Caribbean Red Peas Soup

Ingredients

• 400 g (2 cups)dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained
• 907 g (2 lb)salted pigtails, soaked overnight and drained
• 57 g (4 tablespoons)unsalted butter
• 1 mediumyellow onion, chopped
• 1green pepper, chopped
• 6spring onions, chopped
• 10 sprigsfresh thyme
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon)garlic paste (or 6 garlic cloves, finely minced)
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)ground allspice
• 475 ml (2 cups)chicken stock
• 1.42 litres (6 cups), dividedwater
• 1Scotch bonnet pepper, left whole
• 383 g (1 × 13.5-ounce can)full-fat coconut milk
• 2 mediumcarrots, chopped
• 1 mediumyam or sweet potato, peeled and cut into quarters
• 156 g (1 1/4 cups)plain flour
• 53 g (1/3 cup)fine yellow cornmeal
• 12 g (1 tablespoon)granulated sugar
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon)kosher salt
• 160 ml (2/3 cup)water

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the beans

   Soak the beans and pigtails separately in bowls of cool water overnight, for about 8 hours. Drain them and set aside.

2. 2

   Cook the aromatics

   Melt the butter in a large, heavy-based Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Once sizzling, add the onion, green pepper, spring onions and thyme, and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5–6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the allspice and toast it for about 1 minute.

3. 3

   Add beans and pork

   Add the drained beans and pigtails to the pot and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken stock and 4 cups of the water, stirring gently. Place the whole Scotch bonnet on top, cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low.

4. 4

   Simmer the soup

   Cook for 1 hour and 25 minutes, until the beans and pigtails are tender and the soup is fragrant.

5. 5

   Shape the dumplings

   Whisk the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Pour in the water and mix with your hands, wearing disposable gloves if desired, until the dough just comes together. Divide it into balls about 5 cm (2 inches) across, then roll each into a small log. Repeat with the remaining dough and set the dumplings aside.

6. 6

   Finish the soup

   Add the remaining 2 cups of water and the coconut milk to the soup and stir. Scatter in the dumplings, then add the carrots and yam or sweet potato. Stir gently to combine, cover and cook for another 30 minutes, until the dumplings and vegetables are soft and tender.

7. 7

   Serve the soup

   Discard the Scotch bonnet and thyme sprigs. Divide the soup evenly among serving bowls and serve immediately.

What is Caribbean red peas soup?

In Jamaican and wider Caribbean cooking, red peas is a familiar name for red kidney beans, and the soup is a filling, slow-simmered pot rather than a thin broth. Beans, salted meat, provisions and dumplings make it a substantial meal with layers of savoury flavour.

This version brings together pigtails, coconut milk, root vegetables and cornmeal dumplings. The whole Scotch bonnet perfumes the pot while keeping its seeds and flesh intact.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 850 calories, 37g protein, 76g carbs, 46g fat.

The beans, dumplings, yam and carrots provide most of the carbohydrates, while the pigtails, butter and coconut milk contribute much of the fat; the beans and pork also supply protein. Salted pigtails can make sodium high, so balance the bowl with fresh, unsalted vegetables and avoid adding extra salt until you have tasted it.

The beans and pigtails

Soaking separately: The beans and salted pigtails both need an overnight soak, about 8 hours, before cooking. Drain each well before adding them to the pot.

Salted pork: Pigtails bring rich, savoury flavour, while the long simmer softens them. Their saltiness can vary, so taste the finished soup before adding any extra seasoning.

Building the flavour base

Aromatics first: Cooking the onion, green pepper, spring onions and thyme in butter gives them time to soften before the beans go in. Add the garlic and allspice after that, as directed, so they become fragrant without lingering too long over the heat.

Coconut finish: Coconut milk goes in after the initial long simmer, along with the last 2 cups of water. This leaves the beans and pork time to cook before the creamy broth, vegetables and dumplings finish together.

Handle the Scotch bonnet carefully

Keep it whole: The recipe adds the pepper uncut and removes it before serving. Do not slice or pierce it if you want to follow the method and keep its heat from spreading more intensely through the soup.

Lift it out gently: Find and discard the pepper along with the thyme sprigs at the end. Take care not to break the pepper as you stir or serve.

Make dumplings that hold together

Mix lightly: Stir the flour, cornmeal, sugar and salt together before adding the water. Work the dough only until it comes together, then shape it into small balls and roll each into a short log.

Give them time: The dumplings go into the soup with the carrots and yam for the final 30 minutes. They should be soft and cooked through by the time the vegetables are tender.

Check the texture and timing

First simmer: The beans and pigtails cook for 1 hour and 25 minutes before the remaining ingredients are added. Use tenderness as the cue specified in the recipe: both should be tender before moving on.

Final simmer: Once the dumplings, carrots and yam are in, cover the pot and cook for another 30 minutes. Check that the dumplings and vegetables are soft and tender before serving.

Serving ideas

This soup is designed to be served as a complete, filling bowl, with beans, pork, vegetables and dumplings already in the pot. Divide the contents evenly so each serving includes a share of the substantial ingredients.

For a lighter accompaniment, serve a crisp green salad alongside it. Keep the soup hot and serve it soon after removing the pepper and thyme.

Recipe notes & tips

• Soak the beans and pigtails in separate bowls overnight, for about 8 hours.
• Keep the Scotch bonnet whole, as the recipe directs, and remove it before serving.
• Cut the yam or sweet potato into quarters as specified so the pieces cook alongside the dumplings.
• Shape the dumplings into small logs of roughly even size to help them cook at the same rate.
• Taste the soup before adding any extra salt, since salted pigtails contribute saltiness.
• Divide the beans, pork, vegetables and dumplings evenly between the six bowls.

Variations

• Choose sweet potato: Use it instead of yam for the alternative root vegetable listed in the recipe.
• Use minced garlic: Swap the garlic paste for 6 finely minced garlic cloves.
• Choose stock: Use chicken broth or chicken stock as the liquid option.
• Adjust the dumplings: Shape them into small balls rather than logs if you prefer a rounder shape.
• Keep the heat gentle: Leave the Scotch bonnet whole and remove it before serving for the recipe's milder handling method.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the soak: Soak the beans and pigtails separately overnight, then drain them before cooking.
• Cutting the pepper: Keep the Scotch bonnet whole and do not slice it, as the recipe specifies.
• Adding the dumplings too early: Put them in after the initial 1 hour and 25 minute simmer so they cook for the final 30 minutes.
• Overworking the dough: Mix only until the dumpling dough comes together, then shape it.
• Serving before the vegetables soften: Continue the covered final simmer until the dumplings and carrots and yam are tender.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot, adding a little water if the soup has thickened; remove any whole Scotch bonnet if it is still in the pot.

Frequently asked questions