Caribbean callaloo soup: leafy greens, coconut milk, and squash in one bowl

Callaloo is the leafy green at the center of this soup, and if you cannot find it, spinach steps in without much loss. What makes this a real meal rather than a side dish is the volume: six cups of greens, plus squash, sweet potato, and okra, all simmered down into something thick enough to eat with a spoon and call dinner.

This is one of the more nutrient-dense bowls in the whole bank. Leafy greens carry magnesium and vitamin C at a scale most single vegetables cannot match, and the squash and sweet potato add beta-carotene on top of that. The coconut milk is not just for richness. The fat in it helps your body actually absorb the fat-soluble nutrients the vegetables are carrying.

Use a vegetable stock with a clean ingredient list here. Some store-bought stocks lean on tomato or pepper for flavor, which would undo the nightshade-free work the rest of this soup is doing.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1 large scallion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 cups butternut squash, diced
• 1 1/2 cups sweet potato, diced
• 4 to 5 okra, sliced
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 6 cups callaloo, tightly packed (or spinach)
• 2 cups full-fat coconut milk
• 2 cups AIP-compliant vegetable stock

Method

• Heat the coconut oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, scallion, and garlic, and cook until fragrant and softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add the squash, sweet potato, okra, thyme, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to let the vegetables start to soften.
• Add the callaloo in batches, stirring to wilt it down between additions.
• Pour in the coconut milk and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the squash and sweet potato are tender.
• Remove the thyme sprigs. Using an immersion blender, partially blend the soup, leaving some texture, until it thickens to a chowder-like consistency. Taste and adjust salt before serving.

*Adapted from thatgirlcookshealthy.com by Charla*