Callaloo Soup
(Serves 4)

We ate this often when vacationing in Dominica (pro: dohm-in-ee-kuh) in the southeastern Caribbean. I'd never
heard of Callaloo before, and when we questioned the cook, she said it was made from the very young leaves of the Daishin plant—the root of which is known as the Taro root. Of course there is no Callaloo or Daishin here in Cleveland! But spinach makes a decent substitute. This is surely as nutritious as it is delicious!
                          —From LitLover Reader: Cathy Bibbs-Cornell

1 lb spinach leaves
1 large celery stalk with leaves (chopped)
3 chives or green onions (chopped)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 sweet pepper (chopped)
2 T butter
1/2 lb. okra (sliced)
1/4 tsp. teaspoon thyme
1/4 tsp. allspice
2 T sherry or rum
4 C chicken or fish stock
1 C coconut milk (unsweetened)
Salt and pepper to taste


Cook the celery, onions, garlic and sweet pepper in butter until tender.

Add all remaining ingredients. Simmer until all the vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in a blender in small batches, until smooth and free of lumps.



Thanks Cathy—the recipe looks terrific! And thanks for the explanation of callaloo / daishin.

Finally, thanks for finding a mistake in the amount of rice in the Callaloo Stew. I had called for wayyyyyy too much. We'd all have be eating rice well into the 22nd century!

To our readers: Also check out Cathy's recipe for Curacao Stew.

Tips & Glossary:

Caribbean cuisine is an exquisite blend of African, Asian, European, and Carib Indian (the area's original inhabitants) foods. Dishes are highly seasoned, either with a dry rub or marinade—or both. Following are some typical ingredients found in Caribbean food.

Spices: Allspice, bay leaves, black pepper, chives, chili peppers, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, curry powder, escallion, garlic, ginger, lime, mace, nutmeg, onion, oregano, sugar, thyme, orange, tomato paste, vanilla, cayenne (red) pepper.

Jerk: Jamaican cooking method in which meat is rubbed, prior to grilling, with a blend of seasonings, often firey hot. Jerk is also the name of the seasoning (from Spanish charqui, or dried meat). You can buy jerk in most grocery stores (even McCormick makes it), or can make and store your own.

• 1 T each—onion powder, garlic powder, dried chives, brown sugar; 2 tsp. each— (ground) allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon; 1 tsp. each—sage. thyme, salt, black pepper, cayenne (or more to taste). Mix thoroughly and store in a tightly covered jar.

There are thousands of versions; figure out what flavors you like most and add or subtract accordingly.

Typical Caribbean Meats: goat, pork, chicken, and some beef (often expensive).

Fish: varieties that abound in surrounding waters, some familiar to us—grouper, cod, tilapia, blue marlin; others not —200 species of jack, chip-chips (tiny clams), casadura (primitive armored catfish).

Indigenous plant foods:
• ackee—/peach-looking fruit with pulp like scrambled eggs
• annatto (achiote) seed—red coloring or flavoring agent w/ slightly sweet peppery taste.
• callaloo—like spinach
• cassava root (taro root)—
• malanaga root—
• scotch bonnet peppers—
• breadfruit—fruit used like a potato in salads, stews, even whipped.
• passion fruit

More familiar foods:
bananas and plantains, okra, yams, papaya, mangoes, coconut, yams, sweet potatoes, rice, beans, corn and cornmeal.