Dominican Red Beans Soup Recipe

Dominica red beans soup, or as it’s referred to dumpling, peas, and salted pork soup is synonymous with the phrase Dominica’s comfort food. When I think of a signature staple dish on the island, one of the treasured meals that come to mind is the red beans soup. This soup, affectionately and widely known in creole as dumbway, pois, and gel coshion, satisfies any hunger.

My fondest memories of eating red beans soup were when we would prepare it during koolmen or village project collaborations. The older women in the village would source enormous pots and get open fires going to prepare this hearty, flavorful meal.

Dominica’s red beans soup is cooked with salted pig’s snout and tail, or various smoked parts of the pig. While the salted pig’s snout is purchased from local shops or supermarkets, smoking our meat was customary. Growing up, when villagers would kill a pig, the meat would be sold to the rest of the community. Some of the meat would be reserved to be cooked fresh, some locally salted and smoked. However, since I’m not currently on the island, my meat options are limited. I occasionally opt for the store-bought, factory packaged smoked pork whenever I prepare this fav.

Although keeping the recipes authentic helps preserve the tradition, I usually use available or convenient ingredients. Using uncooked kidney beans if the beans of choice, but I often cheat my way through the recipe and use canned beans. It’s faster, convenient, and actually tastes the same regular beans. I also add other staples (provisions) to my soup, like plantain and sometimes yam, when available. Some people actually soak their beans the night before, I used to but since I always cook on demand, I just boil my beans.

Here’s an easy way to prepare Dominica’s red beans soup.