Eight ways to enjoy Caribbean soup

There’s nothing more satisfying at times than a large bowl of hot, delicious soup on a chilly winter’s day. Despite its exotic climes, the Caribbean offers a rich variety of tasty soups that are brimming with nutritious Caribbean fruits and vegetables, aromatic spices and flavoursome meats and fish. Each Caribbean soup offers a taste of the islands, along with plenty of vitamins and healthy ingredients to ward off the winter blues.

Eight suggestions for enjoying some super Caribbean soup

From Jamaica to Dominica; Trinidad to Haiti, each Caribbean country has its own specialities when it comes to soup. Here are eight delicious Caribbean soups to try at home.

Bouillon soup

From the French word ‘bouillir’, meaning ‘to boil’, bouillon soup from Haiti is a heady mix of meat, spices, herbs and vegetables. Typically, a bowl of bouillon soup will contain meat, yams, cabbage, kelp, plantains, scotch bonnet peppers, potatoes and celery, Plus various herbs and spices to add even more flavour. It is served piping hot and is great for rainy, overcast days.

Fish broth

Despite its slightly prosaic name, fish broth is both flavoursome and lovely to look at. Chunks of beautiful, smooth white fish mix in with colourful vegetables and fresh herbs. Pasta or dumplings are also included to add texture and interest to this quintessential Trinidad and Tobago dish. The beauty of this soup is that no two recipes for it are quite the same and so the flavour subtly varies from household to household. Fish broth is normally served as a main course due to its fulsome flavours and hearty content.

Peas and dumplings soup

This is a great vegetarian option when it comes to cooking up a delicious Caribbean soup – so long as you leave out the ham that is often added to recipes for it. It is the official soup of The Bahamas and comprises a wide range of vegetables. Peas, stewed tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, peppers and onions can all be chopped up and thrown in. Many people also like to include coconut milk and plantains too for that unmistakably tropical taste. The dumplings from the name are made from flour, salt, pepper and milk – cow’s milk can be substituted for coconut milk. Peas and dumplings soup is eaten when the temperatures drop, so is the ideal Caribbean dish for colder winter evenings.

Chicken foot soup

Chicken foot soup will appeal to those who like to use up every part of the bird and leave no waste behind. It is popular in Jamaica as an easy, one-pot meal that is often served at the weekends. Together with the chicken’s foot, vegetables such as pumpkins, yams, sweet potatoes and carrots are added to the pot. Seasonings can include pimento, salt and thyme. The soup is best eaten with chunks of delicious, fresh bread on the side.

Red conch chowder

This is another tasty fish soup that is popular in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands in particular. Red conch is tenderised and boiled in a broth with celery, green onions, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, peppers and various herbs and spices. The resulting chowder is red and frothy, thickening from the starch in the potatoes if not eaten straight away to form a hearty, wholesome winter Caribbean soup. Delicious!

Cow heel soup

This Caribbean soup really does do ‘what it says on the tin’. Cow heel forms the main ingredient in this soup for people with a big appetite. Hailing from Trinidad and Tobago, the exact combination of ingredients of the soup can vary depending upon who you talk to. However, staples include the cow’s heel, along with onions, split peas, okra and carrots. Stir in plenty of salt and pepper to bring out the taste and serve to steam hot in large bowls.

Callaloo

Callaloo soup is highly popular in Dominica and is considered by many to be its national dish. It is made from a combination of leafy vegetables, coconut milk, salted meat, onions, yams, peppers and green bananas. It is often served with dumplings made from flour and cornmeal, as well as avocado slices on the side Callaloo is a carnival season favourite and great for an energy booster in the colder months.

Fish tea

For those who prefer their fish-based soups to be a little lighter, fish tea from Jamaica is a great choice. It contains smaller, lighter fish such as herrings and also has Caribbean vegetables such as green bananas, bell peppers, carrots and onions. Fresh thyme, salt and pepper can also add interest. This soup is often served along the beachfront in shacks in the Caribbean and can be very refreshing after a hard day’s swim.

Janga soup

Janga is the Jamaican word for freshwater crayfish. This succulent seafood ingredient forms the basis of the soup and is complemented by copious amounts of sweet potatoes, pumpkins, carrots and onions. The additional seasoning comes in the form of garlic, pimento, scotch bonnet peppers and thyme. The soup is heated, spooned into bowls and served with parsley garnish.