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Jamaican chicken soup is an authentic Jamaican meal traditionally served on Saturdays. It’s made with bone-in chicken, root vegetables, ground provisions, and dumplings, all cooked in a flavorful broth with a cock soup packet. It’s a hearty, wholesome soup the whole family will enjoy!
Authentic Jamaican Chicken Soup
Is it just me, or is it impossible to make a small pot of soup? Once I add the chicken, I already know it’s time to bring out the big pot. I love loading my Jamaican chicken soup with potatoes, yam, squash, dumplings, and all the traditional ingredients that make every bowl so hearty and flavorful. There’s always plenty to go around, which is exactly how I like it.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Hearty and filling: Chicken, ground provisions, vegetables, and homemade dumplings make this Caribbean soup satisfying enough for a full meal.
- Full of flavor: Green seasoning, fresh herbs, pimento, Scotch bonnet, and Jamaican soup mix packets give the broth plenty of Caribbean flavor.
- Easy to customize: You can swap the squash, leave out the yellow yam, or make round dumplings, spinners, or a mix of both.
What is Jamaican Chicken Soup?
Jamaican chicken soup is a hearty, traditional soup made with chicken, ground provisions, vegetables, and dumplings in a flavorful broth. It’s commonly enjoyed as part of Jamaica’s Saturday soup tradition, although you can make it any day of the week. My version uses bone-in chicken with squash, yellow yam, sweet potato, white potato, carrots, corn, and chayote, plus Jamaican pumpkin and cock soup mixes for even more flavor.
Ingredients
- Bone-in chicken: Bone-in chicken adds more flavor to the broth and becomes tender as the soup cooks.
- Caribbean green seasoning: My homemade green seasoning takes just 10 minutes to make and adds fresh herbs and aromatics to the chicken. Prep it ahead to use in recipes throughout the week.
- Salt and chicken bouillon: These season the chicken and help build the flavor of the broth.
- Squash: Kabocha or calabaza squash softens as it cooks, giving the broth its rich color and body.
- Ground provisions: Yellow yam, Jamaican sweet potato (boniato), and white potato add heartiness and texture to the soup. The yellow yam is optional.
- Vegetables: Carrots, corn, and chayote (also called chocho in Jamaica) add sweetness and texture to each bowl.
- Garlic and pimento: Garlic and whole pimento seeds, also known as allspice berries, add warm, aromatic flavor to the broth.
- Scallion and thyme: These fresh herbs add classic Jamaican flavor as the soup simmers.
- Scotch bonnet pepper: Keep the pepper whole to add its distinct flavor without making the soup too spicy.
- Jamaican soup packets: Pumpkin and cock soup packets season the broth and add even more flavor and color. You can remove the noodles from the cock soup packet if you prefer.
For the Dumplings
You only need all-purpose flour, salt, and water to make the dumplings. Shape the dough into round, flattened dumplings, long spinners, or a combination of both.
How to make Jamaican Chicken Soup
Season the Chicken
I start by cleaning the chicken with lime, vinegar, and water, then pat it dry. I season it with green seasoning, if using, along with the salt and chicken bouillon.
Start the Soup
I bring 1.5 gallons of water to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Then I add the seasoned chicken, garlic, and pimento seeds, cover the pot, and boil everything for 10 minutes. I skim off any foam that rises to the top before moving on.
Add the Ground Provisions and Vegetables
I reduce the heat to medium, then add the squash and yellow yam, if using. I cover the pot and let them cook for 10 minutes before adding the sweet potato, white potato, carrots, corn, and chayote.
Next, I add the scallion, thyme, and whole Scotch bonnet pepper, followed by the pumpkin and cock soup packets. I give everything a stir, partially cover the pot so it doesn’t boil over, and cook for another 10 minutes while I make the dumplings.
How to Make Dumplings
I mix the flour and salt in a bowl, then gradually add the water until I can knead the dough into a tight ball that isn’t too sticky to handle. From here, I can make traditional round dumplings, spinners, or a combination of both.
For round dumplings, I roll small pieces of dough into balls and flatten them into circles. To make spinners, I roll each piece between my palms, almost like I’m starting a campfire, until it forms a long, skinny dumpling.
Finish the Soup
I add the dumplings to the soup one at a time so they don’t stick together, then gently stir the pot. I partially cover it and let everything cook for a final 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once the soup is done, I turn off the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes. I give everything a good stir before serving.
