Callaloo – A vibrant, healthy, and fresh way of cooking leafy green vegetables that bring the taste of the islands straight to your dining room table. Smokey bacon and spicy peppers make it a family-favorite side. It’s quick, easy, and delicious!
Are you looking for a tasty way to incorporate more healthy greens into your diet? Then this flavorful callaloo recipe is just what the doctor ordered. Plus, you don’t need fancy ingredients to make your healthy greens taste amazing.
If you’ve never heard of callaloo (also called calaloo or kallaloo), you don’t know what you’re missing. This green leafy vegetable is popular in the Caribbean (especially Jamaica) and other regions. In the U.S., you can usually find these hearty greens at Caribbean and Asian markets.
What Makes Callaloo Different from Other Greens?
Technically, callaloo is either amaranth or taro leaves. However, there are other green leafy plants called callaloo, depending on where you are in the Caribbean. So that’s one difference, and they definitely have that classic “greens” taste you find in kale, spinach, or collard greens. But what makes callaloo stand out is the preparation. Think delicious Southern greens prepared in a way that gives them a rich Caribbean flavor. Mmm!
Recipe Ingredients
- Callaloo – Look for it at your local Caribbean or Indian market or substitute kale, collard greens, or even spinach. If you can’t find it fresh, you can use canned, though the texture may be different.
- Bacon – Because greens always are happiest with some fatty meat for flavor and richness. Of course, you could substitute the bacon with another protein like salted cod, ham hocks, or smoked turkey.
- Spices – Smoked paprika, along with fresh garlic and thyme, set the stage for deliciousness.
- Vegetables – Onion, a scotch bonnet pepper, and tomatoes add a fresh flavor and spiciness.
- Plantains – A must-have high-carb side for callaloo.
How to Make Callaloo
Callaloo
- Prep Callaloo – Cut leaves and soft stems from the callaloo branches, then soak in a bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes or until you finish the prep work. (Photos 1-2)
- Prep Seasonings – Next, slice the onions, mince the garlic, and dice the tomatoes. Set them aside.
- Chop Callaloo – Remove the callaloo from the water and cut it into chunks. (Photo 3)
- Fry Bacon and Seasonings – Place bacon in a saucepan and cook until crispy. Then add the onions, garlic, and fresh thyme, and stir for about a minute. (Photos 4-6)
- Add Spice – Add the tomatoes, scotch bonnet pepper, and smoked paprika. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes. (Photos 7-8)
- Steam Callaloo – Finally, add the vegetables and salt, mix well, and steam for 6-8 minutes or until the leaves are tender. Add a tiny bit of water as needed. Adjust seasonings and turn off the heat. (Photo 9)
Plantains
- Peel – Peel the plantains with a sharp knife.
- Slice them lengthwise into medium-sized slices and set them aside.
- Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Fry – Let the plantains fry on medium heat, shaking the pan to redistribute them every few minutes. (Photo 10)
- Brown – As the plantains brown, continue to add more cooking oil spray, salt, and pepper (if needed) until they have reached the desired color and texture.
- Serve – Remove and serve with callaloo.
Recipe Variations
- This recipe can effortlessly become vegan. Simply omit the bacon, though sauteed mushrooms are a great addition. Easy peasy! 😉
- If spicy foods aren’t your friend, leave out the scotch bonnet pepper. You can replace it with a sweet bell or banana pepper.
- You can prepare the plantains however you like. You can deep fry them for extra deliciousness or bake them if you want to go healthy.
- Salt cod is excellent with this recipe. Soak it a couple of times, then break it up and add it to the chopped callaloo.
Tips and Tricks
- Crisp, fresh greens taste the best. Avoid wilted leaves, brown or yellow edges, blemishes, and slime. They should smell sweet, not sour.
- Callaloo can be hard to find, but it is super easy to grow. Even if you just have a patio or room with lots of sunlight, all you need is a pot, dirt, sunlight, and seeds.
- Here’s how to make peeling the plantains easy: Start by cutting both ends off the plantain. Next, slit a shallow line down the plantain’s long seam and peel by gently pulling the skin back.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can make callaloo the day before you plan to eat it with no problem at all. As for the sides, fried plantains taste much better fresh, so try to do those just before serving. Follow the recipe instructions for the greens, and then store the callaloo in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat it stovetop on medium heat until warmed through, and serve!
