st-luciansoup
Bouyon
A hearty St. Lucian ground provision soup packed with root vegetables, green bananas, and pork or chicken.
Prep
20 min
Cook
50 min
Servings
6
Difficulty
Medium
★★★★★
4.7(680 ratings)#soup#ground provisions#pork#root vegetables#st. lucia
About This Recipe
Bouyon (from the French 'bouillon') is St. Lucia's beloved hearty soup, filled with ground provisions — the starchy root vegetables and tubers that define Caribbean cooking. Yam, dasheen, green banana, cassava, and eddoe go into the pot along with salted pork, chicken, or a mix of both, seasoned with fresh herbs and scotch bonnet. It is substantial enough to be a full meal and is particularly popular on weekends and rainy days.
Ingredients
Serves 6
- 400 gpork ribs or chicken pieces
- 300 gmixed ground provisions (yam, dasheen, cassava), peeled and cubed
- 4green bananas, peeled and halved
- 1onion, chopped
- 3garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tspfresh thyme and chives
Instructions
- 1
Brown the meat
Season meat with salt, pepper, and garlic. Brown in a large pot with oil, then add onion and soften 3 minutes.
- 2
Build the soup
Add 1.5 litres water, thyme, and a whole scotch bonnet. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.
- 3
Add provisions
Add ground provisions and green banana. Simmer 25 minutes until everything is tender.
- 4
Season and serve
Remove scotch bonnet. Adjust salt, add chives, and serve in deep bowls.
Pro Tips
- →
Add provisions in order of cooking time — cassava takes longest, green banana is quickest.
- →
A whole scotch bonnet flavours without burning — do not pierce it.
- →
Fresh parsley stirred in at the end adds brightness.
Variations
- •
Use saltfish instead of meat for a lighter version.
- •
Add dumplings made from flour and water for extra body.
- •
Include okra in the last 10 minutes for a thicker broth.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days. Soup thickens considerably when cold — add water when reheating.
History & Origin
Bouyon reflects the French Creole heritage of St. Lucia, which changed hands between France and Britain fourteen times before independence. The dish's name and technique are French, but the ingredients are purely Caribbean.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are 'ground provisions'?
Ground provisions is the Caribbean term for starchy root vegetables grown in the ground — yam, dasheen, eddoe, cassava, and sweet potato.
Can I make a vegetarian bouyon?
Yes — skip the meat, use vegetable stock, and increase the provisions and add lentils for protein.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (420g) · 6 servings total
Calories430kcal
Protein28g
Carbohydrates46g
Fat14g
Fiber5g
Protein28g
Carbs46g
Fat14g
Time Summary
Prep time20 min
Cook time50 min
Total time70 min
Have Questions?
Ask our AI cooking assistant anything about this recipe — substitutions, techniques, scaling.
Chat with AI Chef →More St-lucian Recipes
Community
Join the conversation
Sign in to leave a comment and save your favourite recipes