Caribbean Cow Heel Soup
Cow heel soup is the original Saturday Soup. Full of yams, cassavas, potato, and split peas simmered down with cow heel. This hearty meal is definitely a belly full dish.
Saturdays in the Caribbean are the days when you make trips to the market, then come home with all the fresh goodies and make a pot of soup. That was lunch and it usually turned into dinner and sometimes into leftovers.
Our soups are heavy or hearty, ram-packed with meat and different provisions and dumplings.
This cow heel version is not much different. Full of provisions, root vegetables, cow foot, and dumplings, all cooked in a split peas base.
This is the OG of Soup Saturdays in my opinion. This is a family favorite in my household growing up. I feel like this might have been the first one our ancestors started.
Then we brought out others like oxtail soup, and my next favorite pigeon peas soup.
This recipe is a simple one but provides such a deep layer of flavors.
What is cow heel?
It is exactly what it’s called. It’s the foot of the cow so you may see it also being called cow foot soup. Well, it’s actually the cartilage around the heel along with tendons and skin. There is not much meat.
It is high in collagen and rich in magnesium and zinc. It helps to build healthy bones and teeth and also boosts immune systems among other things.
It’s revered to be a good hangover fix much. Cow heel provides nutrients just like chicken foot souse. It’s has a gelatinous consistency that not everyone likes.
One thing for sure though, it makes one delicious soup.
How To Make Cow Heel Soup
Ingredients
The trickiest part of this is probably sourcing the meat. We usually get the meat at the Caribbean or Latin American supermarkets. Asian supermarkets also have sometimes as well as those meat stores that deal with “specialty” meats.
The list might seem long but remember we are building a hearty dish.
- Yellow split peas – These provide a hearty, creamy base to the soup.
- Green seasoning – A blend of fresh herbs and spices for that authentic flavor.
- Cow heel/cow foot – The star of the dish, tenderized for a melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- Pumpkin – Calabaza pumpkin is my go-to, but squash works too for a mild sweetness.
- Onion and garlic cloves – Aromatics to build the base flavor.
- Salted pigtail (optional) – Adds a smoky, savory depth to the soup.
- Black pepper – For a little kick and seasoning.
- Sweet potatoes – A naturally sweet and hearty addition.
- Scotch bonnet pepper – Adds spice and a distinct, bold heat.
- Carrot – For sweetness and color.
- Corn on the cob (chopped) – Sweet, tender kernels to enhance the soup.
- Dumplings – A must-have for a satisfying bite in every spoonful.
- Water – To form the base of the soup.
- Celery and chive – Fresh herbs to round out the flavor profile.
- Salt and pepper to taste – Adjust for your preferred seasoning.
- Chicken noodle soup packet (optional) – For added flavor and a touch of nostalgia with noodles.
Instructions
1. Prepare the cow heel:
- Wash the cow heel thoroughly under running water to remove any debris or dirt. Soak it in water with a splash of vinegar for about 10 minutes.
2. Tenderize the cow heel:
- Since cow heel is a tough meat, it needs to be tenderized. You can either boil it or use a pressure cooker. If boiling, be prepared for it to take over 45 minutes to get tender, depending on the cut and quality of the meat.
3. Add seasonings while boiling:
- While the cow heel is boiling, add onion, cloves of garlic, and some salt to enhance the flavor. Let it continue to boil until the meat is tender.
4. Add split peas:
- Once the cow heel is tender, add the split peas and continue cooking for about 20 minutes.
5. Add provisions and thyme:
- Next, add the provisions (like carrots, yam, sweet potato, and potatoes) along with pigtails (if using), sprigs of thyme, and celery.
6. Prepare and add the dumplings:
- While the soup is cooking, make your dumplings (either spinners or small balls). Add them to the pot. If the soup looks too thick at this point, add more cups of water to reach your desired consistency.