Can I Make Jamaican Chicken Soup Ahead of Time?
Yes. You can peel and chop the vegetables and ground provisions ahead of time to make cooking easier the next day. You can also make the entire soup ahead, but keep in mind that the dumplings and ground provisions will continue to absorb some of the broth as it sits.
How to Store and Freeze
Store leftover Jamaican chicken soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the cooled soup in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months, then thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
How to Reheat Jamaican Chicken Soup
Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop until everything is hot throughout, or microwave individual portions. If the soup has thickened in the refrigerator, add a splash of water or chicken broth as it reheats to loosen it back up.
Tips for the best Jamaican Chicken Soup
- Use bone-in chicken. The bones add extra flavor to the broth as the chicken cooks.
- Cut everything evenly. Keep the ground provisions and vegetables around the same size so they cook evenly and you get a good mix in each bowl.
- Keep the Scotch bonnet whole. Avoid cutting or bursting the pepper if you want its flavor without adding too much heat to the soup.
- Add dumplings one at a time. Drop them into the pot individually and stir gently to prevent them from sticking together or breaking apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jamaican chicken soup is a popular Jamaican soup traditionally made with chicken, pumpkin or squash, ground provisions, vegetables, and dumplings. Other popular Jamaican soups include red peas soup, mannish water, and fish tea.
Jamaican chicken soup can include yellow or white yam, sweet potato, Irish potato, cassava, dasheen, breadfruit, plantain, pumpkin or squash, chocho, corn, and okra. You don’t need to use them all; this recipe uses squash, yellow yam, Jamaican sweet potato, white potato, chayote, carrots, and corn.
The potatoes, ground provisions, and dumplings can absorb broth and naturally thicken the soup, especially as it sits. If it becomes thicker than you like, add a little water or broth until it reaches your preferred consistency.
This Caribbean chicken soup is hearty enough to serve as a meal on its own, especially with chicken, ground provisions, vegetables, and dumplings in every bowl. You can also serve it with hard dough bread, crackers, or another simple bread.
I hope you enjoyed making this Jamaican Chicken Soup.
If you try it, let me know how it turns out. I’d love to hear from you.
For more Jamaican-inspired home cooking, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok where I share new dishes, tips, and real-time cooking in my kitchen.
Jamaican Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in chicken, cut into 4-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp Caribbean green seasoning, optional
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- ½ lb kabocha or calabaza squash, peeled and cut into cubes
- ½ lb yellow yam, peeled and cut into cubes (optional)
- ½ lb Jamaican sweet potato/boniato, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 large white potato, peeled and cut into cubes
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into coins
- 2 corn on the cob, each cut into four pieces
- 1 chayote, peeled and cut into wedges
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp allspice berries/pimento seeds
- 2 scallion stalks
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole
- 1 Jamaican pumpkin soup packet
- 1 Jamaican cock soup packet, removing noodles is optional
- 1.5 gallons of water
For the dumplings/spinners:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup water
Instructions
- Clean the chicken with lime, vinegar, and water. Pat it dry. Season with green seasoning (if using), salt, and chicken bouillon.
- In a large pot, bring 1.5 gallons of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken along with the garlic and pimento seeds to the pot. Cover and boil for 10 minutes, then remove any foam that forms.
- Reduce the heat to medium. add the kabocha or calabaza squash and yam (if using) to the pot. Stir, then cover and boil for another 10 minutes.
- Add the Jamaican sweet potato, white potato, carrots, corn, and cayote to the pot. Next, add the scallion, thyme, and scotch bonnet paper. Then, stir in the pumpkin and chicken soup packets. Cover the pot – leaving a crack to avoid it boiling over – and boil for another 10 minutes while you make the dumplings.
- In a bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Add water a little at a time until you can knead the dough into a tight ball. (The dough should not be too sticky to handle.) Pinch off a little of the dough at a time to make round dumplings or spinners (or both). For round dumplings, roll the dough into tight balls, then flatten into circles. For spinners, roll the pieces together in your hands (as if you are starting a campfire) to form long, skinny dumplings called spinners.
- Add the dumplings to the pot one at a time to ensure they don’t stick together. Very gently stir the pot. Partially cover the pot, and let the soup boil for a final 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat, and allow the soup to rest for 10 minutes. Stir before serving.
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