Cow Heel Soup is comfort in a bowl! This rich, nutrient dense soup made with cow heel, ground provision (root vegetables) and split peas boiled together in a deliciously satisfying broth is a must try!
Cow Heel Soup
Growing up in Guyana, my dad always made soup on Sundays. Sunday soup was a delicious thing that happened with frequency. The soup ingredients varied but that bowl of soup always brought comfort after a day of laundry and weekend chores. The sight of that “big pot of soup” on the stove was always a welcoming one.
You may also like my Chicken Foot Soup Recipe.

Why You’ll Love This Guyanese Cow Heel Soup Recipe
- Comfort Food: Hot soup is a great way to keep warm and cozy during the winter. This soup is especially hearty with cow heel, split peas, and ground provision.
- Easy to Make: Instant pot cow heel soup is easier to proper than a stovetop recipe. It also reduces the cooking time.
- So Versatile: This is what makes Caribbean soups so tasty! There is no real recipe and you can add a handful of this or a handful of that for a different version of this soup, every time you make it.
Does cow heel have collagen?
Cow heel or cow feet is loaded with nutrients especially collagen. If you’ve ever eaten cow heel/trotters/foot/feet then you know it has a sticky feel. That stickiness is collagen. There are so many health benefits to having collagen in your diet. Collagen is the glue that holds your bones together and it helps to promote good skin health. It also promotes good gut health and is why bone broth is so good for you. Learn more about collagen here and then make a bowl of this collagen filled soup and dive in!
Ingredients for Cow Heel Soup
Nutrient dense cow heel, split peas and ground provision come together in a thick and silky soup.

- Yellow Split peas: Yellow split peas add a delicious texture and flavor to the soup broth. It also increases the amount of plant based protein in the soup.
- Cow heel or cow feet: Although they don’t have much meat, they are rich with flavor, collagen and bone marrow, which adds a gelatinous consistency.
- White vinegar: Rinsing the cow heel with vinegar helps to remove any impurities or smell.
- Root Vegetables/Ground provision: Use any combination of provision; peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces (for this recipe I use 2 sweet potatoes, 2 yellow plantains, 3 eddoes, and 1 large cassava).
- Chopped spinach (optional): You can use frozen or fresh spinach. I love adding a handful of spinach to my soups.
- Aromatics: Diced yellow onion, dried Guyanese thyme (you can also use fresh thyme), and grated garlic cloves are a delicious foundation of flavor.
- Seasoning: Season simply with salt and black pepper.
- Wiri wiri peppers: This is an optional garnish that adds a kick of spice. (You may substitute with habanero pepper).
- Water (not pictured): This is the liquid base of your broth.
See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Cow Heel Soup
Prepare the cow heel.
Immerse cow heel in a mixture of vinegar and water, allowing it to soak for approximately 15 minutes then rinse thoroughly and set aside.
Cow heel is a tough cut of meat and requires time to cook. To speed this process up, I cook the cow heel in a pressure cooker or instant pot.

In a pressure cooker or instant pot I combined the cow heel, split peas, onion, garlic, thyme, salt and black pepper. Then pressure cooked until the cow heel was tender (about 1 hour).


Then I transferred the cooked cow heel aromatics and peas to a large pot, added in the root veggies or ground provision and a bit more water and allowed then to cook until tender. If you are using cassava, let the cassava cook for 10 minutes before adding the other root vegetables.


Once the root vegetables are fork tender, add in the spinach, the wiri wiri peppers and a bit more water if need. Mix to combine and let soup simmer for an additional 5 minutes before removing it from heat.

