Trinidad corn soup

Name: Trinidad corn soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 6 cups
Cuisine: Trinidadian
Ingredients: 250 g Yellow split peas, rinsed; 2 l Water; 4 cob Corn, each cut into 4 or 5 short pieces; 400 g Pumpkin, peeled, in 2 cm cubes; 2 medium Carrot, diced; 300 g Potato, peeled, diced; 1 medium Onion, chopped; 4 clove Garlic, crushed; 3 piece Spring onion, chopped; 1 tbsp Thyme, sprigs; 250 ml Coconut milk; 1 piece Scotch bonnet, whole; 2 tbsp Neutral oil; 2 tsp Salt, to taste; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 150 g Wheat flour, plain; 0.25 tsp Salt; 80 ml Water

Corn soup

The after-fete soup: split peas, corn on the cob, pumpkin, coconut milk and flour dumplings in a thick, pepper-warmed broth.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Corn soup.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 10 min
Rest: None
Total: 1 hr 30 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild
Cost: Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Trinidad corn soup is a thick, slightly sweet soup built on yellow split peas cooked down to a purée, with pieces of corn on the cob, pumpkin, carrot and potato, a splash of coconut milk, thyme and a whole scotch bonnet, finished with small flour dumplings. It is served in a styrofoam cup with a spoon, standing up, usually at two in the morning after a party. The corn is cut into short lengths with a heavy knife and eaten with the fingers from the cup. It takes about an hour, most of it unattended. This version is vegan as written; many vendors add a salted pigtail or chicken foot for depth.

What you'll need

18 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 18 ready

6 servings

Ingredients
Dumplings

Ingredients

Servings

Ingredients

Yellow split peas, rinsed250 g
Water2 l
Corn, each cut into 4 or 5 short pieces4 cob
Pumpkin, peeled, in 2 cm cubes400 g
Carrot, diced2 medium
Potato, peeled, diced300 g
Onion, chopped1 medium
Garlic, crushed4 clove
Spring onion, chopped3
Thyme, sprigs15 ml
Coconut milk250 ml
Scotch bonnet, whole1
Neutral oil30 ml
Salt, to taste9.9 ml
Black pepper2½ ml

Dumplings

Wheat flour, plain150 g
Salt1.2 ml
Water80 ml

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the onion, garlic and spring onion 5 minutes. Add the split peas, thyme and water. Bring to the boil, skim, and simmer 35 to 40 minutes until the peas are collapsing.
45 min
Step 2
Add the pumpkin, carrot, potato, corn pieces, coconut milk, whole scotch bonnet, salt and pepper. Simmer 15 minutes.
15 min
Tip: Use a heavy knife for the corn and press down with your palm on the back of the blade. Do not chop at it.
Step 3
Mix the flour and salt for the dumplings with enough water to make a firm dough. Roll into small cylinders the size of your little finger.
5 min
Step 4
Drop the dumplings into the simmering soup and cook 10 to 12 minutes until they float and are firm. The pumpkin should have mostly dissolved and the soup should be thick.
12 min
Watch: Remove the scotch bonnet before stirring hard. If it bursts the soup goes from warm to punishing.
Step 5
Taste for salt and pepper. Ladle into cups or bowls making sure everyone gets corn and dumplings. Eat the corn with your fingers.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 576 kcal
Protein: 22.4 g
Carbs: 92.9 g
Fat: 16.1 g
Saturated fat: 8.7 g
Fibre: 18.4 g
Sugar: 14.7 g
Sodium: 1461 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat

Vegan
Vegetarian
Dairy-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.

Substitutions

Yellow split peas → Red lentils
They collapse faster, so cut the first simmer to 20 minutes. Slightly different flavour, same body.

Tips

If the soup is thinner than you like, blend a cup of it and stir it back, or mash some pumpkin against the side.
Fresh corn is best. Frozen cobettes work and are what many carts use out of season.
A spoon of green seasoning stirred in at the end lifts the whole pot.

History & culture

Corn soup is sold from carts outside every fete, Carnival event and Panorama night in Trinidad. It is the food of the long walk home. It is also a cold-weather soup, in the Trinidad sense, meaning rainy season. Families make big pots of it for Sunday evenings and for anyone with a cold.

Split pea soups came with Indian indentured workers; corn and pumpkin are old island crops; coconut milk and flour dumplings are Afro-Caribbean. The street cart version grew with Carnival nightlife in the mid-20th century and has not changed much since. Vendors argue about dumplings and pigtail; the base is agreed.

Traditional — Written without the salted pigtail or chicken foot many carts use. Add one with the split peas if you want it, and cut the salt.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Trinidad corn soup take?

1 hr 30 min all in — 20 min prep, 1 hr 10 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 6 cups. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Stockpot, Chef's knife, Mixing bowl.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 2 tsp (to taste).

What can I use instead?

Yellow split peas → Red lentils. They collapse faster, so cut the first simmer to 20 minutes. Slightly different flavour, same body.

What should I watch for?

Remove the scotch bonnet before stirring hard. If it bursts the soup goes from warm to punishing.

Any tips from this recipe?

If the soup is thinner than you like, blend a cup of it and stir it back, or mash some pumpkin against the side. Fresh corn is best. Frozen cobettes work and are what many carts use out of season. A spoon of green seasoning stirred in at the end lifts the whole pot.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.