Pigeon Peas Soup

This Caribbean pigeon peas soup is made with tender pigeon peas, ground provisions, dumplings, vegetables, and smoked turkey simmered together in a flavorful broth. It’s filling enough to make a full meal and is one of my favorites for Soup Saturday.

Pigeon peas give the broth its distinctive flavor, while pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, green plantain, and dumplings give you plenty to scoop up with every spoonful.

Caribbean people love a good soup, and Saturday is traditionally soup day in plenty of households. Cold weather is definitely not required. 

And if you love pigeon peas like I do, try my stewed pigeon peas or pigeon peas and rice next.

What are pigeon peas?

Pigeon peas are small legumes commonly used throughout Caribbean cooking. Despite the name, they are beans rather than garden peas and grow inside pods that change from green to brown as they mature.

They have an earthy, slightly nutty flavor and become soft and creamy inside when cooked. Green pigeon peas have a somewhat fresher flavor, while mature dried pigeon peas have a deeper, earthier taste.

You can find pigeon peas fresh, frozen, dried, or canned. I use frozen pigeon peas for this soup, which makes it easy to prepare year-round without soaking the peas first.

Ingredients you’ll need

You don’t need anything complicated to make pigeon peas soup, but quite a few things are going into the pot. The pigeon peas are the star, with ground provisions, vegetables, fresh herbs, dumplings, and smoked turkey rounding out the soup.

• Pigeon peas: I use frozen pigeon peas and add them directly to the pot without thawing.
• Smoked turkey necks: Pigtail is commonly used in pigeon peas soup, but I use smoked turkey necks instead. They give the broth a smoky, savory flavor.
• Ground provisions and vegetables: Pumpkin, sweet potato, Irish potato, carrots, and green plantain add different textures and make the soup filling.
• Aromatics and herbs: Garlic, onion, celery, and fresh thyme help build the flavor of the broth.
• Coconut milk: I make mine using coconut milk powder and water. You can substitute canned coconut milk.
• Hot pepper: Add the pepper whole for flavor without making the soup overly spicy. Don’t burst it unless you want the heat. 
• Cloves: A few whole cloves add another layer of flavor to the broth.
• Dumplings: Simple flour dumplings cook right in the soup. I usually shape them into small balls or short logs.
• Seasonings: Sugar, salt, and black pepper balance and finish the soup.

How to make pigeon peas soup

1. Make the dumplings. Mix the flour and water to form a firm dough. Divide into small pieces and shape into balls or short logs, then set aside.
2. Start the pigeon peas. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook the garlic until it begins to lightly brown. Add the frozen pigeon peas and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Cook the peas and smoked turkey. Add some of the water and cook until the pigeon peas begin to soften. Add the smoked turkey necks and more water, then continue cooking until the turkey is tender and the peas can easily be mashed with a spoon.
4. Add the provisions and vegetables. Stir in the prepared coconut milk, onion, celery, pumpkin, sweet potato, Irish potato, carrots, green plantain, thyme, and whole hot pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes, until the provisions begin to soften.
5. Add the dumplings. Drop in the shaped dumplings and whole cloves. Continue cooking until the dumplings are cooked through and the provisions are tender.
6. Season and serve. Stir in the sugar, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove the whole hot pepper before serving.

Tips for making pigeon peas soup

• Frozen pigeon peas: There’s no need to thaw them first. Add the peas directly from the freezer and allow them to cook until tender.
• Dried pigeon peas: Soak dried pigeon peas overnight before making the soup, then drain and rinse them before cooking. They’ll take longer to become tender than frozen or canned peas.
• Canned pigeon peas: These are already cooked, so they don’t need the same long cooking time. Drain and rinse them before adding them later in the cooking process so they don’t become too soft.
• Watch the liquid: Pigeon peas, provisions, and dumplings will thicken the soup as they cook. If it gets thicker than you like, add a little hot water until you reach your preferred consistency.
• Don’t burst the pepper: Keep the hot pepper whole while the soup cooks if you want its flavor without too much heat. Remove it before serving.

