caribbean soup recipe Archives

There are several variations to fish soups as you make your way up and down the island chain of the Caribbean, so there’s no surprise that I have several recipes in my repertoire. This version is very similar to the fish broff (broth) you’d find in Trinidad and Tobago, which I shared a few years back. Fairly light when compared to the thick stew-like soups we enjoy in the Caribbean, but you can certainly add yams, green cooking bananas, sweet potatoes, dasheen and other ingredients if you like.

You’ll Need…

1 fish head (I used a halibut)
2 cups cubed Cod fish
1/2 large onion
3 scallions
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
8-10 cups water
2 fish stock cubes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon veg oil
1 large potato (cubed)
1/2 lime (juice)
2 cloves garlic
3 sprigs thyme
1 stalk celery
2 cups cubed pumpkin
small bunch watercress (thick stems removed)

* If making this gluten free, do go through the entire list of ingredients to ensure it meets with your specific gluten free dietary needs. (especially the fish stock cube). It’s important that you ask the person in your fish market to clean the fish head for you if you’re new to handling fish.

Heat your soup pot on a med heat and go in with the veg oil. Now add the thyme, celery, onion, scallions and black pepper. Turn the heat down to low and allow that to cook for about 4-5 minutes.

Add the fish head and black pepper and give it a good stir. Then add the water and fish stock cube (if you prefer to use fish stock instead of water, you can certainly do so). Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.

As it comes to a boil add the diced potato and pumpkin.. then reduce to a rolling boil and let it go for 10 minutes.

Now add the lime juice, cilantro and cubed pieces of Cod and continue cooking for a final 10 minutes. So in total it will cook for 20 minutes from the time it came to a boil. You will notice that I did not add any salt as I find that the sodium content in the fish stock cube is enough to season the soup, however you can taste and adjust accordingly.

I must mention that I added the scotch bonnet pepper when the soup came to a boil, whole. As I wanted the flavor but not the raw heat. At the end of cooking you have two options.. remove it or burst it open and release that Caribbean sunshine (heat). Turn the stove off and add the watercress. The residual heat will heat through the cress!

A lovely light soup as I said at the top, with wonderful flavors of the Caribbean. I must warn you that the fish head will have bones, so be mindful of this when serving this to kids. You will also notice (depending on the fish you use) that it can be a bit oily, so try and skim off some of that oil as it settles at the top of the soup.

Serve with wedges of lime or lemons and some extra watercress will not hurt!

Seafood

Using Salted Cod As A Base For A Delectable Caribbean Soup.

March 5, 2012October 29, 201024 Comments

trini food soup recipe (11)

Soup is a common Saturday meal throughout the islands that make up the Caribbean and it’s one of those one pot meals that truly brings family and friends together. When we first immigrated to Canada there were but a sprinkle of people with Caribbean heritage in Hamilton. My little group of friends included a fella from Jamaica, one from Dominica and how could I forget my good friend Carlos who was from Barbados. We did just about everything together, especially since when you’re new to a country you tend to latch on to anything which gives you the slightest security and comradeship of “home”. I love my Trinbagonian food and it’s something I could never repeat to my mom or grandmother, but this soup was the best I’ve ever had. Between Carlos, his sister and I, I think we ate the entire pot – no joke! The last time I was in Barbados I searched in vain for a restaurant in Bridgetown hoping to find a spot where I could sample some home style soup… no luck.

This soup cannot compare to that soup which is forever stuck in my mind from all those years ago, but when my grandmother would make this we’d eat bowlfuls.

You’ll Need…

1/2 lb salted cod (any dry salted fish)
1 carrot diced
8 ochro (okra) diced
3 medium potatoes cubed
1 lb yam cubed
1 lb eddoes
3 sprigs thyme
4 green cooking bananas
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 hot pepper (scotch bonnet or habanero)
1 large onion diced
3 cloves garlic sliced
1 can coconut milk (about 1.25 cups)
salt to taste (see note below)
1 cup split peas (dry)
8 cups of water
1 tablespoon veg oil

* In the recipe I have 1 cup split peas and this is what’s traditionally used, but I opted for a dry peas mix. Which to be honest didn’t work as well as I planned.

