A thick, hearty soup of pigeon peas simmered with coconut milk, yam, sweet potato, dumplings, and fresh thyme, a Jamaican Saturday tradition.
Ingredients
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2 cups dried gungo peas (pigeon peas), soaked overnight
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400ml coconut milk
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1 large yam, peeled and cubed
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1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
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2 carrots, sliced
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1 cho cho (chayote), cubed
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4 stalks scallion, chopped
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4 sprigs fresh thyme
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1 onion, diced
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole
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Salt and black pepper
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2L water
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For dumplings: 1 cup flour, salt, water
Instructions
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1
Drain soaked gungo peas and place in a large pot with water. Bring to a boil and cook for forty-five minutes until tender.
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2
Add coconut milk, onion, garlic, scallion, and thyme to the pot. Stir well and bring back to a gentle simmer.
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3
Add yam, sweet potato, and carrots. Cook for twenty minutes until root vegetables are beginning to soften.
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4
Mix flour with salt and enough water to form a stiff dough. Pinch off small pieces and drop into the simmering soup as dumplings.
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5
Add cho cho and whole Scotch bonnet pepper. Simmer another fifteen minutes until all vegetables and dumplings are cooked through.
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6
Season with salt and pepper. The soup should be thick and hearty. Serve hot in deep bowls with plenty of broth and vegetables.
Did You Know?
Saturday is traditionally "soup day" in Jamaica, and gungo peas soup is the most popular choice, with vendors selling it on every street corner.