Substitutions and variations

Caribbean soup is easy to adjust based on the provisions and meat you have available. Here are a few ways you can change up your pigeon peas soup.

• Ground provisions: Swap or add yam, cassava (yuca), dasheen (taro), tannia, or green banana. You don’t need to use exactly the same combination of provisions every time.
• Meat: Pigtail is commonly used in Caribbean pigeon peas soup, but I use smoked turkey necks instead. If using salted pigtail, boil it separately first to remove some of the excess salt before adding it to the soup. Beef or another smoked meat can also be used.
• Make it meat-free: Leave out the smoked turkey and use vegetable broth in place of some of the water for additional flavor.
• Coconut milk: I use coconut milk powder mixed with water, but you can substitute 1 cup canned coconut milk.
• Broth: Replace some of the water with vegetable, chicken, or beef broth if you want a stronger broth base.

How to store pigeon peas soup

Store leftover pigeon peas soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.

You can also freeze the soup in individual portions for easier reheating. The ground provisions and dumplings may soften and change slightly in texture after freezing, so I prefer to use frozen pigeon peas soup within about 1 month for the best texture.

How to reheat

• From the refrigerator: Reheat the soup in a pot over medium-low heat until hot throughout. The soup will thicken as it sits, so add a splash of water or broth as needed to loosen it.
• From frozen: Thaw the soup overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat it on the stovetop over medium-low heat. Add a little water or broth if needed to bring the soup back to your preferred consistency.

Frequently asked questions

More Caribbean soup recipes

• Corn soup
• Oxtail soup
• Conch soup
• Fish soup

If you make this pigeon peas soup, let me know how it turned out! And tell me what provisions you always have to put in your Saturday soup.

Recipe

Renee Robley

Pigeon Peas Soup

5 from 3 votes

A flavorful Caribbean pigeon peas soup made with ground provisions, dumplings, vegetables, coconut milk, and smoked turkey necks.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Caribbean

Calories: 365

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

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For the Dumplings

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water plus more as needed

For the Soup

• 28 ounces frozen pigeon peas
• 1 pound smoked turkey necks
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cubed pumpkin
• 1 cup cubed sweet potato
• 1 cup diced Irish potato
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1/2 cup diced green plantain
• 6 cups water divided
• 4 tablespoons coconut milk powder
• 2 stalks fresh thyme
• 1 to 2 whole hot peppers
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt or to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

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Method

 

For the Dumplings

1. Add the flour to a bowl and gradually mix in the water until a firm dough forms. Add a little additional water if needed to bring the dough together.
2. Divide the dough into small pieces and roll into balls or short logs. Set aside while you prepare the soup.

For the Soup

1. Mix 1 cup of the water with the coconut milk powder to make 1 cup of coconut milk. Set aside.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it begins to lightly brown.
3. Add the frozen pigeon peas directly to the pot. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking.
4. Add 2 cups of the remaining water and bring to a boil. Cook until the pigeon peas begin to soften.
5. Add the smoked turkey necks and another 2 cups of water. Continue cooking until the turkey is tender and the pigeon peas are soft enough to mash easily with a spoon.
6. Add the prepared coconut milk, remaining 1 cup water, onion, celery, pumpkin, sweet potato, Irish potato, carrots, green plantain, thyme, and whole hot pepper. Bring back to a boil and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the provisions begin to soften.
7. Add the dumplings and whole cloves. Continue cooking until the dumplings are cooked through and the provisions are tender.
8. Stir in the sugar, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Keep the hot pepper whole while cooking unless you want a much spicier soup.
9. Remove the hot pepper before serving. Serve hot.

Nutrition

Calories: 365kcal

Notes

Coconut milk: The 4 tablespoons of coconut milk powder mixed with 1 cup of water make 1 cup of coconut milk. You can substitute 1 cup of canned coconut milk instead.

 

Recipe Printed From ThisBagoGirl.com

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