Jamaican red pea soup
A Saturday favourite in Jamaica: kidney beans simmered with salted pork, thyme, pimento and a whole scotch bonnet, with little flour dumplings called spinners.
- 175 min25 prep · 150 cook
- MediumDifficulty
- 490 kcalper serving
Ingredients
- Dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight400 g
- Salted pig tail or smoked ham hock300 g
- Water2.5 l
- Coconut milk200 ml
- Carrots2
- Yam or potatoes300 g
- Spring onions3
- garlic3 cloves
- thyme4 sprigs
- Allspice berries6
- Scotch bonnet chilli1
- Plain flour150 g
- Saltto taste
- Black pepperto taste
Missing something? Ingredients with × can be left out.
Steps
- 1
If using salted pig tail, boil it for 10 minutes and drain to remove excess salt.
- 2
Put the drained beans, the meat and the water in a large pot and simmer until the beans are soft.
- 3
Mix the flour with a pinch of salt and enough water to make a firm dough. Roll small pieces between your palms into thin spinners.
- 4
Add the coconut milk, the diced carrots and yam, the spring onions, crushed garlic, thyme, allspice and the whole scotch bonnet.
- 5
Drop in the spinners and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the soup has thickened.
- 6
Remove the scotch bonnet without bursting it, taste for salt and pepper and serve.
Tips and questions
- Can I use canned kidney beans?
- Yes, use 3 cans and cut the first simmer to 40 minutes, just long enough for the meat to soften.
- Will the whole scotch bonnet make it very hot?
- No, left whole it adds aroma and only gentle heat. Just don’t let it burst.
- Does it freeze?
- Yes, for up to 3 months, although the spinners soften a little.
Enjoy your meal!
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