Red Peas Soup

Jamaican Red Pea Soup recipe is definitely a family favourite, and one of the most recognisable soups to come out of Jamaica. With it full of juicy dumplings, beef, yam, sweet potato, and hot spices such as scotch bonnet and pimento seeds – it's sure to get your stomach warm and full! 

This Jamaican-style red pea soup is loved by all Jamaicans. It can be made with meat or as a vegetarian dish. In Jamaica, we call the red kidney beans "red peas," and they are used to make so many dishes. But the three dishes that the red peas are known mostly for are Jamaican-style rice & peas, stewed peas, and the infamous red kidney bean soup. Jamaicans love a rich, very red, red pea soup; so the redder the peas, the better.

INGREDIENTS

1 pt red peas or red kidney beans

2 lbs soup beef (cut in bit sizes)

1 lb flour

2 oz escallion & thyme

A dash of pimento seeds

Salt to taste

1 cup coconut milk

8 oz carrots (diced)

8 oz Irish potatoes (diced)

1 lb yellow yam 

1/2 lb cocoyam 

1 green pepper (whole) 

The following are optional for flavor 1 Maggi noodle soup mix

or a Grace noodle soup mix

or 1 teaspoon coarsely ground cumin and 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground coriander seeds (my preference) 

PREPARATION

• Cook peas, meat and pimento in adequate water until tender. That might be about one to one and half hours.
  

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Add small dumplings made from flour.

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Add escallion, thyme, soup seasoning, whole pepper

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Stir and cover pot on medium flames for another 20 minutes or so.

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Add diced carrots, diced irish potatoes, yellow yam, coco yam and coconut milk.

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Add salt and stir.

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Add noodle mix 

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Cover and simmer for approximately 10 -20  minutes being careful not to leave too long for the potato and yam to mash out. 

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Serve

Side Note: You can also add pigs tails or a large ham bone to this recipe for a bit more flava.