Jamaican Cow Foot Soup Recipe
Enjoy this authentic Jamaican Cow Foot Soup recipe and bring the warmth and delicious flavors of Jamaica straight to your dining table.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lbs cow foot (cow heel), cleaned and chopped into pieces
- ½ lb fresh pumpkin, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium yellow yam, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium chocho (chayote), peeled and diced
- 1 corn, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 2 green bananas, peeled and chopped into 1 to 2-inch pieces
- 1 medium Irish potato, peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper (whole, for flavor)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon pimento (allspice) berries
- 2 scallions, chopped
- 1 packet beef flavor noodle soup mix (optional)
- 8 cups water
- Salt to taste Lime: 1, juiced, to wash the cow foot
For the Dumplings (Spinners):
- 1 cup flour
- Water (to form dough)
- Pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare the Cow Foot:
- Cut the cow foot into small chunks. Wash the cow foot in a mixture of water and lime juice. Drain all excess water from the cow foot, and pat it dry with a kitchen towel if necessary.
Prepare the Vegetables:
- Peel and chop the pumpkin, yellow yam, chocho, carrots and Irish potato.
- Slice the corn into 2-inch pieces and chop the onion, garlic, and scallion.
- Peel the bananas by cutting off both ends with a paring knife, then make a shallow slit along the length of the skin. Use your fingers to remove the peel then chop into 1-2 inch pieces.
Prepare The Dumplings:
- Combine flour, water, and a pinch of salt until the dough is firm, then roll them into thin, long pieces (spinners).
Start Cooking the Cow Foot:
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in the large soup pot until hot on medium heat.
- Add the pimento (allspice), chopped onion, scallion, garlic, thyme, and salt and and sauté for about 1-2 minutes. Then add the the chopped cow foot.
- Cover the ingredients with boiling water until over the cow foot and let it cook for about 2 hours on high heat or half an hour if using a pressure cooker.
- Keep an eye on the pot to prevent burning or the water from drying out. Gradually add hot water if necessary to avoid sticking. As the soup simmers, you'll notice foam gathering at the top. Skim it off and discard.
Add Vegetables and Dumplings:
- After 2 hours or half an hour if using a pressure cooker, add the chopped pumpkin, carrots, chocho, yellow yam, green bananas, potatoes, corn, and the dumplings (spinners) into the pot.
- Pour in enough boiling water to cover all the ingredients. Make sure the vegetables and cow foot are covered with water.
- Stir everything together gently.
- Add the Soup Mix and Scotch Bonnet Pepper
- Stir in 1 packet of the Cow Foot Soup Noodle Mix for extra flavor and color.
- Add the whole Scotch bonnet pepper without cutting it, as this will add a mild heat to the soup without overpowering it.
- Be sure not to break the pepper to avoid making the soup too spicy.
Simmer and Cook:
- Cover the pot and reduce the heat to a low simmer.
- Let the soup cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Be careful not to burst the Scotch bonnet pepper while stirring.
- Once the soup begins to bubble and the ingredients start to soften, reduce the heat further and allow the flavors to meld.
- Keep an eye on the pot to prevent burning or the water from drying out. Gradually add teaspoons of hot water if needed to avoid sticking and to maintain the right consistency.
- To avoid overcooking the vegetables, check them gradually as the soup simmers. The vegetables should be soft but not overcooked.
Taste and Adjust:
- Once the cow foot is fully cooked, the vegetables are tender (a fork should easily sink all the way through), and the soup has taken on a rich color, taste the soup to see if more salt is needed.
- You may remove the Scotch bonnet pepper at this point to prevent the soup from becoming too spicy.
Serve:
- Serve the soup warm, with all the vegetables, ground provisions, dumplings, and cow foot in each bowl.