Trinidad corn soup is a very popular street food of Trinidad and Tobago. This vegan soup is full of flavors and textures. It's so delicious that I am sure it will become your favorite soup once you try it.
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If you follow my blog then you must be aware that I am on a food voyage through which I am trying to explore this world by trying it's vegan and vegetarian recipes.
My favorite thing about this journey is the opportunity it gives me to know more about the history of different countries, cultures, and the journey of ingredients.
There are so many surprising and interesting things that I have learned in the last 3 years because of this journey.
Today I am sharing my favorite soup recipe- Trinidad corn soup from Trinidad and Tobago. This Caribbean soup helped me in solving the mystery of an amazing herb that grew in our kitchen garden many years ago when I was a kid.
Jump to:
The mysterious herb in our kitchen garden
When I was around 11 years old, my father got posted at a beautiful North-Eastern state of India- Sikkim. There we had a lovely house with a huge kitchen garden.
I remember, there was a herb grown in that kitchen garden that didn’t look like coriander but tasted just like it. In fact, it had a stronger flavor. We didn’t know what it was and who planted it there but we loved it.
Later my parents even took the saplings of that herb to my grandparent's house and they still have it in their garden.
That was not an era of Google and nobody in that area knew what it was so we started calling it Sikkim wala dhaniya (Sikkims Coriander).
After many years, I came across an amazing Caribbean recipe – Trinidad corn soup. In the recipe, it was mentioned that one of the key ingredients of that soup is Shado beni or Culantro (not cilantro). I had never heard about that herb before so I searched for it on Google. I was so pleased to know that it’s that same coriander like herb which we had in our kitchen Garden in Sikkim. It also amazed me to know that it’s a Caribbean herb.
It will always be a mystery for us to know how this Caribbean herb reached the North-Eastern hills of India and also thrived in that completely different environment.
This mysterious herb made me curious to learn about the cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago so I started reading more about it. I was so surprised to know that a lot of their popular dishes have Indian names like Ada roti, Curry Bhindhi, Curry Sem, Fried Kareli, Baingan choka, Kohra Tarkari, Aloo Choka.
The credit of this amalgamation goes to the laborers who were taken to the Caribbean region by the British during the 19th century mainly to work in cotton and sugarcane plantations.
Even Shado beni has another name that sounds like the Hindi name of coriander – Bandhaniya. Ban or Van means forest in Hindi and Dhaniya is the Hindi name of coriander. So, Bandhaniya should mean wild coriander in English.
Maybe I was wrong…maybe Shado beni was never brought to India from the Caribbean Islands…maybe it was Bandhaniya which was taken to these islands from India.
What goes in Trinidad corn soup?
There are a lot of ingredients that go in this Trinidad corn soup. However, most of them are either very easily available or you can find their substitutes.
- Vegetable stock
- Water
- Coconut milk
- Slices of corn on the cob
- Boiled/ canned chickpeas
- Split peas
- Onion
- Pumpkin
- Potato
- Celery
- Carrot
- Scotch bonnet/ any other hot chili pepper
- Corn kernels
- Shado beni/ cilantro
- All-purpose flour
- Garlic
- Dried thyme
- Salt & pepper
- Vegetable oil/ any other cooking oil of your choice
Is it required to soak the split peas?
Soaking the split peas is not required if you are using a pressure cooker or instant pot to cook it.
However, if you are planning to cook it in a normal pot, soaking is recommended to fasten the cooking process.
Can pumpkin be skipped?
If you don't like pumpkin either skip it or replace it with any other vegetable of your choice like plantain or sweet potato.
Though I would also like to mention that even I am not a big pumpkin fan but it tastes good in this soup.
How to make it Gluten-free?
The only ingredient of this recipe that has gluten in it is flour. So, if you want to make a gluten-free corn soup, either skip the dumplings or use a gluten-free flour - something that can retain its shape on getting boiled.
Recipe tips & tricks
- If using cilantro instead of shado beni, double the quantity given in the recipe as shado beni has a very strong flavor.
- Cut equal-sized pieces of vegetables.
- Don't make very big dumplings otherwise they may stay raw at the center and won't taste good.
- To cook lentil in a pressure cooker, 2 cups of water will be sufficient but if using a normal pan add more water (around 4 cups).
Step by step photo instructions
More easy corn recipes
If you are looking for more easy corn recipes, don't miss to check the following links:
- Sweet corn soup
- Vegan savory muffins
- Corn fritters
- Avocado corn toast
- Chili baby corn
- Spinach corn sandwich
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Recipe
Trinidad Corn Soup
Equipment
- 1 large cooking pot
- 1 pressure cooker/ instant pot/ regular cooking pot
- Knife and chopping board
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 cup split peas peele matar ki dal
- 1.5 cups chopped pumpkin
- ½ cup chopped potato
- ½ cup chopped carrot
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 1 celery stalk chopped
- 1 corn on the cob cut into around 1 inch thick slices
- ½ cup chopped shado beni or 1 cup chopped coriander leaves
- 6-7 garlic cloves
- 1 Scotch bonnet/ any hot chili pepper
- 1 cup boiled/ canned chickpeas
- ½ cup corn kernels
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup water or as required to make a smooth dough
- 2 cups water to cook the lentils
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Wash split peas and put in a pressure cooker/ instant pot/ regular pot with pumpkin and water. Cook until the lentils and pumpkin turn mushy. Once cooked mash to a smooth paste with the help of a spatula.
