Trinidad Corn Soup (Corn soup)

Name: Trinidad Corn Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Trinidad and Tobago
Ingredients: 250 g yellow split peas; 3 ears corn, cut into 4 cm pieces; 400 ml coconut milk; 200 g pumpkin, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves; 150 g flour mixed with water into a dough for dumplings; thyme, 2 pimento peppers, 1 scotch bonnet (whole); shado beni or coriander, salt

Overview

Trinidad corn soup is a thick, golden soup of yellow split peas cooked with pumpkin, carrot, onion, garlic, thyme and coconut milk until creamy. Chunks of corn on the cob are added along with small flour dumplings, and the soup is flavoured with pimento peppers, scotch bonnet and the strong herb culantro, known locally as shado beni. It is eaten by picking up the corn pieces with your hands. It is thick, filling and warming, and it is often eaten straight from a cup or bowl standing at a street stall.

History

Corn soup is the classic late-night food of Trinidad and Tobago, sold from street vans and stalls after parties, fetes and Carnival celebrations. The recipe brings together the split peas of Indian Trinidadian cooking and the corn and coconut of the wider Caribbean, and it is also made with salted pig tail in some homes.

Main ingredients

Yellow split peas, corn on the cob, coconut milk, flour dumplings, pumpkin, culantro (shado beni). The soup is built on split pea and coconut broth and is usually served hot. Diet: vegetarian; not usually gluten-free.

Explore: Coconut soups · Pumpkin and squash soups · Corn soups · More soups from Trinidad and Tobago

Recipe outline serves 4 · ~80 min

Ingredients

250 g yellow split peas
3 ears corn, cut into 4 cm pieces
400 ml coconut milk
200 g pumpkin, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves
150 g flour mixed with water into a dough for dumplings
thyme, 2 pimento peppers, 1 scotch bonnet (whole)
shado beni or coriander, salt

Allergens: Contains: Gluten. Based on the typical recipe. Recipes and products vary; always check labels if you have an allergy.

Method

Simmer the split peas with pumpkin, carrot, onion, garlic and herbs in 2 l water for 40 minutes until soft.
Blend partly for a creamy texture, then add the coconut milk and whole scotch bonnet.
Add the corn pieces and small dumplings and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the scotch bonnet, add shado beni and season.