Description
Vegan Efo Riro is a rich and flavorful Nigerian spinach stew made with fresh red bell peppers, habanero peppers, mushrooms, and a blend of spices. This plant-based version uses vegetable bouillon and nutritional yeast to create an authentic taste without animal products, perfect for a hearty, nutritious meal served with rice or traditional Nigerian sides like pounded yam or cassava.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- 3 red bell peppers (ends and seeds removed)
- 1 tomato
- 1 red onion (medium, divided)
- 2 habanero peppers (adjust to spice tolerance)
- 32 oz fresh spinach (or substitute with thawed and blotted frozen spinach or kale)
- 8 oz mushrooms (white or Cremini, sliced)
Seasonings & Others
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil (can substitute with palm oil)
- 2 cubes vegetarian bouillon (or 2 teaspoons curry powder)
- 1 teaspoon curry powder (in addition to bouillon)
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional, or substitute iru (locust bean) or tahini paste)
- 2 cups vegetable broth (optional, can substitute with water or omit)
- ½ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
Instructions
- Blanch Spinach: Boil water in a large pot and prepare an ice bath. Add fresh spinach to the boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer immediately to the ice bath to stop cooking. Drain and squeeze out excess water. If using frozen spinach, thaw it completely and blot dry.
- Heat Oil: Discard the blanching water. Add vegetable oil to the pot and heat over medium heat until hot.
- Prepare Pepper Puree: While the oil heats, remove stems and seeds from red bell peppers. Combine bell peppers, half of the medium onion, habanero peppers, and tomato in a food processor and pulse into a coarse puree. Set aside.
- Sauté Onions and Mushrooms: Chop the remaining half onion. Add it to the hot oil along with sliced mushrooms. Fry for 2–3 minutes until onions are translucent or lightly browned.
- Cook Pepper Puree: Add the prepared pepper puree to the pot. If using African pepper sauce, you can substitute two cups of the sauce here instead. Fry the mixture for 4–5 minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Add Seasonings: Crumble in the vegetarian bouillon cubes and add the curry powder. Stir in nutritional yeast, tahini, or iru if using. Fry everything together for 1 minute to blend the flavors.
- Simmer Stew: Add the vegetable broth or water and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the blanched spinach and cook uncovered for about 2–3 minutes. For a thicker consistency, you can blend the spinach directly into the pepper puree earlier. Add salt to taste.
- Serve: Serve the vegan Efo Riro hot with rice or traditional Nigerian swallow foods like pounded yam or cassava.
Notes
- For a more authentic flavor, substitute vegetable oil with palm oil.
- If you don’t have fresh spinach, well-thawed and drained frozen spinach or kale works well as a substitute.
- Nutritional yeast, iru (locust bean), or tahini can be used interchangeably to enhance the umami and depth of flavor.
- Adjust the amount of habanero peppers according to your spice preference.
- If you prefer a thicker stew, consider blending the spinach into the pepper puree before cooking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Nigerian
Keywords: Vegan Efo Riro, Nigerian spinach stew, vegan Nigerian recipes, African vegan stew, plant-based dinner, spicy spinach stew