* In the recipe you’ll notice that I also mentioned green bananas. However my pot wasn’t big enough and I didn’t have room to add it at the end. I’ll be using those for another recipe.

* To help quicken the cooking time of the split peas, feel free to soak them in cool water overnight, then drain when you’re ready to put into the soup.

Since I had to deal with the small pot issue, I couldn’t put the star of this soup – dumplings. If you need the recipe for making the flour dumplings, do let me know in the comment section below. They’re added the last 10 minutes of cooking.

trini food soup recipe

Start off by soaking the dry salted fish in water for a few minutes (normally when using salted fish like this we either soak overnight then boil or soak in boiling hot water for an hr or so, but there’s no need with this recipe) then rinse off and strip into smaller pieces.

trini food soup recipe (2)

In a large pot (be smarter than me) heat the oil on med to high heat and add the pieces of salted fish to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes (until it starts to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot) then add the garlic and onion. Cook that for a few minutes on medium heat as we don’t want to burn the garlic.

trini food soup recipe (3)

trini food soup recipe (5)

After the onion starts to go soft and translucent, add the peas (remember to wash it before adding) and sliced carrots and give it good stir. (in the pic below you’ll see the dry peas mix I used and regret. Should have stuck to the split peas instead – lesson learned.

trini food soup recipe (4)

trini food soup recipe (6)

Add the coconut milk, thyme, black pepper, hot pepper, ochro and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook covered until the split peas is fully cooked. Takes about 45-50 minutes. As it cooks it will start to thicken.

trini food soup recipe (7)

trini food soup recipe (8)

While this does it’s thing, peel and cube the ground provisions (yam, eddoes, green bananas and potato), please try to cut them all the same size so they cook uniformly when we add them to the pot. In a previous soup recipe I posted, several people said that they parboil the provision separately. Wash the pieces off under cool water, then place in a large bowl and cover with water to prevent them from going discolored while we wait for the peas to fully cook.

trini food soup recipe (9)

The peas mix I used, took about 1 hour to get soft, this is when I added the provisions to the pot. Bring to a boil again, then turn down the heat to a simmer (with pot covered) and cook for about 15 minutes (until the provisions is fully cooked). If you’re adding dumplings to the soup do so the last 10 minutes or so, of cooking. IMPORTANT! You’ll notice that I didn’t add salt. This is because the salted cod that I used is packed with tons of salt and after tasting at the end I noticed that I didn’t have to add any. I recommend that you taste the soup to see if there’s enough salt for your taste.

* If you’re worried about the hot pepper in the ingredients list, add it whole and fish it out when the soup is done cooking. For that extra kick, burst open the pepper near the end and it will blaze-up this dish.

trini food soup recipe (10)

trini food soup recipe (11)

Be prepared to fall asleep after eating a good bowl of this. I had a good nap then when back for 2nd’s! Maybe I can get someone from Barbados to share their classic soup recipe with me, as through the years Carlos and I have drifted apart and I don’t have that connection any longer. Wait! Securing that soup could be a good reason to visit Barbados again, especially when it gets nasty-cold during the winter months 🙂

Please leave me your comments below and don’t forget to tell your friends about the website. One more thing… If you’re not already part of our facebook fan group, do so now by clicking the image below. It’s one of the largest groups on facebook dedicated to exploring the culinary culture of the Caribbean islands.

Vegetarian

A Creamy Caribbean Curry Pumpkin Soup.

March 5, 2012April 3, 201041 Comments

making curry pumpkin soup Though I’m a SOLID food kinda guy, I’m starting to really appreciate soups. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, the traditional soups in the Caribbean are very heavy, thick and full of carbs. Our soups are what would be seen as being “stews” in North America and is meant to be a true meal in one pot. But lately I’ve been experimenting with lighter (belly wash as my dad call them) soups, where the ingredient list is not overly complex.Simple and made from a few ingredients so you can really appreciate the main ingredient.

I first had this soup a few years ago while in Trinidad, but I can’t remember the name of the restaurant where we had lunch (some where in Port Of Spain)… I probably had some “beverages” that same day so the memory isn’t all that clear. After a few tries I came up with a recipe that’s as close to the real thing as far as I can remember.

