Callaloo Soup shows up in many Caribbean cuisines, and can be made with or without meat. This St. Kitts and Nevis cuisine version, Callaloo Soup with Crab, can also be made with scallops, mussels or clams, and either crab in the shell or just the fresh crab meat.

(Photo Attributed to Author: David Choe)

Callaloo Soup with Crab Recipe-

Ingredients:

• ¼ lb. pickled meat (pig and/or poultry)
  
• 1 lb. crabs (or mussels, or clams, or scallops, or a combination)
• 1 doz. Taro leaves
• 8 okras, stemmed and chopped fine
  
• 4 large stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped fine
  
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped fine
  
• 6 green onions, trimmed and chopped fine
  
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1 pint boiling water
• salt and pepper, to taste
  
• a few cherry tomatoes, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Soak the pickled meat in fresh water for 10 minutes, and then chop it up fine.
2. If using live crabs, boil them just long enough to kill, then remove the meat and chop it up. Some people like to reserve the claws for presentation – your choice.
3. If using fresh Taro leaves, strip the stalks and midribs from them, then wash and roll them, and chop up finely. If using dried Taro, rehydrate for 20 minutes in fresh water, then drain them and chop them up finely.
4. Place all ingredients except the butter in a very large skillet, and pour the boiling water over everything. Adjust burner to a simmer, and let cook until everything is tender — 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Once the soup is well tenderized, add in the butter, stir thoroughly, simmer for another 5 minutes.
6. Serve your Callaloo Soup with Crab while still nice and hot. If you wish, garnish with 1 or 2 cherry tomatoes – not only for the taste contrast, but for attractive presentation.
7. Callaloo Soup with Crab goes really well with fried plantains or yams.
   

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