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What Is Red Peas Soup?
This is my vegan and gluten-free version of Jamaican red peas soup. Red peas soup is traditionally cooked with salt beef, salted pig’s tail, or chicken feet. Like my Jamaican Stew Peas, this red pea soup has lots of flavors that you won’t even miss the meat.
To boost the flavor, I added 2 vegetable bouillon cubes, you can substitute with your favorite bouillon cube or chicken-style seasoning or leave it out and just flavor with salt.
Traditionally we add a Scotch bonnet pepper, this pepper can be found in West Indian supermarkets or you can substitute with cayenne pepper.
How To Make Red Peas Soup?
- Sort beans and soak beans in a large pot or bowl of cold water overnight or for 8 hours. The following morning discard water and rinse beans.
- Add 10 cups of water and bring to boil on medium-high in a large pot, reduce heat to simmer, and cook beans until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Add chopped onion, garlic, green onions, thyme, carrots, potatoes, yam, dumplings, coconut milk, allspice, vegetable bouillon, and Scotch bonnet pepper.
- Bring to boil and reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender about 30 minutes.
- Discard Scotch bonnet pepper before serving.
Watch Red Peas Soup Video
How To Make Red Peas Soup Thick?
To make your soup thick, you can either cook the soup for longer until it thickens, You can also remove a cup of soup with beans and potato, using a handheld to process until thick, stir into the remaining soup and stir.
Other Delicious Jamaican Soup To Try
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Watch Red Peas Soup Video Below
Categories
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Vegan
- Course: Soup
- Cuisine: Jamaican
- Season: Christmas
Nutrition
(Per portion)- Energy: 257 kcal / 1074 kJ
- Fat: 8 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Carbs: 37 g
Cook Time
- Preparation: 20 min
- Cooking: 1 h 30 min
- Ready in: 1 h 50 min
- For: 8 Servings
Ingredients
For The Soup
- 2 cups dried red kidney beans
- 10 cups water
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup yam, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 6 pimento berries
- 2 cubes vegetable bouillons
- 1 whole Scotch Bonnet
- salt, to taste
- 1 batch of Dumplings, optional recipe below
Dumplings
- 1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour, (I used Krusteaz brand)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
For The Soup
- Sort and wash beans, soak in cold water overnight in a large pot or bowl for at least 8 hours.
- The following day, discard water and rinse beans, place them in a large saucepan with 10 cups of water and bring to boil, lower heat to simmer until tender for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Add chopped onion, garlic, green onions, thyme, carrots, potatoes, yam, dumplings, coconut milk, allspice, vegetable bouillon, and Scotch bonnet pepper.
- Bring to boil and reduce to a simmer and cook until vegetables are tender about 30 minutes. Discard Scotch bonnet pepper before serving.
For The Dumplings
- Place flour and salt in a bowl. Add water and mix to make a stiff dough. Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into the palm of hands to make long thin dumplings. Drop into simmering stew.
Just followed the recipe and added stew beef. I’m obsessed…added a touch of baking powder to the dumplings and I’m basically eating my dads red pea soup!!!
Kimberly, I’m so happy you love it and it reminds you of your dad. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Absolutely delicious! Thankyou so much Ms. Michelle for this amazing recipe-a few things I had not been doing, that you have helped me with in this recipe- I am so glad I found your site! Plenty of great recipes!!!
Tama I’m so happy you found my site, I’m happy you are are enjoying my recipes.
Just found ur recipe of the red pea soup, it’s a must try
I even signed up to fall ur recipes which I never do but this soup recipe look so healthy so I will definitely try this soup. Thank you 4 sharing
Yvonne, I’m so happy you found my site. Thank you for your support. I hope you enjoy.
This is some really good stuff’s
My favorite kind of soup.
Was feeling like a comfort dish. Followed your recipe to a T, and changed out the flour for a whole wheat one and added 1 smoked pork neck bone 👌🏾💕 thank you dahling!
Sharon, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback.
Hi Michelle, I also add Pumpkin, green banana too. I love dumplings too 😀😀I love red pea soup. Love your recipe!
Elaine, I’m so happy you enjoyed it, I love your adjustments. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Hi Michelle,
If using can beans, how much to use? I want to make later but forgot to soak my beans.
Looks so delicious. My husband says the same thing – cannot have soup without dumplings.
Thank you.
AnnMar, you will need 4 cans of kidney beans. Yep, sounds like your hubby is Jamaican. I hope you and your hubby enjoy the soup.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you. The soup was sooooo good. I followed the recipe exactly as written, but pureed some of the beans. Hubby, yes he is Jamaican, made the dumplings. Everyone loved it. As it was cooking I was thinking this is a big pot of soup, will last a couple of days. Not an issue, packed away enough for one serving, for myself, tomorrow :) Kids asked me to make sure I save the recipe. Sure did!
AnnMar, thank you for your feedback, I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed it. Hehe, I thought so!