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve this deliciousness piping hot off the stove along with the fried or baked plantains for optimal yumminess. Then store leftover callaloo in the fridge for 3-5 days in an airtight container.
I prefer reheating callaloo on the stove on medium heat until it’s warmed through, but you can also use the microwave. If you need to reheat the plantains, I recommend popping them in your convection or regular oven for a few minutes at 350℉/177℃. That helps keep them crispy and delicious! 👌
FAQs
Yes! Callaloo is called the Caribbean superfood and, according to studies, it has all the health benefits you can expect from a leafy green vegetable: plenty of vitamins A and C, iron, and loads of other nutrients. 💪
No way! I’m not a doctor, but you can read registered dietitian Marsha Woolery’s comments on this incredible edible veggie. She recommends limiting salt and bacon, but not callaloo.
You can, and it’s an excellent addition to green smoothies. The young leaves go great in salad, too. That said, it’s like eating raw spinach – most people prefer it cooked.
What to Serve with Callaloo
Traditionally, you serve callaloo with boiled dumplings and fried plantains, but I find it goes with many dishes. I like it with a Cajun whole roast chicken and a bowl of steaming white rice. Jamaican rice and peas are a perfect main dish if you want to go almost meatless.
You can also serve it with anything that goes well with collard greens, such as skillet cornbread and fried chicken. And don’t forget the sweet iced tea. 😉
More Tasty Jamaican Recipes to Try
Conclusion
So go for it and get your greens on because healthy never tasted so good! Have you ever visited Jamaica and tried callaloo at the source? I’m always happy to hear from you! 🫶
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”7UPOR1bC” upload-date=”2019-11-08T03:52:07.000Z” name=”Callaloo (Jamaican-style)” description=”Callaloo Jamaican Style – A vibrant, healthy and fresh way of cooking leafy vegetables. Quick, easy and delicious!”]
This blog post was originally published in August 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Callaloo Recipe
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Ingredients
- 1 1.5-pound bunch (680g) callaloo (or kale or collards)
- 2 thick strips bacon, cut in pieces
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 fresh tomato
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 3-4 ripe plantains
- cooking spray (or very little cooking oil)
Instructions
- Cut leaves and soft stems from the callaloo branches, then soak in a bowl of cold water for about 5-10 minutes or until finished with prep.
- Proceed to slice the onions, mince the garlic, and dice the tomatoes. Set aside.
- Remove callaloo from the water and cut it into chunks.
- Place bacon in a saucepan and cook until crispy. Then add onions, garlic, and thyme, and stir for a minute or more.
- Add tomatoes, scotch bonnet pepper, and smoked paprika. Sauté for 2-3 more minutes.
- Finally, add the greens and salt, mix well, and steam for about 6-8 minutes or until leaves are tender. Add a bit of water as needed, adjust seasonings, and turn off the heat.
- Using a sharp knife, cut both ends off the plantains. That will make it easier to grab the skin of the plantains. Then slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain, but peel only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.
- Slice the plantain into medium size lengthwise slices and set aside.
- Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray or drizzle a bit of cooking oil. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Let the plantains fry on medium heat, shaking the frying pan to redistribute them every few minutes.
- As the plantains brown, continue to add more cooking oil spray, salt, and pepper (if needed) until they have reached the desired color and texture.
- Remove and serve with callaloo.
Tips & Notes:
- Crisp, fresh greens taste the best. Avoid wilted leaves, brown or yellow edges, blemishes, and slime. They should smell sweet, not sour.
- Callaloo can be hard to find, but it is super easy to grow. Even if you just have a patio or room with lots of sunlight, all you need is a pot, dirt, sunlight, and seeds.
- Here’s how to make peeling the plantains easy: Start by cutting both ends off the plantain. Next, slit a shallow line down the plantain’s long seam and peel by gently pulling the skin back.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Kellie says
Last night I hosted a Jamaican themed dinner for about 20 people. We go to JA yearly to work in Children’s homes and and this was a mtg to recruit more volunteers to go w/us next time.
I made your festival, callaloo (using collards,kale and spinach) mango colelsaw and plantains. I followed directions exactly as written and everything was absolutely perfect! I already had a tried and true recipe for chicken so didn’t want to try a new one with so many people but next time I will use one of your recipes. Thank you so much! So glad I found your site and can’t wait to try more recipes. Bless you!
