Good Soup

Picture of Soup

Prep Time 45 mins
Total Cook Time2 hrs
Serves  4-6
Recipe provided by Jabari

Soup of the Month - Jamaican Split Pea Soup

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 cups orange or yellow split peas
  • Water, as needed
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 1/2 lb chicken thighs, cut in serving size pieces Can used shreded leftovers like chicken or turkey
  • 1 large carrot, grated
  • 2-3 Bullion cubes (or replace water with stock)
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 scallions, chopped
  • 5-7 pimento seed (allspice berries)
  • 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 large yellow yam
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled and cut in 2 pieces
  • 1 cob sweet corn, cut in 2 pieces optional
  • 1/2 cup medium Jamaican pumpkin or squash, peeled and cut in 2 pieces
  • 3 small white potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup hot water (or as needed)
Previous month

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Rinse split peas until water runs clear, then place in a medium sized pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any scum and foam that rises to the surface.
  2. Lower heat, add grated carrots and simmer
    If using yellow split peas, simmer for 45 mins to an hour to start to soften
    If using orange split peas simmer 15 - 30 mins
    (they dont need to be completely cooked at this stage, but should be starting to soften)
  3. About 15 minutes before peas are ready, heat oil in a large soup pot or dutch oven and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger over medium heat, until the onion begins to brown. If using fresh meat, add here and brown on all sides.
  4. Transfer the cooked peas and their water to the pot with the chicken, adding thyme, 1 scallion, 2 bullion, pimento and Scotch bonnet. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Be careful not to burst the hot pepper if you dont want your soup super spicy.
    Throughout the next steps, add additional water as needed to keep everything covered.
  5. Peel and chop the yam into 2 pieces. Add yam and sweet potato to the soup and simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Add the sweet corn, pumpkin and potatoes, and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, make your dumplings. Mix flour and salt in a small bowl. Mix in warm water, a little at a time, until a soft dough forms. Knead for a couple minutes until the dough is smooth. Let rest for 5 minutes.
  7. Tear off small balls of dough and shape into your desired dumpling shape, dropping into the soup as you make them. Remember that the dumplings will swell as they cook, so make them smaller than you want the finished product to be, and dont feel like you have to use all of the dough if it feels like too many dumplings.
  8. Continue to simmer until everything is tender and the dumplings are cooked through.
  9. Check and adjust seasoning to taste and serve warm. Remember not to bite into the pimento!
A recipe from back home. While I provide this recipe with measurements, I cook this only with feeling. This is a wamr and hearty meal I learned from watching my grandmother cook when I was little. It is packed full of nostalgia and memories of saturday evening dinners.