Callaloo Soup

Name: Callaloo Soup
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Saint Lucian
Ingredients: 1 large bundle dasheen leaves, stripped from stems; 4 blue crabs, cleaned and halved; 200ml coconut milk; 6 okra pods, sliced; 1 onion, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 3 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole; 1 litre vegetable stock; 2 tbsp butter; Salt and black pepper

Callaloo (KAL-ah-loo)

Dasheen Leaf Soup with Crab

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 286 kcal

A thick, emerald-green soup made from dasheen leaves, okra, coconut milk, and fresh crab, seasoned with thyme and hot pepper. A cherished Saturday tradition.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 18.0g

Carbs 22.0g

Fat 14.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

gluten-free nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ shellfish

Equipment Needed

large pot immersion blender cutting board

Presentation Guide

Vessel: deep soup bowl

Garnishes: crab claw on top, thyme sprig

Accompaniments: crusty bread, white rice

Ingredients

1 large bundle dasheen leaves, stripped from stems
4 blue crabs, cleaned and halved
200ml coconut milk
6 okra pods, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole
1 litre vegetable stock
2 tbsp butter
Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1
Wash dasheen leaves thoroughly and roughly chop them.
2
Melt butter in a large pot, saute onion and garlic until fragrant.
3
Add dasheen leaves, stock, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then simmer 30 minutes.
4
Add okra, coconut milk, and whole Scotch bonnet. Simmer 15 minutes.
5
Add crab pieces and cook another 15 minutes until crabs are done.
6
Remove Scotch bonnet. Blend partially for a thick but textured consistency.
7
Season and serve hot.

💡

Did You Know?

In Saint Lucia, refusing a bowl of callaloo on Saturday is considered almost rude. Families compete over whose callaloo is the thickest and richest.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large pot
immersion blender
cutting board

Garnishing

crab claw on top, thyme sprig

Accompaniments

crusty bread, white rice

The Story Behind Callaloo Soup

Callaloo traces its roots to West African leaf soups brought to the Caribbean by enslaved peoples. In Saint Lucia, the dish evolved to incorporate dasheen leaves abundant on the island, along with local blue crabs and coconut milk. Saturday callaloo became a social institution where neighbors would gather and share enormous pots of the soup. The dish represents a profound culinary connection between Africa and the Caribbean.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed saturday lunch 📜 Origins: West African roots, colonial adaptation

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