First-of-its-kind soup festival in Frederiksted aims to fill belly and soul

It’s going to be a “soup-er” Sunday on St. Croix!

A first-of-its-kind festival is coming to Fort Frederik on Sunday, intent on nourishing the soul with warm, tasty soups and fostering a connection with the community and Caribbean culture, according to the event’s founder. “Caribbean people — we love to eat, we love to socialize and eat. It’s the perfect combination,” said Cristina Robles, owner of House of Printing in Christiansted and organizer of the free “Soup for Your Soul Festival.”

Soup-making was once a staple of Virgin Islands cuisine, but it has lost traction with younger generations. However, many Virgin Islanders still fondly remember slurping on grandma’s red pea soup and kallaloo, a soup made with greens, okra and pork or seafood, on Sundays. “It’s a cultural Caribbean meal that a lot of us grew up on. It is a dish that our grandmothers made on Sundays that a lot of our generation is familiar with, and it’s comfort,” Robles said. “I knew a lot of people would find comfort in eating soup, especially with all of the wonderful ingredients we have in the different soups.”