ImmaculateBites says
Yay! So happy to hear this . Thanks Kellie
Ubilubi says
I bought it for the first time at a health store, just because it had nothing else except lettuce and pineapple. They call them (callaloo) vleeta in Greece. Now I went with my husband at his friends farm and they give me a huge hug of callaloo to take home. I am so happy! I just fry onions, garlic in a small amount of coconut oil and put in callaloo some tomatoes and eat it. I tries raw but dam, it’s bitter as raw. And i wonder if it helps with iron deficiency anemia because it does remind me of spinach. I will go look.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks fro sharing your version with us. Feel free to share your findings with us. Thanks!
Ginger says
I had callaloo in Jamaica, lobed it. I heard of it from Dr. Sebi. Was at the market yesterday and found some. Cooking it now and using your recipe. I altered it a bit as I do not eat pork. I taste delicious. Thank!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! So happy it worked out well for you. Thanks for the feedback!
Bee says
I made this for a friend today. I couldn’t find the pepper it called for, so I used a habenero pepper. I don’t think it was nearly the same, but it still tasted pretty good. I can’t wait to see what my friend things (she’s been craving callaloo).
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Can’t wait either. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts
Bill650 says
This was delicious! Everyone had secounds! Two things suprised me with this recipe: Using collard greens it made a lot more that 3 to 4 servings. Second, the Scotch Bonnet pepper did not spice up the dish the way I expected. I may cut it next time. –Will definintly have again!! Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to provide me with feedback . Greatly appreciated.
Stefanie says
Do you take out the scotch bonnet pepper before serving? I see you put it in whole…
ImmaculateBites says
It depends to whom am serving it to! Some people like to eat it and some don’t. But I always keep it just in case.
Christian says
Need your Callaloo
Smiles
ImmaculateBites says
You can have it!!
ImmaculateBites says
What are you confused about the name or the dish?
Pansy says
The actual plants is known as Callaloo, pair it with anything and it becomes ,e.g. Callaloo and cod Fish so it is versatile can be eaten by itself also. In Trinidad they have a dish named callaloo which is made from a different greens
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.
Amber says
Wow. This looks amazing! I will definitely modify it for our vegan challenge next month. Those plantains look de-li-cious.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Amber!
Sharon says
I had Callaloo when I was in Jamaica.. It was so good, I decided to eat it whenever they served it. I don’t care for spicy foods, and not really fond of spinach, so I am going to try to fix this with kale, garlic, onion, etc.
Jehancancook says
You can come and cook for me anytime!
Philo says
I love love love this method of preparing kale. I’ve cooked this twice already 🙂
Denise Browning@From Brazil To You says
I love collard greens so I would love to try callaloo. It is so interesting because the way that you prepare callaloo is similar the way Brazilians prepare sauteed Collard Greens a la Mineira with bacon and garlic. Like ours, your dish has soul!!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Denise- it definitely has soul.
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Never heard of callaloo before… you learn something new every day! Definitely going to be trying the recipe out, I am always looking for new recipes to use Kale!
Cheryl says
Whoa, I have NEVER heard of callaloo! I wonder if they have it at my international market.. I am ALWAYS up for some new greens!
ImmaculateBites says
Cheryl, they might just have it . Be sure to ask the Store Manager .
Jae says
It’s the best.
Erik Johnson says
If you have land, amaranth is easy to grow. Its wild or feral forms are pigweed. However there are colorful forms of Amaranthus tricolor (“Joseph’s Coat,” “Molten Magma,” “Summer Poinsettia”) that would be nice in any flower garden. However they will be weedy if you let them ripen seeds. They will also color the cooking water, but these pigments (same as in beetroot) are edible, so no worries. It is a known nitrate accumulator so don’t overfertilize. Amaranth is pretty similar to spinach or orach, so you can substitute those if you live in a chilly area or don’t garden. It has nothing to do with kale (a headless cabbage, basically milder flavored and more crinkly version of collards), so I am surprised to see it called “calaloo kale” here.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Erik! Really appreciate you taking time out to share this with us . Thanks and God Bless!
Sara says
Girl, you are making me homesick. I want some callaloo NOW!
ImmaculateBites says
Sara, I hear you!