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Corn soup in a white bowl

Trinidad-Style Corn Soup with Salted Pigtails

A hearty and flavorful Caribbean soup combining yellow split peas, root vegetables, and salted pigtails, enriched with coconut milk and traditional spices.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Rice & One-Pot, Soups & Stews
Cuisine: Jamaican, Trinidadian

Ingredients
  

Soup Base
  • 1 1/2 - 2 lbs salted pigtails cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 1/4 cups yellow split peas washed
  • 5 cups water adjust as necessary
  • 4 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 6 sprigs thyme
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1/4 cup parsley chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 stalks scallions chopped
  • 3 Pimento peppers whole
  • 2 Bird’s Eye peppers whole
  • 3 tablespoons shado beni chopped
  • 2 cups pumpkin diced
  • 2 cups sweet potato diced
  • 2-3 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
  • 4-6 ears corn cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 can creamed corn
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels optional
Dumplings
  • 1 cup All-purpose flour
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/4 cup water adjust as needed

Method
 

  1. Wash and place the salted pigtail pieces in a large pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a rolling boil and cook for 25 minutes to tenderize and remove excess salt. Drain and set aside.
    Tenderizing pigtails in a large pot of water on the stove
  2. In the same pot, add 5 cups of water, the washed split peas, and crushed garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 35–40 minutes until the peas are tender.
    Add in garlic and split yellow peas to pot with pigtails
  3. In a separate large soup pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add diced onion, scallions, thyme, black pepper, pimento peppers, bird’s eye peppers, shado beni, parsley, and celery. Reduce heat to low and sauté for 4–5 minutes.
    Add seasoning to a large pot with coconut oil
  4. Add diced pumpkin, sweet potato, and carrots to the sautéed aromatics. Stir well, then add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and cook for 25 minutes.
    Add in sweet potato and pumpkin
  5. Gently add the cooked split peas and pigtails to the soup pot. Stir in coconut milk and creamed corn. If using, add frozen corn kernels. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
    Add pigtails to vegetable soup pot on stove
  6. Use a swizzle stick or whisk to gently break down the pumpkin, sweet potato, and carrots, thickening the soup. Add more stock or water if the soup becomes too thick.
    Swizzle stick mixing ingredients in soup pot
  7. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and a pinch of salt. Gradually add water, kneading to form a soft dough. Let rest for 5 minutes. 
  8. Divide into three balls, roll each into a cylinder, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
    Cutting up dough for dumplings
  9. Add the dumplings and corn pieces to the boiling soup. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
    All ingredients in soup simmering in a soup pot on the stove

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