Make This Caribbean Classic Soup at Home (2024)

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By

Cynthia Nelson

Make This Caribbean Classic Soup at Home (1)

Cynthia Nelson

Food columnist and blogger Cynthia Nelson is the author of "Tastes Like Home: My Caribbean Cookbook." Living in Barbados, Cynthia shares her love of the diverse food of the islands.

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Updated on 08/3/22

Tested by

Kiana Rollins

Make This Caribbean Classic Soup at Home (2)

Tested byKiana Rollins

Kiana is a recipe tester with a background in Marketing in the food media world, who strongly believes that co*cktails and great conversation are essential sides for any good meal.

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Make This Caribbean Classic Soup at Home (3)

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 55 mins

Total: 70 mins

Servings: 4to 5 servings

151 ratings

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Asians, Europeans, West Africans, and Hispanics have varied versions from very spicy to very mild. Even within the Caribbean, different cultures have a variety of takes on the soup, with or without root vegetables, and with diverse levels of spiciness. Likewise, the use of herbs and seasonings is different depending on the island, but no matter which recipe you go for, this soup is one of those dishes you have to try.

Our recipe for cow heel soup, also known as cow feet soup, is one of the most loved soups in the Caribbean. The secret lies in the pillowy flour dumplings that top the soup and make it extra rich, hearty, and filling. Although the feet don't have much meat—they're pretty much skin, tendons, and cartilage—they do carry a lot of flavor. They also have plenty of bone marrow, which gives the soup a gelatinous consistency and is said to heal different ailments, from digestive discomfort to soggy skin. In addition, the bone marrow in the feet does have conjugated linoleic acid, which has anti-inflammatory properties.

Most grocers don't carry cow's feet, but smaller butchers could get them for you if ordering ahead of time. Most Latin and Asian markets have cow's feet on a regular basis, so that's your best bet. We used a pressure cooker for our recipe, the best and fastest cooking method as the feet are very tough. Before you start, you need to make the dough for the flour dumplings; they need to be added a few minutes before the cooking time is done.

"Growing up my grandma always made homemade soup with all different cuts of meat and vegetables. This recipe reminds me of her cooking so much, and I love that these simple ingredients come together to make a delicious soup that is flavorful and filling." —Kiana Rollins

Make This Caribbean Classic Soup at Home (4)

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

  • 1 cup diced onions

  • 6 sprigsthyme, divided

  • 2 pounds cow heel, coarsely chopped

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 5 cups water, plus more as needed

  • 1 cube chicken bouillon

  • 1/2 cup yellow split peas

  • 6 to 8 okra, halved crosswise

  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds

  • 12 small flour dumplings

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Heat the oil in the bottom of a pressure cooker on medium heat.

  3. Add the onions and half the thyme and sauté until the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.

  4. Add cow heel. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and sauté for 3 minutes.

  5. Stir in the water and the bouillon cube. Close the pressure cooker lid and lock. After the pot comes up to pressure, cook 30 minutes.

  6. Open the pressure cooker's valve to release the steam. Next, open the pressure cooker and add the peas and more water—there should be enough liquid to make a soup.

  7. Add the remaining thyme. Let the peas and cow heel cook on high heat until the peas soften, 8 to 12 minutes.

  8. Add the okra, carrots, and dumplings to the pot. Place the lid slightly askew and let the soup cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper accordingly. Serve hot.

Stovetop and Slow Cooker Method

If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can still make this soup using a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or a slow cooker. Slow and steady heat and more cooking liquid are what you need. The aim is to cook the cow heel until it is fall-off-the-bone tender:

  • Stovetop: Once you add the water and bouillon to the pot (Step 5), lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and allow the feet to cook for 2 1/2 hours, occasionally checking that the cooking liquid is enough to cover the feet. Add the rest of the ingredients and more water, as needed, and cook for an additional 20 minutes. Once the meat is tender, add the dumplings and let cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
  • Slow Cooker: In a large pan, sauté the onions in oil, brown the heels, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper, add half the thyme, the water and bouillon, and cook on high for 3 hours, checking that there is enough water at all times. After 3 hours, add remaining ingredients except the dumplings and cook for 2 to 3 hours on low, until the meat falls off the bone. Add the dumplings and let cook for 10 minutes.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
666Calories
31g Fat
36g Carbs
61g Protein

×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 5
Amount per serving
Calories666
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g40%
Saturated Fat 10g50%
Cholesterol 182mg61%
Sodium 658mg29%
Total Carbohydrate 36g13%
Dietary Fiber 10g37%
Total Sugars 10g
Protein 61g
Vitamin C 56mg278%
Calcium 279mg21%
Iron 4mg22%
Potassium 1291mg27%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

  • Carrot
  • lunch
  • african
  • family dinner

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Article Sources

The Spruce Eats uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Koba K, Yanagita T. Health benefits of conjugated linoleic acid (Cla).Obes Res Clin Pract. 2014;8(6):e525-532. DOI:10.1016/j.orcp.2013.10.001

Make This Caribbean Classic Soup at Home (2024)

FAQs

What is the soup challenge? ›

Eating better, one pot of homemade soup per week at a time. Welcome to year 3 of the Soup Sunday Challenge! I invite you to cook one pot of soup every week for 4 weeks. I will provide you with lots of inspiration for delicious, healthy soups.

