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Jamaican red peas soup is an authentic soup made with red beans such as kidney beans, salted meat such as pigtail or beef, and ground provisions. Jamaicans traditionally serve it on Saturdays when trying to use up ingredients that weren’t used during the week and while completing weekend chores while the soup slowly simmers on the stove. It’s an entire meal in itself that the whole family will love!
Want similar flavors, but don’t feel for soup? Try my Jamaican stew peas recipe.
Authentic Jamaican Red Peas Soup
Red peas soup is my favorite soup of all. It’s rich in protein from the red beans (which Jamaicans refer to as peas) and meat, hearty from the ground provisions, and has distinct Jamaican flavor from the aromatics and spice. I love that it’s impossible to make a small pot, so I know I can enjoy it for days after making it.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Hearty and filling: Salted meat, ground provisions, vegetables, and homemade dumplings make this Caribbean soup satisfying enough for a full meal.
- Full of flavor: Fresh aromatics, pimento, Scotch bonnet, and Jamaican seasonings ensure the pot is full of flavor.
- Easy to customize: You can use salted pigtail, beef, or turkey, swap the ground provisions, or make round dumplings, spinners, or a mix of both.
Ingredients for red peas soup
- Salted meat: Salted pigtail or salted beef are traditionally used, or feel free to use turkey neck or oxtail (just adjust seasonings to taste).
- Red kidney beans: Use fresh, dried beans (not canned) for best results.
- Squash: Kabocha or calabaza squash softens as it cooks, giving the broth its rich color and body.
- Ground provisions: Yellow yam, Jamaican sweet potato (boniato), and white potato add heartiness and texture to the soup. The yellow yam is optional.
- Vegetables: Carrots, corn, and chayote (also called chocho in Jamaica) add sweetness and texture to each bowl.
- Ginger: Just a small piece of ginger adds warmth to the soup and helps the beans break down their complex sugars that potentially make you gassy.
- Garlic and pimento: Garlic and whole pimento seeds, also known as allspice berries, add warm, aromatic flavor to the soup.
- Scallion and thyme: These fresh seasonings add classic Jamaican flavor as the soup simmers.
- Scotch bonnet pepper: Keep the pepper whole to add its distinct flavor without making the soup too spicy.
- Jamaican seasonings: The salted meat already provides a ton of flavor, so Jamaican all-purpose seasoning is all you’ll need to get the flavor to where it needs to be.
For the Dumplings
You only need all-purpose flour, salt, and water to make the dumplings. Shape the dough into round, flattened dumplings, long spinners, or a combination of both.
How to make Jamaican Red Peas Soup
Boil the salted meat
I start by rinsing the salted meat, then I boil twice it to get rid of the excess salt as well as to soften it.
Start the Soup
I add the desalinated meat to a large pot with 1.5 gallons of water. Then, I add the red beans, garlic, pimento, and thyme and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the peas and meat are cooked.
Add the Ground Provisions and Vegetables
I reduce the heat to medium, then add the ground provisions and vegetables. Next, I season to taste with Jamaican all-purpose seasoning. Then, I add the scallion, more thyme, and whole Scotch bonnet pepper. I give everything a stir, partially cover the pot so it doesn’t boil over, and cook for 10 minutes while I make the dumplings.
How to Make Dumplings
I mix the flour and salt in a bowl, then gradually add the water until I can knead the dough into a tight ball that isn’t too sticky to handle. From here, I can make traditional round dumplings, spinners, or a combination of both.
For round dumplings, I roll small pieces of dough into balls and flatten them into circles. To make spinners, I roll each piece between my palms, almost like I’m starting a campfire, until it forms a long, skinny dumpling.
Finish the Soup
I add the dumplings to the soup one at a time so they don’t stick together, then gently stir the pot. I partially cover it and let everything cook for a final 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the soup is done, I turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. I give everything a good stir before serving.
Store and reheat jamaican red peas soup
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover red peas soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the cooled soup in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to Reheat
Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop until everything is hot throughout, or microwave individual portions. If the soup has thickened in the refrigerator, add a splash of water as it reheats to loosen it back up.
Tips for the best Jamaican Chicken Soup
- Use salted meat. Using salted pigtail, beef, or other meat adds a ton of flavor, even after you boil out most of the salt..
- Cut everything evenly. Keep the ground provisions and vegetables around the same size so they cook evenly and you get a good mix in each bowl.
- Keep the Scotch bonnet whole. Avoid cutting or bursting the pepper if you want its flavor without adding too much heat to the soup.
- Add dumplings one at a time. Drop them into the pot individually and stir gently to prevent them from sticking together or breaking apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jamaican red peas soup is very customizable. You can include white or yellow yam, Caribbean sweet potato, Irish potato, cassava, dasheen, breadfruit, pumpkin or squash, chocho, carrots, and corn. You don’t need to use them all; this recipe uses squash, yellow yam, Caribbean sweet potato, white potato, chocho, carrots, and corn.
The potatoes, ground provisions, and dumplings can absorb liquid and naturally thicken the soup, especially as it sits. If it becomes thicker than you like, add a little water until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Yes. You can peel and chop the vegetables and ground provisions ahead of time to make cooking easier the next day. You can also make the entire soup ahead, but keep in mind that the dumplings and ground provisions will continue to absorb some of the broth as it sits.
I hope you enjoyed making this Jamaican Red Peas Soup.
If you try it, let me know how it turns out. I’d love to hear from you.
For more Jamaican-inspired home cooking, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok where I share new dishes, tips, and real-time cooking in my kitchen.
Jamaican Red Peas Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs salted pigtail or beef, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 cups dry kidney beans
- 1 inch piece ginger
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 1 tsp pimento seeds/allspice berries
- 2 stalks scallion
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
- 1/4 lb kabocha or calabaza squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1/4 lb yellow yam, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes (optional)
- 1/4 lb Caribbean sweet potato/boniato, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 medium white potato, peeled and cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 chayote/chocho, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 corn on the cob, each cut into four pieces
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins
- 1 tbso Jamaican all-purpose seasoning
- 1.5 gallons water
For the dumplings/spinners
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Remove the excess salt from the meat by rinsing it then boiling it twice with fresh water (enough to cover the meat by two inches) on medium-high heat for 15 minutes each time. Prepare the vegetables and ground provisions while the salted meat boils.
- To a large pot, add the desalinated meat, red kidney beans, enough water to cover the meat and peas by about two inches, small piece of ginger, crushed garlic cloves, two thyme sprigs, and pimento seeds. Boil over medium-high heat for one hour or until the meat and red beans are cooked.
- Add the prepared vegetables and ground provisions as well as the rest of the thyme and a scotch bonnet pepper. Add more water to ensure everything in the pot is covered. Season with all-purpose seasoning, and stir. Cook for another 10 minutes while you make the dumplings.
- In a bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add water a little at a time until you can knead the dough into a tight ball. (The dough should not be too sticky to handle.) Pinch off a little of the dough at a time to make round dumplings or spinners (or both). For round dumplings, roll the dough into tight balls, then flatten into circles. For spinners, roll the pieces together in your hands (as if you are starting a campfire) to form long, skinny dumplings called spinners.
- Add the dumplings to the pot one at a time to ensure they don’t stick together. Very gently stir the pot. Partially cover the pot, and let the soup boil for a final 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat, and allow the soup to rest for 10 minutes. Stir before serving.
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