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BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

Caribbean callaloo soup (Vegan style)

March 16, 2015 by Charla 30 Comments

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Caribbean callaloo soup recipe - nourish your body with this heart warming leafy green thick and equally as flavoursome vegan style soup.

Caribbean callaloo soup

If you love delicious, hearty soups with a Caribbean flare to them, then this Callaloo soup is perfect for you.

I must admit I exceeded my own expectations with this one.

I doubted my ability to find the correct substitutes to retain that lovely flavour but trust me when I say this recipe is a crowd pleaser.

What is callaloo and its origins?

Callaloo is a dark leafy vegetable from the same family as spinach. It was brought from west Africa during the transatlantic slave trade.

When slaves settled in the Caribbean they found many ingenious ways to cook callaloo including in the form of soup. They also draw inspiration from the indigenous Amerindian people who inhabited the land prior to their arrival.

Caribbean callaloo soup

Do all Caribbean islands have callaloo soup?

Callaloo soup is made differently by almost every island, there is no right or wrong method, it's simply a case of following ones own cultural upbringing.

For instance Trinidadians make callaloo using dasheen (taro) leaves.

 On the other hand, other islands such as Grenada and Dominica have a tendency to add an assortment of meat and use the dasheen leaves.

Jamaicans, Guyanese and Antiguans call the meat variation Pepperpot soup.

This all may sound overwhelming to an outsider but the key ingredient throughout is either callaloo or dasheen leaves.

Speaking of dasheen, don't forget to check out Crema De Malaga (which is essentially dasheen soup)

Caribbean callaloo soup

Making callaloo soup vegan style 

My variation omits the meat and puts more emphasis on using green vegetables. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get hold of any fresh callaloo at the time of cooking but that's okay because spinach is a popular replica.

This long list of ingredients may seem intimidating at first glance but I promise it's nothing a rookie cannot handle and the results are truly worth the prep work.

To  bulk up the soup with sweet notes, I incorporated butternut squash and sweet potato - a healthy clean starch with complex carbs.

The coconut milk and vegetable stock help to liquidise the solid veggies. Although it is best to chop them finely or better yet dice them up. Okra (ladies fingers) is another veg which plays a crucial role in this green leafy soup.

How to make callaloo soup 

As always to begin with you will sauté the onions and garlic and add the other veggies - scallion, onion, scotch bonnet, okra, butternut and sweet potato.

From there sprinkle the spices over the veg whilst they sweat in the pan and infuse the condiments.

Add the spinach towards the end along with the stock and coconut milk. The pan may seem overcrowded but the volume will reduce with time.

Caribbean callaloo soup

How long will it take to make the soup?

You can leave the mixture to breakdown into a thick stew for up to an hour.

I normally intervene around 30 - 45 minutes when the kitchen is filled with a tempting aroma where I'm greeted with a thick herbaceous stew.

Now it's time to liquidise, don't liquidise too much, embody the soup by using a immersion stick blender and pulse to your desire.

Notes

  • suitable for most dietary requirements
  •  this recipe is paleo, gluten free, vegan and dairy free!
  • You can use spinach or kale in place of callaloo
  • A fresh chilli can be used in place of scotch bonnet
  • Any leftovers can be frozen

Caribbean callaloo soup

Other Caribbean soup to try

  • Jamaican Gungo Peas Soup  
  • Jamaican Chicken Soup
  • Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
  • Trinidad Corn Soup
  • Black Bean Soup
  • Coconut Prawn Soup
  • Pumpkin Lentil Soup

**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

Caribbean callaloo soup

Caribbean callaloo soup

Caribbean callaloo soup - Vegan, gluten free, dairy free, paleo
5 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Caribbean
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour hour
Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Calories: 387kcal
Author: Charla

