CALLALOO SOUP

INGREDIENTS

1 lb Callaloo leaves
1 Aubergine a/k/a eggplant, garden egg
2 Green bananas
1 Large onion
2 Cloves garlic
1½ pts Water
4 Pimento berries
3 Whole cloves
1 Sprig thyme
1 Hot pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
½ lb Young okra
¼ pt Coconut milk
METHOD
1. Thoroughly wash the callaloo leaves and remove most of the stem.
2. Drain and coaresly chop. Peel aubergine and chop into 2 cm dice.
3. Keeping the skin on chop green bananas into thick slices.
4. Put these vegetables with chopped onion and garlic in large pot.
5. Add water, pimento, cloves, thyme, hot pepper fresh black pepper.
6. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered until vegetables are tender.
7. Take out slices of green bananas, remove skin and return to the pan.
8. Remove the hot pepper which should still be whole and the thyme.
9. Rub the soup through a sieve or liquidize briefly.
10. Slice the okra into rounds.
11. Return the soup to the pan, add the okra and coconut milk and cook for a further 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning and serve
Serves 4
(Spinach can be substituted for callaloo. With a salad and wholemeal bread, this soup becomes a meal in itself.)