I am making this for my father in law, but it is not as thick as yours? Any ideas as to why?
Nina, just remove the cover, mash some of the potatoes and cook longer until you get the thickness you like. Remember also it will thicken as it cools. Hope you enjoy!
I’m going to be making it today, great recipe. Looking forward to eating it
Made it tonight and loved it. Terrific recipe.
Richard, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you.
Thank you for such a great soup!!
This has quickly become my husband favourite. I make it Saturday afternoon and it’s gone by Sunday evening. We just keep the pot in a simmer. The dumplings are his favourite. Apparently it’s just as good as the shops.
Sophie, I’m so happy you and your husband enjoyed it. I appreciate you sharing your feedback with us. Thank you.
Made this for dinner tonight. Pureed all the beans before adding the rest of the veggies–husband HATES beans. He was skeptical of the ingredients, but ended up enjoying seconds. Yummy, hearty soup on a cold winter night. Thank you for another great recipe!
Doreen, I’m happy you and your hubby enjoyed the recipe. Thank you for sharing your adjustments.
Even though the recipe says feeds 8, I will make more next time. We made some rice to serve it over so it would go further. Everyone raved about this soup…and they were all meat-eaters (I’m the only vegan in the family). And one of the diners is Jamaican! She was really impressed, but she also told me some variations I might like to try, i.e. using coconut milk instead of water in the dumplings and adding a pinch of sugar. And adding banana (plantain) as one of the veggies.
I cook a vegan meal every Sat. for my daughter and her family and when she asks for the recipe, I know it’s a winner and a keeper!!! Thanks, Michelle
Roberta, I’m so happy everyone loved it. That’s awesome. I had some yesterday with the green plantain added and my hubby didn’t care for it. I had extra green plantain after making plantain fritters which were excellent (please check the recipe out on my home page). I hope you will try more of my soup recipes. Blessing!
Hi Michelle,
I made this recipe over the weekend and I must say, there was no left overs. I did add some sweet potatoes and thinly sliced corn and my scotch bonnet popped but It was delicious and flavorful. I will definitely be making this again especially with winter approaching. I can’t wait to try more of your vegan dishes.
Toya, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. I love how you added sweet potato and corn, yummy. Oops, I’m sorry the pepper popped.
Thank you, Michelle. Another delicious recipe.
Anthony, you are welcome. I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Hi Michelle, what is/are pimento berries? I haven’t made this yet, but am trying to see if I have the ingredients on hand. It does sound good and hearty, altho I will probably make it without the dumplings. Also wondering as the directions mention allspice but I don’t see that listed in the ingredients. Thank you.
Denise pimento is allspice. It is an optional ingredient. I hope you enjoy it, it is one of my most popular recipes.
Thank you for this recipe! If using canned red beans, do you still use the measurements of water (10 cups, simmered for 45-60 mins)?
Ree, you can use less liquid, about 6-8 cups will be fine. You can cook for 30 minutes.
Hi Michelle. I’m so glad I discovered your website! My mom is from Jamaica so I grew up eating many of these dishes. I recently switched to a vegan diet so I am happy to find your vegan versions of these Jamaican classics. I just made the red peas soup and it was delicious. The coconut milk gives a rich flavor. My kids loved it and helped themselves to a second serving. Thank you!
Rachel, I’m so happy you found my website and my recipes bring back memories of your mom’s cooking. That’s awesome that your kids loved it too. Thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it.
Delicious! Easy recipe and so heart warming good. I used canned red peas and canned coconut milk so the soup came out light pinkish so I added little bit of browning to make it look right. Thank you, I will definetly try more of your recipes!
I’m so happy you enjoyed them Elina, thank you for sharing your feedback.
If you substitute the dried red kidney for canned red kidney, do you still have to soak the beans for 8 hours?
No, you don’t have to soak canned red kidney beans.
Great soup!
Made my first red peas soup. Followed your recipe to the T! I added tofu. My fam says it was delicious . Normally I am buying it from Jamaican restaurant or my aunt makes it now I will be making my own!
That’s awesome Shauna, I’m so proud of you. I’m so happy you and your family enjoyed it and now you can surprise your aunt with it.
Michelle, This soup was absolutely delicious. Going to make this again.
Carole, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your feedback.
Thank you for sharing your recipes.They look and sound yummy.
You are welcome Liz.
All those recipes are 😋 yummy
Thank you Eva, I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
I followed your recipe to a tee but it came out watery. And the soup was not dark, most likely due to not using dark red kidney beans. Did you blend your soup?
Natalie, when the soup is watery and not to your liking all you do is cook it for longer until it’s at the consistency you like. My husband loves his soup watery and I like it thick. Yes, I prefer to use dark red kidney beans but it really doesn’t matter, they taste the same.
Amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Can I substitute the flour in the dumplings with regular flour?
Yes we can, start by slowly adding the water until a dough ball is formed, you might need more or less.