How to Prepare Callaloo

Maybe you’ve seen this green at a farmers market. Maybe you’ve been eating it your entire life. Maybe you’ve never heard of it before. Below we’ll teach you all about callaloo and some delicious ways to prepare it!

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Callaloo: a Vegetable and a Dish

In the Caribbean, callaloo is used to describe the green leaves of taro, dasheen, tannia, amaranth, or yautia root. Like other green leafy vegetables, callaloo is rich in vitamins A, C, K, fiber, folate, magnesium, iron, calcium, and potassium! These nutrients are important to keep our bodies healthy and strong.

Belize, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Virgin Islands are just some of the countries where callaloo is enjoyed!

The word callaloo also refers to dishes made with leafy greens. These dishes were shaped by West African and Caribbean cooking and the vegetables, meats, and seafood that are locally available. 

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Cooking with Callaloo

The vegetable used and how it is cooked depends on which country inspired the dish. As you may have read in our MyPlate for Different Cultures blog, foods from all over the world can fit into a healthy diet! Just use MyPlate as your guide.

Traditionally, callaloo is stir fried or used as an ingredient in soups and stews. Below are two simple recipes to get you started!

Sauteed Callaloo

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs canola oil
• 4 cups callaloo, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Optional ingredients: carrots, tomatoes, okra, scotch bonnet pepper or cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pan on medium heat. Add callaloo, green onions, and thyme.
   
2. Saute until tender, 5-10 minutes.
   

Callaloo Soup

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers (or other hot pepper)
  
• 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 bunch of callaloo
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk

Scotch bonnet peppers are packed with spice! Leave peppers whole to add flavor, but not too much heat!

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot on medium-low heat. Add onions, carrots, and peppers. Cook until carrots are soft, about 5 minutes.
2. Pour vegetable broth into blender. Add handfuls of callaloo and blend until fully pureed.
3. Add pureed greens and coconut milk to the pot. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
   

Adapted from: Oldsways Cultural Food Traditions

These aren't the only ways to prepare callaloo! It can be used the same way you would use any other green leafy vegetable. It is usually cooked, but can be eaten raw. And don't just use the leaves, eat the stems too! You can peel the outer layer off thick stems to make them more tender.

Try callaloo in any of these recipes or in your favorite greens recipe!

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Where to Buy Callaloo

Fresh callaloo can be found in some Caribbean and international grocery stores and farmers markets. Can't find callaloo? No problem! Use spinach, turnip greens, kale, or collards instead!

You can also find canned callaloo at some stores. Visit Enjoying Vegetables the Easy Way for tips to make healthy choices when buying canned veggies.

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Want More Information?

• Caribbean Callaloo with Fresh Greens and Ham - recipe from Kids Eat Right
  
• 10 Tips: Enjoy Foods from Many Cultures – English PDF, Español PDF from MyPlate