7. Add scotch bonnet pepper:
- Drop in the scotch bonnet pepper, stir it in, and let the soup simmer on medium-low heat until the provisions are tender and fully cooked.
8. Final seasoning:
- Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper as needed.
9. Serve and enjoy:
Cooking Tips
- Soften cow heel without a pressure cooker: If you plan ahead, you can add the heel to your slow cooker and let it cook overnight on low. Add the meat and water to cover it along with the ingredients that would have been used to boil it and a tablespoon of green seasoning and let it cook overnight.Once it’s tender then continue on the stovetop
- Soak the split peas overnight: This will help shorten the time for it to get tender while cooking.
Storage
This soup can sit in the fridge for some two days. Know that it would get thicker as it sits. Once it’s in an airtight container all is good.
After that period, if you still have leftovers, you can put them to freeze. If there are dumplings, I personally would not freeze those. Pack everything else in a container, or portion out into freezer bags.
These super freezer containers are ideal and portioned to size.
Reheating
If reheating from the fridge, the microwave works. But the best way is to put soup in a pot, add a little water, and simmer till warmed through.
If reheating from frozen, remove from the freezer and place in the fridge to defrost, overnight is best. Then reheat on stovetop.
Other ways to tenderize cow heel:
If you want some faster ways to tenderize that cow heel
- Pressure cooking: If you have a regular pressure cooker, you can make the meat tender this way (adding water, meat, and the other seasoning ingredients in there). Once the meat is tender, add the split peas and additional cups of water and continue the cooking process
- Instant Pot: Add cow heel, onion, cloves garlic, and some salt to the instant pot. And seal and select meat as the option. Set for 15 mins. Once done, release and check how tender the meat is. Repeat this step if needed.
More Caribbean Soups to Try:
Want to make this recipe fully in your Instant Pot?
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Recipe
Caribbean Cow Heel Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Wash cow heel off and put to soak in some water for about 10 minutes with vinegar.
- Remove heel from water and rinse again.
- Put meat to boil in a heavy-bottomed pot with 3 cups of water. (see notes for regular pressure cooker option or instant pot)
- When water is boiling add onion, garlic, green seasoning, and salt. Cook until cow heel is tender.
- When tender, add split peas and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Add pigtails if using and provisions (pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, corn on the cob, and any other provision that you may want to add)
- Add celery, hot pepper, and chive
- Mix dumplings and add dumplings and additional water (about a cup). Enough to cover the items in the pot.
- Leave on medium-low until provision is ready and tender and dumplings have floated to the top.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- Wash cow heel off and put to soak in some water for about 10 minutes with vinegar.
- Remove heel from water and rinse again.
- Put meat to boil in a heavy-bottomed pot with 3 cups of water. (see notes for regular pressure cooker option or instant pot)
- When water is boiling add onion, garlic, green seasoning, and salt. Cook until cow heel is tender.
- When tender, add split peas and cook for about 20 minutes.
- Add pigtails if using and provisions (pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, corn on the cob, and any other provision that you may want to add)
- Add celery, hot pepper, and chive
- Mix dumplings and add dumplings and additional water (about a cup). Enough to cover the items in the pot.
- Leave on medium-low until provision is ready and tender and dumplings have floated to the top.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
- If you have a regular pressure cooker, you can make the meat tender this way (adding water, meat, and the other seasoning ingredients in there).
- Once the meat is tender, add the split peas and additional cups of water and continue the cooking process
- Add cow heel, onion, cloves garlic, and some salt to the instant pot.
- Seal and select meat as the option. Set for 15 mins.
- Once done, release and check how tender the meat is.
- Repeat this step if needed.
- Add pre-soaked split peas, and provisions to the pot along with about three cups of water. Make sure it’s covering the contents of the pot. Cover, seal and select soup for 20-25 minutes.
- Release and test for doneness of split peas, tenderness of meat and flavor (salt/pepper), and how much liquid.
- Repeat if needed and add additional water.
