Umngqusho

Name: Umngqusho
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 2 cans hominy, drained and rinsed; 1 can kidney beans (canned), drained; 2 tbsp neutral vegetable oil; 1 onion, chopped; 2 tomatoes, chopped; 1 potato, small cubes (optional); 400 ml vegetable stock; ¾ tsp salt; ¼ tsp black pepper

Vegetarian

Crushed maize (samp) and beans simmered until creamy with onion and tomato. A Xhosa staple; this quick version uses canned hominy and beans.

Umngqusho is a South African side dish, ready in about 45 minutes and made with hominy and kidney beans (canned). It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking

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Prep: 10 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 45 min
Serves: 4
Level: Easy
Calories: 264

Ingredients

4 servings

2 cans (570 g) Hominy (opens in a new tab), drained and rinsedStand-in for samp (dried crushed maize), which needs overnight soaking and 2–3 hours of simmering.
1 can (240 g) Kidney beans (canned) (opens in a new tab), drainedSugar beans are traditional.Swap: Pinto beans (canned); White beans (canned)
2 tbsp (27 g) Neutral vegetable oil (opens in a new tab)Swap: Butter
1 (110 g) Onion (opens in a new tab), chopped
2 (240 g) Tomatoes (opens in a new tab), chopped
1 (200 g) Potato (opens in a new tab), small cubes (optional)
400 ml Vegetable stock (opens in a new tab)Swap: Water
¾ tsp (4.5 g) Salt (opens in a new tab)
¼ tsp (0.5 g) Black pepper (opens in a new tab)

Equipment

Saucepan (opens in a new tab)

Method

1
Step 1
Soften the onion (opens in a new tab) in the oil, add the tomatoes (opens in a new tab) (and potato (opens in a new tab), if using) and cook until pulpy.
- 8 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels
2
Step 2
Add the hominy (opens in a new tab), beans, stock, salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) and simmer, partly covered and stirring now and then, until thick.
- 25 min
- low heat
3
Step 3
Mash some of the mixture against the side of the pot to make it creamy, then serve.
- 2 min
How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: Eastern Cape, South Africa · Well documentedA traditional Xhosa dish, often said to have been a favourite of Nelson Mandela.Also popular in Lesotho, EswatiniMore food from South Africa
Dish: Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Main courses
Cooking method: Simmered
Taste: savoury, creamy, earthy, mild
Diet: Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-fibre
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-fibre · Low-fat
With the listed swaps: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: One-pot · Budget-friendly · Freezer-friendly
Cook more with: Hominy · Kidney beans (canned) · Onion · Tomato · Vegetable stock
Techniques: Simmering

Allergens

May contain: Glutenfrom vegetable stock
May contain: Celeryfrom vegetable stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

264 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 398 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

Protein 12%
Carbohydrate 58%
Fat 30%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	264 kcal	66 kcal
Protein	8 g	2 g
Carbohydrate	39.1 g	9.8 g
Net carbohydrate	31.1 g	7.8 g
Sugars	7.7 g	1.9 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	8.1 g	2 g
Fat	8.9 g	2.2 g
Saturated fat	0.8 g	0.2 g
Trans fat	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	1256 mg	316 mg
Salt equivalent	3.1 g	0.8 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 382 mg
Calcium: 65 mg
Iron: 2.1 mg
Magnesium: 51 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): —
Vitamin C: 11 mg
Vitamin D: 0 µg
Vitamin B12: 0 µg
Folate (DFE): 32 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: potato.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

With dried samp and beans, soak both overnight and simmer together for 2–3 hours until soft before adding the onion and tomato.

Common mistakes

Not mashing some of the mixture — umngqusho should be creamy, not brothy.

Serve with

Serve with a meat stew, chakalaka or simply with butter.

Storage

Keeps 4 days in the fridge or 3 months frozen.

Reheating

Reheat with a splash of water.

Variations

Traditional umngqusho (South Africa): Dried samp and sugar beans soaked overnight and simmered for hours, finished with butter or fat.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 27 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Compare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Hominy, drained and rinsed2 can · 570 g
Kidney beans (canned), drained1 can · 240 g
Tomato, chopped2 piece · 240 g
Potato, small cubes (optional)1 piece · 200 g

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

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