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon of coconut oil (28g)
  • 1 small onion sliced
  • 1 large scallion or 3 small ones chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 ½ cups of butternut squash diced (or pumpkin)(210g)
  • 1 ½ cups of sweet potato diced (200g)
  • 4-5 okras sliced
  • ¼ of a scotch bonnet not too much
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • ½ teaspoon of black pepper (1g)
  • 1 teaspoon of pink salt (6g)
  • 6 cups of callaloo tightly packed (can use spinach or dasheen bush)
  • 2 cups of coconut milk (475ml)
  • 2 cups of vegetable stock (475ml)
  • additional black pepper and pink salt, if needed

Instructions

  • Start by melting the coconut oil in a large heavy based saucepan or casserole dish over medium heat.
  • Now sauté the onion, scallion and garlic for one minute, until the onions are soft.
  • Add the diced butternut, sweet potato, okra and fold in with the sautéed onions and garlic.
  • Allow all of the veggies to sweat in the pan, while keeping a watchful eye so nothing burns - stirring frequently for 2-3 minutes
  • Proceed to add the scotch bonnet, thyme, black pepper and salt, while stirring into the veggies.
  • Tip the spinach/callaloo into the pan, the pan may seem overcrowded at first but the spinach will wilt and the remaining veggies will breakdown during simmering.
  • Pour in the coconut milk followed by the vegetable stock and reduce the heat to low.
  • Cover the pan with the lid and simmer down into a thick stew for up to an hour, stir often to prevent sticking while it thickens.
  • Once the desired thickness is present, use an immersion stick blender (discard the stem if you are using fresh thyme) to partially liquidise into a more soup like texture.
  • Do a taste test and add additional pink salt and black pepper, if needed
  • Serve accordingly.

Notes

Use spinach if dasheen or callaloo leaves are difficult to obtain
This recipe is suitable for home freezing.

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 28g | Sodium: 1134mg | Potassium: 941mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 17242IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 6mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!

More Caribbean Dishes

  • 2 glasses of mauby with ice
    Homemade Mauby Drink (Caribbean Bark Beverage)
  • 2 snapper with yuca and oranges garnished
    Baked Snapper (Mojo Style)
  • 2 sea bream on a platter
    Sea Bream Recipe (Air Fried)
  • 2 cups and a bowl of souse
    Chicken Foot Souse

About Charla

I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

Comments

  1. AW says

    February 21, 2024 at 5:47 pm

    5 stars
    Have made this recipe twice. First as prescribed, second, added double the broth, but used beef instead of vegetable.
    Used a whole scotch bonnet (seeded) and doubled the salt. Incredibly flavorful and delicious. Just like I'm back in Vincy!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      February 21, 2024 at 6:18 pm

      Thank you! I'm glad you liked it and most importantly you tailored it to suit your preference.

      Reply
  2. EllenHodges says

    October 20, 2023 at 3:47 pm

    You are right their is no wrong way or right way in cooking Callaloo soup it up to the person taste my mother use pigs tail and salt beef with okra Irish potatoes some sweet potato white yam. and little spinners along with onions garlic and just a little scotch bonnet pepper to taste she add coconut milk in the finish Girl it was so delicious

    Reply
    • Charla says

      October 20, 2023 at 3:55 pm

      Sounds amazing and thank you for sharing how your mother prepared her version of this recipe.

      Reply
  3. Jose says

    December 23, 2022 at 8:00 am

    5 stars
    Buenas tardes, I loved the soup Charla, gracias!

    Reply
  4. Sharon says

    February 19, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    Hi can I use canned callalou? If so how many 19oz cans would this recipe call for? Thanks! Looking forward to making this.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      February 19, 2021 at 4:11 pm

      Hi Sharon. I haven't tried making it with canned callaloo so I can't really confidently say how it would turn out or the amount of cans that you will need. Canned callaloo is saturated in salted water which may influence the taste. I really would advise using spinach or even kale if possible, both are a better substitute, I hope that answer has helped you.

