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Epicurious

Gbegiri

Bean soup topped with a trio of abula.
Photo by Kelly Marshall

Known as gbẹ̀gìrì in Yorùbá and miyan wakye in Hausa, this bean soup delights in its simplicity. Onions, crayfish, and palm oil make for a straightforward set of ingredients; the real commitment comes from puréeing the soup itself. In Lagos, it’s often served as a trio of multicolored complements called abula consisting of àmàlà, gbẹ̀gìrì, and ewédú, topped with ọbẹ̀ or ata dín dín. It’s a visually striking presentation in a single bowl. On its own, gbẹ̀gìrì is comfort food exemplified.

This recipe was excerpted from ‘My Everyday Lagos' by Yewande Komolafe, one of our favorite cookbooks of 2023. Buy the full book on Amazon.

What you’ll need

Cooks' note:

If using unpeeled beans, soak ahead for 4 hours and up to 12 hours. Peel the beans by sliding them together using both hands. The skins should float to the top of the liquid and you can pour off and discard them. Repeat this process until the beans are mostly all peeled.

Beans can be purchased peeled, but if you cannot locate them and you do not peel your beans in advance, you can always strain the puréed bean mixture through a fine strainer.

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