Healthy Caribbean Recipes

Jamaican pepperpot soup is usually a long-simmered preparation made with tough cuts of meat and vegetables. This version uses quick-cooking sirloin instead to get it on the table fast. If you're not a fan of beef, try the soup with shrimp instead.

This tropical dish is made complete with Jamaican Jerk Seasoning. Pork, rice, and beans combine with pineapple and red onion in a delicious honey-lime vinaigrette.

Shrimp and rice get a tropical makeover in this healthy 400-calorie dinner. Instead of rice, we've combined riced cauliflower and coconut milk for light coconut rice topped with spicy shrimp and a juicy mango-avocado salsa to cool it all down. Squeeze on some fresh lime juice before digging in to take this easy meal to the next level.

These slow-cooker beans are super flavorful and tender. To save time, process the garlic cloves in a small food processor instead of mincing them by hand. You can also make this a day ahead and refrigerate overnight to give the flavors more time to mingle. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, if desired.

This Haitian squash soup is a classic dish served on New Year's Day to commemorate Haiti's independence from France on January 1, 1804. The soup is traditionally made with calabaza squash—a winter squash that is also called green pumpkin. If you can't find calabaza, you can use butternut squash. Traditionally, the soup is made with beef, but you can substitute goat meat if preferred. If you are plant-based, a flavorful vegetarian version can be made by adding the homemade epis seasoning to the soup mixture while the vegetables are cooking. If using meat, be sure to allow it to marinate overnight for full flavor.

Traditionally called Lechon Asado, this slow-cooker favorite is packed with Cuban spices for a blast of flavor in every bite.

In this island-inspired fish recipe, celery, bell pepper, tomatoes and wine complement the shrimp and fish. Serve this healthy fish recipe with brown rice, couscous or quinoa to soak up the fragrant sauce.

Every panaderia (bakery) in Puerto Rico has many flavors of flan, from vanilla to guava. Reduced-fat cream cheese gives this version a rich, comforting texture.

Mango, banana and kale are blended with coconut water and protein-rich cottage cheese in this delicious smoothie recipe. Flaxseed gives this smoothie a boost of healthy omega-3 fats.

Arroz con pollo, or chicken cooked with rice, is a common dish in Spain, Latin America and the Caribbean. We use quick-cooking brown rice here to help you get this on the table in just 40 minutes. Serve with a mixed green salad tossed with cilantro-lime vinaigrette.

Put away any preconceived notions of Grandma's fruit salad. This unusual combination of tropical fruit in a savory shallot vinaigrette will have you dreaming of the tropics.

These burgers have a true crab flavor that isn't masked by fillers or strong seasoning. Serve on a bun with tartar sauce or with a lemon-juice-dressed salad of greens, sprouts and sliced peaches. This recipe works best with convenient pasteurized crabmeat, usually found in the refrigerated case near the fish counter. If you prefer lump crabmeat, cut it into small, uniform pieces.

Mango adds sweet flair to the traditional piña colada flavors of pineapple and coconut in this healthy fruit smoothie recipe that will have you feeling like you're on the beach.

This bean and pork stew recipe, spiced with peppery sweet ginger and piquant cumin, is rich in soluble fiber, which helps protect against heart disease.

Serve simple sautéed fish fillets with jalapeno-spiked pineapple salsa for a Caribbean-inspired meal. Serve with black beans and brown rice.

Tangy passion fruit pairs well with mango in this tropical-flavored smoothie.

Jamaican jerk chicken is traditionally marinated at least overnight and then grilled low and slow for fall-apart tenderness. Here, we coat chicken in store-bought seasoning but cook it in a pan for a faster version. Searing pineapple caramelizes its natural sugars and releases some of its juices—making for a more flavorful salsa that plays beautifully with the seasoning on the chicken.

In this island-inspired whole-wheat banana bread recipe, coconut, brown sugar and ginger come together for a wonderful twist to make this our new favorite healthy quick bread.

Ground beef cooked with tomatoes and briny olives can be found all over Latin America. This is a favorite Cuban variation served over plantains, starchy vegetables that look like giant bananas. You can also serve the picadillo over rice or potatoes, so this easy dinner recipe is versatile too.

This famous New Orleans banana dessert recipe gets a kick from rum (we like dark). Impress your friends with this healthy fruit dessert tonight!

Tostones, crispy smashed fried plantains, are a beloved treat in Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean. Enjoy them as an appetizer or serve them as a side with a plate of rice and beans. Read more about tostones.

Shredded plantains and fresh cilantro combine in a refreshing Puerto Rican soup.

Sofrito is a flavorful cooking base for all sorts of dishes. It has countless variations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. This Puerto Rican sofrito contains tomatoes, onions, garlic, bell pepper and cilantro. Make a batch to use for flavoring rice, stews and much more. Try it in Mofongo Dressing for Thanksgiving (see Associated Recipes).

Mango, bell peppers, and black beans combine with whole-wheat couscous in this Caribbean-inspired grain salad. The ginger-lime dressing has a touch of cayenne pepper and provides just the right amount of zing!