      Reply
  5. Joanna says

    December 12, 2019 at 11:38 pm

    It makes a lot more than 4 servings. Oh well I can freeze some🙂

    Reply
    • Charla says

      December 13, 2019 at 9:24 pm

      I will keep that in mind! Yes, thankfully it's a freezer friendly soup so you can freeze the rest down, thaw out and heat up at any given time. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  6. Jazz says

    August 26, 2018 at 5:56 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks for including the origin of callaloo! I need to try this out.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      August 26, 2018 at 6:13 pm

      You are welcome!!

      Reply
  7. Mila Clarke Buckley says

    August 24, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    5 stars
    My grandfather LOVES his callalou! I need to make this for him!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      August 24, 2018 at 10:17 pm

      Please do!!

      Reply
  8. Marwin Brown says

    August 24, 2018 at 4:47 pm

    5 stars
    I'm a huge Callaloo fan. Thanks for blessing us with such a delicious looking vegan option!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      August 24, 2018 at 8:49 pm

      You are welcome!

      Reply
  9. Immaculate says

    August 24, 2018 at 2:26 pm

    5 stars
    These are the same leaves we use in making the Nigerian Efo-Riro (amaranth leaves), I love that i'm learning the Caribbean way from your blog. Looks delicious!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      August 24, 2018 at 8:51 pm

      No problem! Our cultural cuisines are very similar with a small difference.

      Reply
  10. Shanika says

    August 24, 2018 at 1:33 am

    5 stars
    I really enjoyed callaloo growing up, but never had it in a soup. Sounds really good! And I love that it's vegan!

    Reply
    • Charla says

      August 24, 2018 at 8:52 pm

      I only just started drinking callaloo soup as an adult so you are not alone.

      Reply
  11. Rosaline Moriah says

    November 08, 2017 at 6:28 am

    I cannot use coconut milk what can i substitute? Will organic coconut milk work? Also the stock can it be organic?

    Reply
    • Charla says

      November 08, 2017 at 10:08 pm

      Yes, organic produce is always preferred. You can indeed use both organic coconut milk and stock and yield the same results.

      Reply
  12. Rosaline Moriah says

    November 08, 2017 at 6:25 am

    I cannot use coconut milk what can i substitute? Will organic coconut milk work?

    Reply
  13. Tasha says

    September 17, 2017 at 9:23 pm

    Just made your soup for dinner (and leftovers for the week). Living for the year in Barbados and wanted to cook something 'local' but everything local has lots of animal and animal fat in it. Was glad to find this veg work-around. I got callaloo from the grocery and had butternut squash, okra, scotch bonnet, and thyme from my landlord's garden, so it was quite local.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      September 17, 2017 at 9:25 pm

      Hi Tasha. I'm happy to hear my recipe fitted right into your lifestyle requirements.

      Reply
  14. Chris says

    June 07, 2017 at 3:00 pm

    Hi Charla,
    I am planning on making your recipe for a school project. I was just wondering how much soup the recipe yields. Please let me know. I can't wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Charla says

      June 07, 2017 at 10:56 pm

      At a guess I would say approximately 4 people.

      Reply
  15. Ceil says

    November 23, 2016 at 5:01 pm

    5 stars
    I just had a bowl of your Callaloo soup for dinner. This recipe is another winner, Charla. 🙂

    Thanks for sharing!

    Blessings,
    Ceil

    Reply
    • Charla says

      November 24, 2016 at 9:30 pm

      Thank you so much for the feedback Ceil. I highly appreciate it...

      Reply
  16. Jolie says

    March 17, 2015 at 7:58 am

    This looks super healthy, what a great way to ensure you get your veggie intake! I've never heard of callaloo before, so thanks for suggesting the spinach substitute. I'm interested to try the 'real deal' though. Where would you usually find this kind of exotic vegetable?

    Reply
    • Charla says

      March 18, 2015 at 8:06 am

      Thank you, callaloo can be found in any neighbourhood that has an Indian or afro Caribbean ethnic group. The stores frequented by those groups of people will usually stock it, but spinach is a very good replica.

      Reply
5 from 11 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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a picture of Charla

Hey, I'm Charla!

I'm an avid Caribbean foodie. Welcome to the haven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

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