Dominican Callaloo Soup with Ground Provisions

Dominica is mountain country. The cooking reflects that — heavier, more rooted than the cuisine of the flatter islands, built around what grows in the rich volcanic soil. Callaloo soup is the Sunday version: thick, green, with ground provisions on the side because the mountain appetite is not a polite appetite.

Ingredients

For the soup

• 1 large bunch callaloo (or substitute with spinach + chard mix)
• 1/2 lb crab meat, salt cod, or salted pigtail (your protein choice)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small scotch bonnet pepper, whole
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 medium okras, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
• Salt and black pepper

For the ground provisions

• 1 small green banana, peeled
• 1/2 lb dasheen (taro), peeled and cubed
• 1/2 lb yellow yam, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 small breadfruit, peeled and cubed (or substitute more dasheen)
• Salted water for boiling

Method

For the ground provisions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. Add yam and dasheen first (these take longest). Cook 12 minutes.

3. Add breadfruit. Cook 10 more minutes.

4. Add green banana. Cook 5 more minutes.

5. All provisions should be tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and keep warm.

For the soup

1. If using salt cod or pigtail, soak overnight changing water twice. Boil 20 minutes to remove excess salt, then drain.

2. Wash callaloo thoroughly and chop coarsely. Strip any tough stems.

3. Heat oil in a large pot. Add onion, cook 5 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, bay leaf. Stir 30 seconds.

4. Add chopped callaloo. Stir to coat in oil — it will reduce dramatically. Cook 3 minutes.

5. Add carrot, okra, scotch bonnet, and stock. Bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes.

6. Add coconut milk and your chosen protein. Simmer another 15-20 minutes until everything is tender and the soup has thickened.

7. Carefully remove the scotch bonnet. Taste and adjust salt.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Serve the boiled provisions on a separate plate alongside. Eat by alternating spoonfuls of soup and bites of provision, dipping the provision into the soup when desired.

The okra is what gives the soup its silky body. Do not skip it.