Callaloo
This callaloo is silky, earthy, and deeply savory, with dasheen leaves and okra creating a naturally lush texture. Coconut milk softens the greens' minerality, while sweet pumpkin and delicate blue crab make the soup rich, fragrant, and comforting.
Ingredients
Callaloo base
- 180 gdasheen leaves, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
- 120 gokra, sliced into 1 cm rounds
- 150 gpumpkin, peeled and diced small
- 100 gonion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves (10 g)garlic, minced
- 4 sprigsfresh thyme
- 2 stalks (30 g)spring onion, sliced
- 1 smallfresh Scotch bonnet, whole
- 200 mlcoconut milk
- 350 mlwater or light seafood stock
- 4 gfine sea salt
- 1 gblack pepper
Crab and finish
- 180 gblue crab meat, picked over for shell
- 10 mlneutral oil
- 10 mllime juice
Instructions
- 1
Prepare everything before you start: remove any tough stems from the dasheen leaves, roughly chop the leaves, slice the okra, dice the pumpkin small so it cooks quickly, chop the onion, mince the garlic, and slice the spring onion. Keep the Scotch bonnet whole for gentle heat; piercing it will make the soup much hotter.
- 2
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, spring onion, and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often, until softened but not browned; keeping them pale preserves the soup's fresh green flavor.
- 3
Add the pumpkin, thyme, whole Scotch bonnet, coconut milk, and water or stock. Bring to a brisk simmer and cook for 6-8 minutes, until the pumpkin is nearly tender when pierced with a knife.
- 4
Stir in the dasheen leaves and okra. Simmer for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the leaves are fully wilted, the okra has softened, and the broth has slightly thickened. Do not boil aggressively once the greens are in; a gentler simmer keeps the color brighter.
- 5
Remove and discard the thyme stems. Lift out the Scotch bonnet and set it aside. Blend the soup until silky using an immersion blender, or carefully blend in batches. If it seems too thick, loosen with a splash of water; it should coat a spoon but still pour easily.
- 6
Return the soup to low heat and fold in the blue crab meat. Warm for 2-3 minutes just until the crab is heated through; avoid prolonged boiling so the crab stays sweet and tender. Season with salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Taste, then mash a little of the reserved Scotch bonnet into the pot only if you want more heat.
- 7
Ladle into warm bowls and serve immediately. The soup should be velvety, lightly thickened from the okra and pumpkin, and rich with coconut and crab.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •If dasheen leaves are very young and tender, they may cook slightly faster; if mature, chop them a bit more finely for a smoother texture.
- •Picked crab meat can hide small shell fragments, so check it carefully with your fingertips before adding it to the soup.
- •For a more traditional texture, blend only part of the soup and leave some vegetable pieces intact.
- •Serve with wedges of lime or with crusty bread, fried dumplings, or steamed rice on the side.
Background
Callaloo is a beloved Caribbean dish with many regional variations, especially across Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Eastern Caribbean. It is traditionally made with leafy greens such as dasheen leaves and often enriched with coconut milk, okra, herbs, and seafood or crab, reflecting the region's African, Indigenous, and colonial culinary influences.
Love this recipe?
Get personalised AI-curated recipes, meal plans and smart shopping lists — free.
Download Gourmate – Free