We are in full swing for the annual Carnival celebration which culminates in a two day explosion of colour and music as masqueraders take to the streets in sequins, feathers and glittered splendor. At this time of the year gyms are packed to capacity as women prepare themselves for a two day marathon of dancing in the streets. It is something to be experienced. Even if you can't be here to experience it you can still have a taste of Carnival if you make this soup which is sold piping hot by street vendors at most carnival fêtes.
Until now I hadn't given much thought to the fact that this is actually a healthy, high fiber vegetarian meal. Who really has time to contemplate nutritional value when you are in a pan yard listening to the sweetest rhythm of steel drums and craving a cup of corn soup? At 4:00 am, tired and hungry after the party, you make a beeline past the guy grilling burgers, the jerk chicken , the fries, and head straight for the corn soup man. Get in the line late and you will find yourself nervously eying the ladle casting about the bottom of that deep silver pot, trying your inebriated best to figure out if you'll secure your Styrofoam cup of soup before the goodness runs out! If you are lucky and make to to the head of the line before the soup is finished you will gratefully burn your tongue because you can't wait for it to cool off sufficiently before 'nyaming' it down.
The fact that Trinidad corn Soup is vegetarian seems fitting for a festival whose name according to one source derives from the Latin carne vale which means farewell to meat. However the deprivation associated with diet food is never on my mind when I indulge in this meatless dish. For carnivores like myself if there is a meal that can satisfy without meat - this is it. Soup the West Indian way is a heavy and heartyl. This one is thickened with split peas, chuck-full of potatoes, corn, carrots and dumplings. Trust me this fuels thousands of party goers until the wee hours - you won't run on empty after a bowl of this.
A final note the corn used in this soup is not the American variety of sweet corn that comes in cans or the frozen food section. It is a variety that is starchy more than it is sweet. Also I recommend doing this in a pressure cooker to make quick work of this.
SERVES 6
Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 lb potato, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, diced
1/3 cup chives, chopped
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup fresh thyme, chopped
3/4 cup yellow split peas
2 pimento pepper (optional)
8 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 scotch bonnet pepper, left whole
1/2 cup coconut milk
6 ears corn, cut into 2inch pieces
8 dumplings (or more)
1/4 cup culantro, chopped (substitute cilantro)
1 tsp salt
black pepper
Directions
In a large soup pot heat oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the split peas, stock,
celery, thyme and pimento peppers and culantro and cook for about 5 mins stirring constantly. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Add the scotch bonnet pepper and coconut milk if using. Pressure cook 10-15 mins or simmer in a covered pot for about an hour until peas are soft. Use an immersion or ordinary blender and puree soup to a thick and creamy consistency and return to the pot. Add corn and cook for about 20 mins. Add the potaotes and carrots and cook for 10 mins. Finally add the dumplings and cook until they float to the surface. If soup is too thick at any time, add water.
Dumplings 2 cups flour
1 tsp butter
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and rub the flour into mixture until it is grainy. Slowly add enough water to knead to a stff dough. Roll dough into a long rope shape. Cut into 2 inch lengths and drop into boiling soup.
