Yoruba-Style Gbegiri Bean Soup with Smoked Croaker

Gbegiri is one of those soups that rewards patience: peeled black-eyed peas cook down slowly until they turn into a thick, almost creamy purée, then get folded together with a measured amount of palm oil and a whole flaked smoked croaker fish.

The beans do a lot of the heavy lifting here nutritionally, offering plenty of fiber alongside plant protein, while the smoked fish adds real selenium and zinc to the bowl — nutrients that come up often in conversations about thyroid health. We keep the ground crayfish measured rather than heavy-handed, which keeps this soup comfortably iodine-conscious.

A small handful of chopped spinach stirred in at the very end (cooked briefly, never raw) adds color and a few extra nutrients without overwhelming the dish. Serve gbegiri the traditional way, ladled generously over amala or a small portion of rice.