You’ll Need…

1 medium onion diced
1 celery stalk diced
1 carrot diced
2 cloves of garlic diced
1/4 cup of butter (about 1/2 a stick)
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 tablespoon curry powder
3 cups pumpkin – peeled and diced
1/4 cup cream
water (about 3-4 cups)
Salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)
black pepper

IMPORTANT NOTE: I tried my best to get the sort of pumpkin we get in the Caribbean, but the Asian stall at the farmers market didn’t have any. I then tried a couple Caribbean food stores without any luck so I ended up using a sort of squash-like version. Though they probably belong to the same family, it’s really not the same as the real thing. Yes, squash will work, but the flavour and consistency does differ a bit. BTW, here’s a pic of sliced pumpkins at the San Fernando Market (Trinidad) that I took back in October 2009. You can view a lot more pics I took that day on the picture feed for the site (go a couple pages deep)

trinidad fresh cut pumpkin

Start by putting the butter to melt on medium heat in a deep pot (on high heat the butter will burn very quickly). Then add the onions, carrots, garlic and celery to the pot. Allow this to cook until the onion is tender (about 3-5 minutes). Then add a dash of black pepper, the curry powder and turmeric… allow to cook for about 3 minutes. Quite honestly the aroma that comes out of this is probably the BEST I’ve smelled in quite some time.

how to make pumpkin soup

trini pumpkin soup

trinidad soup recipe

Now we’ll add the cubed pieces of pumpkin and stir around. Then add enough water to cover the pumpkin, bring to a boil, then back down to a simmer (I used about 3 1/2 cups of water). Add the salt, cover and let cook on low heat for about 30 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. If you find that it’s going thick, add a bit more water and/or turn down the heat a bit.

pumpkin soup

curried pumpkin soup

pumpkin soup recipe

The final step is to add the cream and blend or puree the entire thing into a smooth soup. I used one of those immersion blenders to get the smooth consistency I was looking for. A couple tips if you’re using one… 1. Try to pulse to avoid the soup going frothy. 2. Rinse the blender off with water first before putting it into the soup. The turmeric can stain the blender, if yours is as white as mine. Yea, we got the cheaper plastic version and not the stainless steel one. You can also use a whisk or pour the entire thing into a regular blender or food processor if you wish. Bear in mind that you’re working with a hot liquid.

recipe for trinidad pumpkin soup

trinidad curry pumpkin soup

jamaican pumpkin soup

Next time I’ll be sure to get some of the authentic Caribbean type pumpkin to really test the difference in the final taste as compared to using the squash. I’ll also be testing using a combination of cream and coconut cream as I’m sure it will work well with the curry in this dish.

BTW, if you can’t get cream, I’m sure evaporated milk will work just as well.

Do you have a different version or a tip about this recipe you’d like to share? Please leave a comment in the area provided below.

happy cooking

chris…

Caribbean Pot on Facebook

Meat & Poultry

Salted Pig Tail And Ground Provisions Soup.

May 27, 2025March 10, 201044 Comments

salted pigtail soup recipe Like the recipe I posted back in May 2009 for a Saturday favourite “Pig Tail Soup“, the base ingredients for this soup is pretty much the same. Except the final texture (consistency) and overall taste does differ. Yet another traditional dish enjoyed through the islands, with variations according to every one’s own unique way of preparation. My uncle on my mom’s side would make this soup on a Monday after a weekend of feteing (partying) to according to him..revive! Before we get to the recipe I must mention that you must be careful when stewing (browning) the seasoned pigtail. Since the meat still has it’s skin and it’s very fatty, when it hits the oil/sugar it will splatter a bit. Use a deep pot if you can and a long handle cooking spoon. Just to be safe.

You’ll Need…

2 lbs salted pig tails (cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces)
1 sweet potato (about 1lb)
1-2 lbs yams
4 eddoes (about 1 lb)
3 medium/large potatoes
3 tablespoon chopped cilantro (if you don’t have shado beni)
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
1 carrot (cut into coins)
1/4 teaspoon blackpepper
1/4 hot pepper (adds great flavour and some bite)
1 scallion (green onions)
3 sprigs thyme
1 can black eye peas – 19 oz/540 ml (Use whatever canned beans you may have in the pantry)
6 cups hot water
3 tablespoon oil
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ketchup
1 tomato
1 pimento pepper (optional ..if you have)
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
Macaroni (optional)

* Feel free to add any other ground provision you may have (cassava, dasheen or green bananas). If you’re good at making dumplings, it would also make a great addition to this soup.

