🇱🇨 Saint Lucian Cuisine

Callaloo Soup

Dasheen Leaf Soup with Crab

Prep Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 6
Difficulty Medium
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.

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

From The Culinary Codex — http://theculinarycodex.com/dish/saint-lucian/callaloo-soup/