When you think of Caribbean food, you might picture bold spices, vibrant colors, and dishes full of rich, comforting flavors. But did you know that traditional Caribbean cooking also offers a treasure trove of healthful ingredients and healing herbs? Rooted in fresh produce, whole grains, legumes, and island-grown spices, Caribbean cuisine can be as nourishing as it is delicious.
Below, are 10 healthy Caribbean-style recipes that capture the flavor of the islands while supporting your wellbeing. Get ready to savor wholesome meals with bold flavors. Enjoy!
Curried Tofu and Green Bean1
Ingredients
- 1 package water-packed tofu, drained well (freeze overnight for best texture)
- 2 cups green beans
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 10-oz package couscous
- Sea salt to taste
- 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts (toasted on small baking sheet in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes)
Steps
- Soak sun-dried tomatoes in water for 10 minutes. Strain off water. Cut each tomato in 4 pieces.
- In a small saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent.
- Remove from heat and and set aside.
- In a heavy-bottom pot, bring broth to boil.
- Stir in couscous and sun-dried tomatoes. Cover and remove from heat; let sit for 5 minutes.
- Add onions, pine nuts and salt.
- Fluff with fork to break up lumps. Serve warm.
This dish can be served with rice or couscous and salad.
Curry Chick Peas & Pita Bread2
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chick peas
- 1 medium uncooked potato
- 1 cup water
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 or 2 sprigs of fresh thyme (leave whole as they will be taken out later)
- 1 stem of green onion, beaten with a wooden spoon or glass jar until juicy
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 Tbs nutritional yeast flakes
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp honey (optional)
Steps
- Dice potato and cook in 1 cup of water on medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
- In a wide skillet, sauté onion, garlic, thyme and green onion in coconut milk for 5 minutes over medium heat.
- Add chick peas, potatoes and other ingredients. Let simmer on low – medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Serve with whole wheat pita bread and avocados.
Tropical Milk3
Ingredients
- 13.5-oz can coconut milk
- 1 Tbs sweetener
- 1/2 vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Water to make 2 quarts
Steps
- Combine all ingredients in half gallon jar. Fill with water. Add part ice cubes if chilling the milk immediately is desired.
- Store in refrigerator.
Makes 16 servings
Cuban Black Bean Soup4
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry black beans
- 7 cups water
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed
- 2 stalks celery
- 1 tsp olive oil (or 2 Tbs water)
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin (optional)
- 15-oz can stewed tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Sort and rinse black beans and cook with water overnight on low in a crockpot. Remove liquid to achieve desired consistency.
- In a skillet, sauté in oil or steam (in water) onion, garlic, and celery until soft. Add oregano and cumin if desired.
- Add the sautéed mixture, salt, and the tomatoes to the crockpot. Continue to cook for 30 minutes or less.
Makes 8 servings
Soy Curls with Coconut Lime Sauce5
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry Soy Curls
- 3 cups water
- 2 Tbs chicken-style seasoning
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 13.5-oz can coconut milk
- 1 Tbs cornstarch
- 2 Tbs lime juice
- Salt to taste
Steps
- Place Soy Curls, water, and 1 Tbs of the chicken-style seasoning in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove it from the heat.
- In a skillet, steam the onion with a small amount of water until tender.
- Drain the Soy Curls and add them to the skillet. Add the additional Tbs of chicken-style seasoning and the coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Mix the cornstarch and the lime juice in a small bowl and add to the skillet, stirring until the sauce is thickened. It will thicken more as it cools.
- Serve with brown rice and garnish chopped scallions if desired.
Makes 4 servings
Caribbean Burrito with Mango-lime Salsa6
Ingredients
- 10 large whole wheat tortillas
- 1 15-oz can black beans, drained, rinsed, and heated through
- 1 cup coconut flakes, toasted
Coconut Rice:
- 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice, washed
- 1 stick cinnamon (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Mango-lime Salsa:
- 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded, and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 Tbs jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 Tbs shallots, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped
- 2 Tbs fresh lime juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
Steps
Make the coconut rice: In a saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low, allowing the rice to simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice is fluffy. Remove from heat, stir with a fork, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
Make the Mango-lime Salsa: In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Toss gently and serve.
