Grenadian Callaloo Soup with Cassava Dumplings

This Grenadian Callaloo Soup recipe is extremely comforting and flavorful. It delivers everything you crave during the cold months. You’ll love the bold taste of the callaloo, coconut milk, fresh herbs, pigtails, and all the traditional Caribbean seasoning.

Whenever my fellow West Indian friends come to my home, they instantly know they are getting a yummy dish. I tried my hand at Trinidadian, Jamaican, and Guyanese dishes, and now Grenadian. Each Caribbean country has its own way of making callaloo.

I have made all. Just Sunday, I cooked Trindadian callaloo, noodles, and stew chicken. It’s Monday, and everything is finished.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe?

I’ve been testing a few different callaloo soup versions lately, and whew, this one right here? I couldn’t wait to bring it to you. This Grenadian callaloo soup is incredible, friends.

I love the whole process of making this master piece of a dish. Once all the ingredients are prepped beforehand, your soup pot does all the work for you. You are getting proper cassava dumplings, pigtail, and my all-time favorite coconut milk.

So, grab your favorite soup pot and let’s get into this dish!

How To Make Grenadian Callaloo Soup?

• 1 large cassava (about 2 lbs)
• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼–½ cup water (added gradually)

Callaloo Soup

• 6–7 cups water
• 1 lb frozen callaloo (or 1 large bundle fresh callaloo, chopped)
• ½ cup chopped chives (scallion)
• 6–8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 lb chicken pieces (seasoned overnight)
• ½ cup chopped onions (from your marinade)
• ½ cup chopped mixed peppers (from your marinade)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or from your marinade)
• 1 tablespoon green seasoning or pepper seasoning
• 2 cups pre-boiled pigtails (about ½ lb), boiled twice to remove excess salt
• 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 ears of corn, cut into 3–4 pieces
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 whole pimento pepper
• Salt & pepper to taste

Let’s start with the Making of Cassava Dumpling

Cut the cassava in half, peel off the thick brown skin, and remove the inner pink layer. Then grate the cassava on the finest side of the grater until it is soft.

Add flour and salt to the grated cassava and mix with your hands, and gradually add the water until a dough forms. I like tough dumplings, so my dough is always on the drier side.

Cover with a damp cloth or tissue and set aside.

The Callaloo Soup

In a large soup pot, add 6–7 cups of water and the chopped or frozen callaloo. If your is fresh, even better.

Boil for 10–20 minutes until soft. Scoop out the callaloo with some liquid and blend until smooth. Next, pour the blended callaloo back into the pot. It is time for some seasoning: add your chives and thyme, then boil for 5–10 minutes.

Add your seasoned overnight chicken to the pot along with all the marinade (onions, peppers, garlic, green seasoning).

Rinse the seasoning bowl with a little water and pour that into the pot for more flavor.

Add the pre-boiled pigtails and let everything bubble for 10–15 minutes, and then stir your coconut milk and bouillon cubes.

The Vegetables To The Soup

Add the corn, cover, and let it cook so it gets tender. Some people boil the corn separately and add it in after. You can also throw in the corn broth.

After 10 minutes, add the diced potatoes and roll dumplings into small strips or “pigtail-style” twists.

Drop dumplings into the soup and let them simmer. Add extra thyme and one whole pimento pepper. Cover and simmer 15–20 minutes until the soup thickens and everything is tender.

Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Storage And Leftovers

Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The dumplings, chicken, and pigtails stay tender, and the broth thickens into a rich, creamy texture.

Reheat: Warm it gently on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of water if the soup gets too thick.

Freezing: You can freeze the soup without dumplings, but cassava dumplings change texture after freezing. If you want freezer-friendly portions, freeze the callaloo base without the dumplings, then make a fresh batch of dumplings when reheating.

Make-ahead tip: The cassava dumpling dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for 2 days, ready to roll and drop into your next pot.

After slow simmering, the results are delicious. The callaloo turns rich, and the meat adds the extra yumminess.

The coconut milk melts right into the broth, giving it this creamy taste. I love how the fresh herbs lift everything and how the cassava dumplings soak up the broth.

I love serving this callaloo soup in big bowls with plenty of dumplings and a chunk of corn. But trust me, this soup plays well with company with a slice of homemade bread.

It’s cozy season, and this Grenadian Callaloo Soup does everything it needs to do. 😍

More Caribbean Recipes

• Caribbean Slow Cooked Oxtail Soup
• Caribbean Seafood Soup
• A Caribbean Bull Foot/ Cow Heel Soup Recipe

Grenadian Callaloo Soup with Cassava Dumplings

Recipe by Ren PetersCourse: SoupsCuisine: GrenadianDifficulty: Medium

Servings

6-8

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

15

minutes

Calories

420

kcal

This Grenadian Callaloo Soup is a deeply comforting, flavor-packed Caribbean classic. You get rich, creamy callaloo blended with coconut milk, fresh herbs, tender chicken, soft cassava dumplings, and that signature pigtail savoriness.

Ingredients

• 1 large cassava (about 2 lbs)

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• ¼–½ cup water (added gradually)

• Callaloo Soup

• 6–7 cups water

• 1 lb frozen callaloo (or 1 large bundle fresh callaloo, chopped)

• ½ cup chopped chives (scallion)

• 6–8 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1 lb chicken pieces (seasoned overnight)

• ½ cup chopped onions (from your marinade)

• ½ cup chopped mixed peppers (from your marinade)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or from your marinade)

• 1 tablespoon green seasoning or pepper seasoning

• 2 cups pre-boiled pigtails (about ½ lb), boiled twice to remove excess salt

• 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)

• 2 chicken bouillon cubes

• 2 ears of corn, cut into 3–4 pieces

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

• 1 whole pimento pepper

• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

• Cut the cassava in half, peel off the thick brown skin, and remove the inner pink layer. Then grate the cassava on the finest side of the grater until it is soft.
• Add flour and salt to the grated cassava and mix with your hands, and gradually add the water until a dough forms. I like tough dumplings, so my dough is always on the drier side.
• Cover with a damp cloth or tissue and set aside.
• In a large soup pot, add 6–7 cups of water and the chopped or frozen callaloo. If your is fresh, even better.
• Boil for 10–20 minutes until soft. Scoop out the callaloo with some liquid and blend until smooth. Next, pour the blended callaloo back into the pot. It is time for some seasoning: add your chives and thyme, then boil for 5–10 minutes.
• Add your seasoned overnight chicken to the pot along with all the marinade (onions, peppers, garlic, green seasoning).
• Rinse the seasoning bowl with a little water and pour that into the pot for more flavor.
• Add the pre-boiled pigtails and let everything bubble for 10–15 minutes, and then stir your coconut milk and bouillon cubes.
• Add the corn, cover, and let it cook so it gets tender. Some people boil the corn separately and add it in after. You can also throw in the corn broth.
• After 10 minutes, add the diced potatoes and roll dumplings into small strips or “pigtail-style” twists.
• Drop dumplings into the soup and let them simmer. Add extra thyme and one whole pimento pepper. Cover and simmer 15–20 minutes until the soup thickens and everything is tender.
• Taste and adjust salt if needed.