This AIP Trinidadian Callaloo recipe is paleo and vegan and can be enjoyed as a soup or a side dish.
Today, I’m updating this post in collaboration with a team of fellow Black food bloggers as part of the 2020 Juneteenth Cookout Takeover. June 19th (Juneteenth) is a jubilee of freedom to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
On the invitation of Meiko and the Dish, we’re sharing our recipes and culinary traditions. Although June 19th isn’t a holiday in Canada, I’m proud to share my recipe for Trinidadian Callaloo. This dish truly celebrates the flavours of my childhood and the Afro-diaspora more broadly.
Check out some of the other black food bloggers with AIP recipes who are taking part in this Juneteenth collaboration:
- Confessions of a clean foodie | Mint Peach Spritzer
- Open Invitation Entertainment | Coconut Collard Greens
- Marisa Moore Nutrition | Fresh Peach Iced Tea
What is Callaloo?
Callaloo is a nutrient-dense dish that is common in many Caribbean countries. While callaloo originated in West Africa, there are several variations of this dish across the world today. In Trinidad, callaloo is a quintessential part of Sunday lunches. You will often find it made with some combination of dasheen leaves, okra, pimento and Scotch bonnet peppers, fresh herbs, salted meat (or crab), and coconut milk.
This AIP Trinidadian Callaloo is an adaptation of the classic dish that I’ve been eating since before I could talk. In this recipe, carrots and butternut squash braise alongside dasheen leaves, okra, green onions, garlic, onion, cilantro and thyme in coconut milk.
The ingredients in this soup are nutritional powerhouses! Heart-shaped dasheen leaves are rich in potassium, fibre and Vitamin C. Okras are similarly full of vitamin C, and lend a distinctive taste to this dish. I often see folks question whether okra is AIP-compliant. It is! It’s also packed with nutrition. Gail Shankland from the AIP Recipe Collection blog has written a helpful post on the topic here.
Where can I find these speciality ingredients?
- You can likely find both okra and dasheen/taro leaves at your nearest Caribbean store. For my Torontonians, I get mine at Caribbean Corner in Kensington Market.
- If you can’t find dasheen leaves, you can easily replace them with a few cups of spinach.
- It’s important to use full fat and additive free coconut milk (coconut and water). This is important to remain AIP compliant and to achieve the thickest, creamiest consistency.
Can I use a slow cooker or Instant Pot to make this soup?
Yes you can. I would recommend using the sauté function first to saute the onion, garlic and okra in coconut oil before adding the remaining ingredients. Once the ingredients have cooked down and are soft, use an immersion blender to pulse the soup to your desired consistency or add to a blender. Enjoy this soup warm and feel free to garnish with additional cilantro, green onions and coconut milk if you wish.
LOOKING FOR MORE CARIBBEAN-INSPIRED AIP RECIPES? TRY:
- AIP Salted Cod in Coconut Milk
- Plantain Casserole
- Trinidadian-inspired Beef Stew
- Caribbean-inspired Beef Soup
If you loved this recipe, I would appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and short review. Don’t forget to snap a picture of the finished product! You can share it with me on Instagram by tagging @healmedelicious.
PrintAIP Trinidadian Callaloo (paleo, vegan)
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4–5 portions 1x
Description
This AIP Trinidadian Callaloo recipe is an adaptation of a dish that I’ve been eating since before I could talk. It’s paleo and vegan and can be enjoyed as a soup or a side dish.
Ingredients
- 3 TBSP coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 cups okra (chopped into 1-inch pieces), about 12 stalks
- 12 dasheen/taro leaves or 4 cups spinach, chopped
- 1/2 cup butternut squash (fresh or frozen), cubed
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 4 green onions (white and green parts), chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro (leaves and stems), chopped
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, picked
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cups full fat coconut milk (additive free)
- 1 cup filtered water (or AIP compliant bone broth for extra nutrition)
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in large stock pot on medium heat. Once hot, add onions and garlic and sauté 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low-medium and add okra. Sauté 6-7 minutes until it begins to break down.
- Next, add dasheen/taro leaves (or spinach), butternut squash, carrots, green onions, cilantro, thyme and salt and stir frequently for 1-2 minutes.
- Finally, add coconut milk and water.
- Cover and bring to a low boil over low-medium heat, allowing the callaloo to cook for 15 minutes.
- At the 15 minute mark, give it a stir, taste and add more salt as necessary.
- Cover the pot again and allow to cook for an additional 15 minutes or until the ingredients are cooked through and vegetables are very soft. Once soft, remove from heat.
- Blend the callaloo into desired consistency using an immersion blender or, allow to cool significantly before transferring to blender/Vitamix. Exercise caution here as steam expands quickly in a blender and can cause the callaloo to splatter.
- Serve warm and garnish with additional cilantro, green onions and coconut milk if desired.
- Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
Keywords: dasheen/taro leaves, spinach, okra, coconut milk, soup, AIP, paleo, vegan
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SUSAN TAYLOR
thanks i did’t know i could use squash.pumpkin is very hard to find in my area.
★★★★★
Angie
I’m excited to try this as I live in the Land of Okra 😉 in East Texas. Do you think the kale or Bok Choy tops would substitute well for the greens used here? Thank you for this and all of your amazing recipes. You are so gifted.
Nicole Charles
I haven’t tried using bok choy but spinach is a great replacement. And I’m jealous re: okra! My fave!
Bec
Awesome!
★★★★★
Christina
This is delicious!!
★★★★★
Cathy
So delicious! Thank you!
★★★★★
Bobbie Burkholder
There are all kinds of “Callaloo” recipies but this recipe totally rocks- and is true to Trinidad. During the simmer, I do add an unbroken (!) scotch bonnet pepper. I then, carefully remove it before swizzeling everything to a rough consistency. Some times I’ll add fresh crab.
THE BEST SOUP!
★★★★★
Bobbie Burkholder
There are all kinds of “Callaloo” recipies. This recipe totally rocks and is true to Trinidad. During the simmer, I do add an unbroken! scotch bonnet pepper. I then, carefully remove it before swizzeling everything to a rough consistency. Some times I add fresh crab.
THE BEST SOUP
★★★★★
Monica
I made this recipe for my family one night when I was feeling a bit sick of meat ! While I was making it my expectations were quite low as I’m not a huge fan of orkas ! … but Oh wow ! The taste blew me away I loved it and all three of my kids (3,7,9) all really liked it and my husband did too! Such a good way to get different veggies into you and a great vegetarian AIP meal !!!!
★★★★★