* I used black eye peas in this version, but my favourite is lentils which I didn’t have.

*NOTE: Try to get your butcher to cut the salted pigs tails for you, as it can do some serious damage to your knife if you try doing it for yourself.

The very first step is to cut the salted pig tails if you didn’t already get your butcher to do so. Then wash and place in a deep pot, to which you’ll add enough water to cover it by at least 1 inch. Bring this to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. I cook this for a fairly long time (at least 1 hr), until it’s tender. This also works to remove some of the salt the pig tails were preserved in.

pigtail soup

trinidad pigtail soup

While that simmer away I peel and cut the provisions/vegetables I’ll be adding to the soup (potato,yams,eddoes,sweet potato,carrot etc). I then wash and place in a bowl with water to prevent it from going discolored. I also chop/dice the other ingredients..pepper, onion, garlic, tomato, scallion, thyme, cilantro..etc.

TIP : Try you best to cut the vegetables so they’re all pretty much the same size, so they can all cook at the same time.

salted pigtail soup

salted pigtail with provision soup

provision for pigtail soup

After 60-70 minutes the pigtails should start getting really tender. Remove off the stove and drain well. In the same pot (no need to dirty a bowl) let’s season the cooked pigtail with: onion,garlic,pimento pepper, hot pepper (I use habanero), scallion, thyme, cilantro, garlic, ketchup, black pepper and worcestershire sauce. Mix well and get ready to brown or stew.

In a large pot over high/medium heat, heat the oil then add the brown sugar. Move around the sugar so it melts and start going caramel like. You’ll start seeing bubbles (frothy) and it will change colour, going from golden to dark brown. See pic below to see when we’ve reached the right colour. Now start adding (remember what I said above about splatters) the seasoned meat. Stir well so everything gets coated evenly.

recipe for pigtail soup

seasoned pigtail for soup

browning pigtail for trini soup

browning pigtail for soup

trinidad salted pigtail soup

Allow this to continue browning for about 5 minutes so we get a nice rich brown colour. Remember to stir often to avoid it sticking or burning. Then drain the provisions/vegetables we had sitting in the bowl of water and start adding the pieces to the pot. Stir well so they get coated as well.

cooking salted pig tail soup

trini pigtail soup

The next step is to rinse the peas (remember you can use your favourite peas) under running water. I do this since I don’t care for the liquid it’s packaged in. Then add it to the soup pot.

peas for pigtail soup

recipe for trini slated pigtail soup

Stir everything well, then add enough water to cover everything. In my case it was 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 35 minutes. If you’re adding green bananas (remember to peel first) add the last 10 minutes of cooking, same can be said if you’re adding macaroni and/or dumplings . Check to see if your yams etc is cooked, by pushing a sharp knife through it. If there’s no resistance, you know it’s fully cooked.

The way to end this recipe is to add about 1 tablespoon of golden ray butter the last couple minutes. But since that butter is not the best for our health and sourcing it may be difficult if you live in North America… you can leave that out. However, that added flavour is truly unique.

Now check for salt. Notice I didn’t mention salt in the ingredients list, since the salt from the salted pic tails is usually enough for this dish. however, this is a personal preference so check at the end (after you’ve add the golden ray if you’re doing so) to see if you’d like to add some more.

trini salted pigtail soup

how to cook pigtail soup

salted pigtail soup recipe

I’d love to hear from you guys to know your recipe for making this. I know my mom browns the provisions instead of the pigtails (just her way I guess)… leave me your comments below.

happy cooking

chris…

Caribbean Pot on Facebook

caribbean soup recipe

Caribbean Fish Soup Recipe.

Using Salted Cod As A Base For A Delectable Caribbean Soup.

A Creamy Caribbean Curry Pumpkin Soup.

Salted Pig Tail And Ground Provisions Soup.

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