Storage
Store cooled coup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen soup in the fridge overnight. The best way to reheat cow heel soup is on the stovetop over medium heat.
Recipe Substitutions & Variations
- Stovetop: Boil cow heels for at least 1 hour to soften them. Then add cleansed and softened cow heel, split peas, onion, garlic, thyme, water and salt to the pot. Simmer for about 2.5 hours or until the root vegetables are tender.
- Slow Cooker: Boil the cowl heel for at least an hour. Then add the ingredients from step 2 to the slow cooker and cook on high for about 3 hours.
- Additions: Consider adding small dumplings for an even heartier soup. Alternatively, use less ground provision.
Tips for the Best Cow Heel Soup
- Always clean cow heel before cooking. This removes any dirt or debris so it doesn’t end up in your soup.
- Although using an Instant Pot reduces the cooking time, this recipe still takes some time. Cow heel is very tough so it takes time to tenderize.
- The soup thickens the longer it sits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cow heel is a cut of beef from the lower part of the cow’s leg, specifically the heel or hoof area. It is a tough and gelatinous cut of meat known for its rich flavor and the collagen it contains, which contributes to the thickening and flavor of broths when slow-cooked. It is most commonly used in soup and stew recipes.
Cow foot soup is rich in collagen, protein, and nutrients. Collagen contributes to bone and joint health. The bones are rich in nutrients like calcium and magnesium. And the protein boosts immune functions.
Cow feet are considered a delicacy so may not find it in your local grocery store. Try your local butcher shop or an Asian, Latin, or Caribbean market.


Cow Heel Soup

Equipment
- Instant Pot or Traditional Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cow heel/feet
- 1/2 cup white vinegar (plus about 4 cups of water for washing the cow heel)
- 1 cup yellow split peas (rinsed)
- 1 large yellow onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (grated)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or salt to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 8 cups water (add an addition 2 cups if needed)
- 3 lbs ground provision in any combination (peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces)
- 1 cup chopped spinach (frozen or fresh)(optional)
- 3 wiri wiri peppers (may substitute with habanero pepper)
Instructions
- In a large bowl combine the vinegar and about 4 cups of water. Then submerge the cow heel in vinegar and water mixture. Let the cow heel sit sit for about 15 minutes before draining and rinsing thoroughly.
- Next add the cow heel, split peas, onion, garlic, thyme, 6 cups of water and salt to the instant pot or traditional pressure cooker. Then seal up and pressure cook on high until the cow heel/feet is tender (about 1 hour)
- Vent the pressure cooker or instant pot, then transfer the cooked cow heel and the broth to a large stock pot on high heat.
- Add the ground provision (root vegetables). If you are using cassava, add the cassava followed by 4 cups of water. Mix well, cover and bring up to boil. Cook the cassava for 10 minutes, before adding in the remaining root vegetables (ground provision).
- Continue to cook until the ground provision is fork tender, then add in the spinach (if using) and wiri wiri peppers. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes before removing from the heat. Serve hot.
Notes
- Rinsing the cow heel with vinegar helps to remove any impurities or smell.
- In the US the cow heel is already shaved and prepped however, you may need to examine it for the presence of any tiny hairs. I use a new disposable razor to shave any bits of hair on the cow heel before cooking.
- For this recipe I used 1 lb of cassava, 2 sweet potatoes, 2 yellow plantains and 2 small eddoes. You can vary your root vegetables to your taste.
Nutrition
The information listed in the recipe card is an estimate provided by an online nutrition tool. The tool evaluates ingredient names and amounts then makes calculations based on the number of servings listed for the recipe. It is provided as a general guideline and not as a precise calculation. For precise nutrition information please feel free to add the ingredients to your preferred nutrition calculator or consult a doctor or licensed nutritionist.
Carol Says
Recipe was awesome and making it in the instant pot is even better. I make this often as I am a soup lover. I usually add in additional vegetables if I’m feeling adventurous. Directions were perfect. Thanks for sharing
Denise Says
Its a delighf to see and try your receipes
Althea Brown Says
Thank you.
Frances Says
Hi! Love your blog- can you tell me what alterations I would need to make to cook this in the stove top?
I have a instant pot, but it’s a small one. I already made the mistake of forgetting that when I tried to make cook-up, and there was too much for my pot!
Thanks in advance, and Happy New Year! 🙂
Althea Brown Says
You would need to boil the cow heel until it was soft that would take about 2-3 hours. If it could fit in the IP to just pressure cook for about 1.5 hours you could then transfer it to a pot with the other ingredients.