely shredded greens and stir vigorously until just wilted but still vivid green.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Rice-Pot Jambalaya — Cajun/Creole
Moi Moi (Steamed Bean Pudding) — Nigerian
Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noodles) — Indonesian
Ogbono Soup (Draw Soup) — Nigerian
Gambas al Ajillo — Spanish

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.