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Caribbean Red Peas Soup

Caribbean Red Peas Soup is a traditional Jamaican soup packed with of flavor and a blend of herbs and spices from the Caribbean! It's created with beef and red kidney beans, which provide the most flavorful soup foundation. It's also packed with vegetables, including potatoes and yams, carrots, and dumplings. This recipe is excellent for vegetarians or vegans alike, as it can be readily made with just veggies!
Prep Time15 minutes
Active Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: carribian, Soup
Cuisine: Jamaican
Keyword: Caribbean Cuisine, Caribbean Red Peas Soup, Hearty Caribbean Soup, Red Peas Bliss
Yield: 6

Materials

  • 2 cups dried red kidney beans soaked overnight & drained
  • 2 lbs salted pigtails soaked overnight & drained
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion chopped
  • 1 green bell pepper chopped
  • 6 scallions chopped
  • 10 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon garlic paste or 6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 2 cups chicken broth or stock
  • 6 cups water divided
  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper left whole- do not slice!
  • 1 13.5-ounce can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 medium carrots chopped
  • 1 medium yam or sweet potato peeled & chopped into quarters

For the dumplings:

  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup fine yellow cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup water

Instructions

  • Soak the pigtails and peas. Soak the beans and pigtails in separate basins of cold water for the whole night, or for about eight hours, and then drain. Then save them until the recipe calls for them.
  • Let the aromatics sear. Melt the butter over medium heat in a large stockpot or Dutch oven with a sturdy bottom. Add the onion, bell pepper, scallions, and thyme sprigs when they start to sizzle. Saute the aromatics and vegetables for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often, or until they are soft. After that, add the garlic and simmer for a further minute or so, or until the garlic becomes fragrant. After toasting the spice for approximately a minute, add the ground allspice and stir it into the fragrant mixture.
  • Simmer the pigtails and peas. Toss the pigtails and the drained beans into the saucepan and mix well. Add 4 cups of water and the chicken broth/stock to the mixture, stirring gently to properly blend. Lower the heat to medium-low and sprinkle the scotch bonnet pepper over the mixture.
  • Simmer for one hour and twenty-five minutes, or until the mixture is quite aromatic and the peas (beans) and pigtails are soft and supple.
  • Make the dumplings ready. Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt together in a big basin, being sure to stir everything well. After that, add the water and knead the dough with your hands—or disposable gloves, if preferred—until it’s just incorporated. Partition the dough into roughly 2-inch balls, then thereafter form each little ball into a tiny log or baton using your palms, as demonstrated in the blog article. Continue until all of the dumplings are produced and placed aside.
  • Prepare the soup with red peas. Returning to the soup, whisk in the coconut milk and the final two cups of water. Scattered and dropped into the saucepan are the dumplings. Add the diced sweet potato and yam next. Stir the ingredients gently until just mixed. Simmer the soup for a further half hour to ensure the dumplings and vegetables (carrots, yam, and sweet potato) are soft and supple.
  • Assist. Throw away the sprigs of thyme and the scotch bonnet pepper. Serve this red pea soup right away, ladling it into serving dishes equally. Have fun!