Toast the coconut: In a skillet over medium heat, toast the coconut for about 3 minutes, turning frequently with a spatula until browned and toasted on all sides.
Assemble Burritos: Spoon the coconut rice, black beans, and mango-lime salsa into warmed tortillas, then sprinkle the coconut flakes on top. Wrap burritos and serve.
Serves: 8–10
Mango and Coconut Rice7
Ingredient
- 1-2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
- 1 cup jasmine rice, uncooked
- 1/2 stick cinnamon (or 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 13.5-oz can coconut milk
- 1 Tbs sugar
- 1/2 Tbs black sesame seeds, toasted (optional)
Steps
Combine the brown rice, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Cover, turn the heat to low, and let it simmer for 45 minutes. Then, remove from heat and pour in the coconut milk. Fluff the rice, then cover and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Serve with sliced mangoes and an optional sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Serves 2–4
Jamaican Jerk Grilled Vegetables8
Ingredients
Jerk Seasoning
- 1 Tbs ground allspice
- 1 Tbs onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 Tbs dried thyme
- 1/2 Tbs kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
Vegetables
- 1 medium eggplant sliced lengthwise
- 2 medium zucchini sliced lengthwise
- 2 portabello mushrooms stems removed
- 2 red bell peppers cored and sliced in half
- 1 pound of thin asparagus tough ends snapped off
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Yogurt Sauce
- 2 cups plain vegan yogurt
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice + zest of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup minced scallions
Steps
- For the spice blend, mix all spices, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
- Wash and prepare vegetables as directed. Place vegetables in a very large mixing bowl or on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil. Toss gently to coat with oil.
- Sprinkle spice mix over vegetables and gently toss and rub spice mix into vegetables. Let coated vegetables sit for 10 minutes.
- Preheat a grill to medium-high heat.
- Working in batches as necessary, grill vegetables until tender and lightly charred on each side, about 8-10 minutes per batch.
- Let vegetables cool slightly, and then slice into serving pieces.
- For yogurt sauce, mix together Greek yogurt, lime juice, zest and scallions. Season with a pinch of salt if desired.
- Serve with yogurt sauce, and brown basmati rice if desired.
Serves 12
Caribbean Style Steamed Vegetables9
Ingredients
- ½ head cabbage, sliced (thick and thin slices – 1/8” to ¼”) – wash after cutting, don’t dry
- 1 large carrot – cut into ½” circles, or about 8-10 smaller colorful or Frenched carrots – each sliced on the diagonal into 2 pieces
- ½ onion, sliced thin
- Handful of cherry tomatoes or 1 large tomato diced
- 1 red or yellow pepper, thinly sliced ¼”
- 3 green onions, cut into 1” pieces
- 4-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt – to taste
- 1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- Olive oil
Steps
- Heat the oil in a medium sized pot and when hot, add the onion, cooking for about 1 minute
- Add the garlic – stir 30 seconds
- Add the carrots, peppers, thyme and cayenne pepper – stir to coat in the onion/oil mix
- Add the cabbage – stir to mix ingredients together
- Cover and cook, medium heat – 15 – 20 minutes – stir occasionally
- The tip of a knife inserted into the carrot should have a little give in it – but remain firm
- Add the scallions – stir
- Taste, season with salt and additional pepper – taste again
Rice and Peas10
Ingredients
- 3 cups water
- 1 12-oz can red kidney beans
- 1/2 can coconut milk
- 2 cups long grain brown rice
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
Place all ingredients into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with foil, and bake at 350ºF for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Sources:
- Vegetarian Cooking with Pamel Cuisine, pg. 25.
- Ibid., pg. 24.
- Amazing Health Cookbook, Barbara Watson, pg. 47, Review and Herald Publishing Association, 2012.
- Ibid., pg. 76.
- Ibid., pg. 89.
- From Plant to Plate, Tami Bivens, R.D., pgs. 112-113, Life and Health Network, 2013.
- Ibid., pg. 240.
- Anne Danahy, RD: https://cravingsomethinghealthy.com/wprm_print/jamaican-jerk-grilled-vegetables
- https://foodinspires.com/2021/02/17/steamed-vegetable-caribbean-style/
- Nyse Collins, 3ABN Cooking Show.
Photo by: Andres Ramos