How was soup consumed prior to the invention of the soup spoon in the 14th century? ›

But most soup was served in a bowl or cup held in your hand and you drank it even digging in with fingers to scoop out morsels. Spoons were made from wood, bone or horn and if poor you were proud to have your own including a bowl or cup and knife.

What are thick soups made from shellfish or vegetables and prepared like cream soups called? ›

Bisque is a rich, thick, smooth soup that's often made with shellfish, such as lobster, crab, or shrimp. Broth or Stock is a strained, thin, clear liquid in which meat, poultry, or fish has been simmered with vegetables and herbs.

When cooking soups what ingredients should go in first what ingredients are ok to add last? ›

This formula is great for chunky soups in particular, such as minestrone, vegetable noodle soup, or beef and barley.
  • Sauté Aromatics. ...
  • Add Meat (Optional) ...
  • Add Hearty Vegetables. ...
  • Add Seasonings. ...
  • Add Stock. ...
  • Simmer the Soup. ...
  • Add Quick-Cooking Ingredients. ...
  • Add Toppings.
May 30, 2020

Is the 7 day soup diet safe? ›

The soup diet may work for some people, but it is not recommended by health professionals, particularly for long periods, because of its restrictive nature.

What is the soup diet for weight loss? ›

Broth-based soup diets generally last for 7 days. However, some can last as long as 10–14 days. Over that time, proponents of a broth-based diet claim you can lose up to 10 or even 20 pounds (4.5 to 9 kg). On a broth-based soup diet, cream-based soups are restricted, as they're higher in calories and fat.

What are 3 thick soups? ›

Different Types of Soup
Thin SoupsClear
Thick SoupPuree
Chowder
Potage
Bisque
13 more rows
Mar 9, 2022

What is a soup made with seafood and vegetables called? ›

Seafood soups are made by simmering in liquids a variety of fish or seafood, vegetables, and aromatics to extract their flavors. They come in different subcategories, like chowders, bisque, specialty fish, and shellfish soups, including Bouillabaisse soup base.

What not to put in soup? ›

The Worst Things to Put in Your Soup
  1. By Sara Butler. If there's one good thing about fall and winter, it's soup. ...
  2. Heavy Cream. Heavy cream creates an inviting texture for soups but that's where its positive contributions end. ...
  3. Juice. ...
  4. Turkey Bacon. ...
  5. Cheese. ...
  6. Croutons.

What mistakes do cooks do when cooking soups? ›

The 7 Biggest Mistakes You Make Cooking Soup
  • Boiling instead of simmering. You want a small bubble or two to rise to the surface of the liquid every few seconds. ...
  • Not using enough salt. ...
  • Ignoring water. ...
  • Overcooking the vegetables. ...
  • Adding tomatoes at the beginning. ...
  • Neglecting to garnish. ...
  • Not trying a pressure cooker.
Nov 19, 2014

When should you add celery to soup? ›

But once those vegetables are exhausted, they're strained and switched out for a fresh set of thinly sliced celery and carrot. These are added for the final 4–5 minutes of cooking so that they're tender but nowhere near mushy. You get the sweet luxury of long-cooked vegetables and the freshness of crisp-tender ones.

What is the most soup eaten in 30 seconds? ›

The most soup eaten in 30 seconds is 483 grams and was achieved by André Ortolf (Germany), in Augsburg, Germany, on 30 November 2017. André is a fan of food-related records. Comments below may relate to previous holders of this record.

What is the soup diet for a week? ›

The diet plan centers around the cabbage soup, which is eaten throughout the week. In addition, it begins with a few days of fruit and vegetables and with little or no protein. Then, bananas and skim milk are added. Later in the week, beef or chicken and rice are added along with the soup.

What is the soup theory? ›

The theory states that if energy is added to the gases that made up Earth's early atmosphere, the building blocks of life would be created. These monomers would collect in pools of water, creating a soup. Eventually the monomers would bond, creating polymers, and the polymers would join to create early life forms.

What is the big soup theory? ›

The primordial soup is believed to have contained the building blocks of the first forms of life on earth. According to the primordial soup theory, the primordial soup contained small organic molecules (monomers) and complex organic molecules (polymers) formed from inorganic materials in the primitive atmosphere.

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