- Put Shado beni/ cilantro, garlic, and hot pepper in a grinding jar. Make a paste. Keep the paste aside.
- In a bowl, mix flour, a pinch of salt, and water. Knead to make a smooth dough. Make small balls from this dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pot and add chopped onions. Saute until the onions turn translucent.
- Add celery and saute for around 2 minutes.
- Add mashed split peas and vegetable stock. Mix well and cook for around 2-3 minutes.
- Add coconut milk, shado beni paste, chopped potatoes, chickpeas, carrots, corn slices, corn kernels, dumplings, thyme, salt, and pepper. Add more water if needed. Cover the pot and cook for around 30 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked.
- Serve hot!
Notes
- Don't make very large balls of dough otherwise, they may remain raw at the center. Also, they increase in size after getting cooked and big dumplings don't taste good in this soup.
- Traditionally shado beni is used in this recipe but if you can't find it use cilantro and double the quantity as shado beni is more flavorful than cilantro.
- Usually, scotch bonnet is used in this soup but you can use any hot chili pepper.
- To fasten the process of cooking split peas and pumpkin use a pressure cooker or instant pot.
- Instead of mashing the split peas and pumpkin with a spatula, you can also use a blender to make a smooth paste. Just add some water or stock to the paste and then blend.
- To cook lentils in a manual pressure cooker, 2 cups of water will be sufficient but if using a regular pot add more water (around 4 cups).
Just returned from my first Carnival in Trinidad, where I fell in love with corn soup. This recipe makes me feel like I am right back on the Savannah for Jouvert and Mas. Thank you.
Thank you 🙂
I am from Trinidad and I know a lot of our foods have a twist to
It and .... I was thinking my ancestors took what they could when they went on the boast 1907 across the waters abs maybe the herbs were also part of this ? Or even the masters over them may have taken things from India and that’s how it started in Trinidad :.... I always remember my grandma trying to teach me Hindi and making all the choka and roti and eating these foods now in the Uk and catering it I wonder if my ancestors would have thought it would have eventually end up in the United Kingdom .... making corn soup for my customers this weekend I’ll let you know know how it comes out .... purchase chadobenyia in Manchester and made my green seasoning !
Hi Melinda. Thank you so much for sharing this message with me. I love the way food connects all of us. I really wish you and your customers enjoy this soup, would love to get your feedback. Have a great weekend!
Such an interesting read about the herb. The Trinidad corn soup sounds like a wholesome meal to me with loads of vegetables. Would love to try out this flavorful soup soon.
Thanks, Poonam 🙂
An interesting soup Vandana. Hearty and filling, Trinidad Corn Soup is a meal on its own. Adding scotch bonnet must have added that required hotness factor. Like how you've added corn on the cob pieces. Definitely makes the soup so appealing.
Thanks Mayuri. Yes, you are right scotch bonnet would have added the required heat to this soup. Unfortunately, we don't get it easily in Dubai so I used Thai chili peppers :).
What an interesting soup and love the flavor fusion between the Indian and Caribbean cuisine. I have made a couple of recipes from the Trinidad and Tobago region and I also found a vast similarity between ours and their cuisine.
Thanks Sandhya. Yes, the similarity between Trinidad and Indian food was a new discovery for me too.
Wow this Trinidad corn soup is delicious and i can see quite a few similarities in the Indian and Trinidad style of cooking. I am going to try this yum recipe soon.
Thanks Archana 🙂
Hi
When are the chick peas added?
Sorry Jane, I had missed mentioning it in the recipe card. Corrected now. There is a recipe video also within the post above. You might find it useful.
This corn soup is packed with flavors! Love the soup especially corn soup during winter time:)
Thanks Uma.
It gives sensation to your tongue by merely reading the list of ingredients. O my goodness, such an amazing list with all the ingredients full of health and taste. And the best part is that you have provided the easy option to certain unheard ingredients. Great recipe indeed.
Thanks a lot Payal 🙂
Never heard of this soup before ever and it sounds so healthy and delicious. It's a great read and a pleasant surprise about the many similarities between Trinidad and India.
Lovely share.
Thanks a lot Lata :). Even I was surprised to know those similarities.
There has been a blend of cultures between India and Trinidad and Tobago. I was pleasantly surprised that Diwali is a public holiday in this country too, and this has been a tradition for years now
Great to know that Anita. Thank for sharing :).
Nice to read about your experience with the culinary treasure in Trinidad and your curiosity about how shadon beni got to India. Funnily enough, the herb has its origins in India, I believe, and made its way to the Caribbean when Indians were taken there to work on sugar cane fields. I hope your experience makes you a little more curious about a place than just its food. It is always nice when it can connect the dots and fill not just bellies, but souls.
Hi Kitty, thank you so much for sharing that with me, loved your message. It has actually made me more curious to know more about Trinidad and Tobago and read it's history and culture.I really wish to travel there soon.