There’s a particular kind of soup that shows up in Trinidadian homes on weekend afternoons — thick, hearty, full of ground provisions, and simmered low and slow until the meat falls off the bone. This week on EatahFood, Emily brings that exact feeling to the pot with an EatahFood original recipe for Trini Cow Heel Soup, made with fresh local ingredients and a helping hand from Cuisine.
Why Cow Heel Soup Is a Trinbagonian Staple
Cow heel soup sits in that same beloved category as pigeon peas and cow foot — cuts that take patience but reward you with deep, gelatin-rich broth and fall-apart tender meat. Pair that with split peas, pumpkin, ground provisions, and a scotch bonnet riding shotgun (never diving in) for heat, and you’ve got a bowl that’s equal parts comfort and tradition.
This is EatahFood’s own take on the classic — Emily’s version leans on the pressure cooker to get the cow heel properly tender without needing the entire afternoon at the stove, so this “Saturday soup” energy is doable any day you’re craving it.
Watch Emily Bring the Menu to Life
In this episode, Emily walks through her full menu for the pot — cow heel, pumpkin, split peas, thyme, and all the aromatics — showing exactly how each ingredient goes in and why, from the first sizzle of onion and garlic to the final scatter of shadon beni. It’s the kind of step-by-step, in-the-kitchen demonstration that makes this EatahFood recipe easy to follow and even easier to recreate at home.
What Goes Into the Pot
The base starts simple — onion, garlic, and pimento peppers fried down in Cuisine Soyabean Oil until the kitchen already smells like home. From there, the cow heel goes in with pumpkin, thyme, and Cuisine Yellow Split Peas, all seasoned and covered with water before the pressure cooker takes over for the heavy lifting.
Once the pressure’s released and the pot’s back on the stove, that’s when the soup really comes together: dumplings, potatoes, and a whole scotch bonnet (for aroma and gentle heat, not to be eaten) go in to finish cooking, followed by carrots, and finally a handful of chopped shadon beni right at the end for that fresh, herbal lift Trini cooking is known for.
The dumplings themselves are a quick, no-fuss dough — Cuisine All Purpose Flour, water, a touch of oil, and a pinch of salt, rolled and cut into bite-sized pieces that soak up all that broth.
EatahFood Recipe Card
Cow Heel Soup
An EatahFood Original Recipe — Serves 6–8
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Cuisine Soyabean Oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 pimentos, finely chopped
- 2 lbs cow heel
- 2 cups chopped pumpkin
- 10 sprigs thyme
- 1 cup Cuisine Yellow Split Peas
- 6 cups water
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper (whole)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups cubed potatoes
- 2 cups chopped carrots
- 8 sprigs shadon beni, chopped
- Dumplings (see below)
Dumplings
- 1 cup Cuisine All Purpose Flour
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp Cuisine Soyabean Oil
- 1 pinch salt
Method
- Heat oil in a large pressure cooker and sauté the onion, garlic, and pimento peppers until fragrant.
- Add the cow heel and continue frying to build flavor.
- Add the chopped pumpkin and thyme sprigs.
- Stir in the split peas, and season with salt and black pepper.
- Cover everything with water, seal the lid, and cook under pressure for 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let the steam release fully before opening the lid.
- With the lid off, return to a medium flame. Add the dumplings, potatoes, and the whole scotch bonnet. Cook 10 minutes.
- Add the carrots and cook another 5 minutes.
- Stir in the shadon beni, remove the scotch bonnet pepper, and serve hot.
For the dumplings: Combine the flour, water, oil, and salt, and knead into a smooth ball. Roll into a log and cut into ½-inch pieces before adding to the soup.
A Note on This Episode
This episode of EatahFood was made possible with support from Cuisine, whose Soyabean Oil, Yellow Split Peas, and All Purpose Flour anchor this recipe from start to finish. Cuisine products are available at Massy Stores nationwide.
Watch the Full Episode
Follow along as Emily walks through every ingredient on her menu and every step of the process, from browning the aromatics to that final handful of shadon beni. Full written recipe also available at eatahfoodtt.com.
Follow EatahFood:
Instagram: @eatahfoodtt
Facebook: /eatahfood
Twitter: @eatahfood
#cowheelsoup #cow #heel #soup
