This Jamaican chicken soup recipe is a traditional soup prepared in Jamaica. My family would curl up to a delicious dinner of chicken soup every Saturday night. Many other Jamaicans do this as well, and for that reason it is also known as Jamaican Saturday soup.
What are some of the benefits of drinking Jamaican chicken soup?
When a base of real broth is used to start a rich chicken soup such as this one, the result is something that is not only delicious, but also very nourishing.
This homemade Jamaican chicken soup:
- helps to heal the gut lining
- promotes digestion
- fights inflammation (which can greatly help with problems such as asthma, arthritis, depression, insomnia, bloating, etc.)
- boosts the immune system
- detoxifies the body
- promotes healthy bowel movements
- strengthens teeth and bones
- contributes to beautiful, healthy hair and nails!
We do not skim the fat, and often add extra–that way we benefit from the added fat-soluble vitamins which often work in unison with other nutrients.
Why should we avoid cock noodle soup mix?
I grew up with my mother making this soup with cock noodle soup mix. However, we’ve come to find out that artificial products such as that one contributed to health problems within our family, such as diabetes, heart disease, cholesterol issues, etc.
For years, we used this cock noodle soup mix which gives nice flavor, but contains ingredients we now wish to avoid such as bleached and “enriched” flour, vegetable oils, hydrolyzed corn, guar gum, dextrose, preservatives like BHT, monosodium glutamate (MSG) etc. These additives do not promote health, and in many individuals cause allergic reactions, headaches, high blood pressure, etc.
I’m sure Jamaicans did not do this “back in the day.” I’ve found a great combination of fresh and/or dried spices that provide a similar flavor without all the unwanted and unnecessary additives. And that is what I am sharing in this recipe!
“Eat soup first and eat it last, and live to till a hundred years be passed.” – French proverb
Pretty much all traditional cultures knew the value of soups for nutrition and healing purposes. And soup is indeed very healing. We’ve been misled to believe there is no truth to the saying that chicken soup boosts immunity, but that is because real soup has been replaced by the fake stuff in boxes and cans that cannot be compared because they are nutritionally dead.
Can I make Jamaican chicken soup without pumpkin?
Although Jamaican chicken soup is also known as Jamaican pumpkin soup, precisely because it is made with pumpkin, it is not essential to use actual pumpkin.
Without the characteristic orange color and pumpkin-esque flavor, I’m not sure that your soup would qualify as Jamaican, however. So, if you want to make Jamaican chicken soup without pumpkin, you can use one or more of the following varieties of winter squash:
- Kabocha
- Butternut
- Buttercup
- Red Kuri
You can also mix and match. I personally really love a mix of kabocha and butternut. It gives an intense flavor that is to die for!
Can I make this GAPS-legal?
I have made this soup with cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, and other GAPS-legal vegetables and it is still delicious! Use the base of the soup as-is and mix and match your staple ingredients. Put softer veggies in later on when the soup is closer to being ready!
Jamaican Chicken Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs chicken breast (or your favorite parts)
- 3 quarts broth (can use part water if you don't have enough on hand)
- 1 large kabocha squash
- 1 small butternut squash
- 4 stalks celery
- 1-2 medium onions
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1/4 tsp powdered)
- 1 tsp pimento/allspice seeds (1/4 tsp dried)
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- salt and pepper to taste (we typically use 1-2 whole scotch bonnets, we like spicy!)
Any combination of the following
- Boniato potatoes
- Irish potatoes
- Yellow yam
- Dashine
- Dumplings
- Ripe plantains
- Green bananas
- Carrots
- Chayote squash
Instructions
- Add broth to a large stockpot that hold approx 6 quarts or more if you
are making the recipe as-is. and bring to a boil. Add pimento seeds,
chicken and uncooked pumpkin/squash at this point. - Reduce heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes, until chicken is mostly cooked. To make
things easier, like I do, you can bake the squash whole until it is tender prior to making the soup, then you would just scoop the flesh out and add to the soup at a later point. - Remove chicken from pot, and once cooled enough to handle, shred if desired.
- Peel and cut up anything you’d like to add to the soup, such as onions,
potatoes, yams, plantains and carrots. Make dumplings if you are adding
them in. - Scoop pimento seeds out of the soup and add in onions, celery, yams and potatoes. Let cook about 15 minutes.
- Remove the celery if you wish and add in chicken, plantains, scotch bonnet, carrots and dumplings. Let cook another 15 minutes.
- Add spices (thyme, garlic, salt, powdered pepper, and powdered allspice
if you did not use pimento berries) to taste. - Let simmer a short while until it smells and tastes awesome and additions are cooked to your
preference. - Serve with additional fats such as butter or tallow for extra
nourishment!Don’t forget to have a side with fermented vegetables
first!
Looking for other simple Jamaican recipes? Try this Jamaican banana chips recipe next!
And don’t forget to pin this recipe to your Soup board so you can find it easily.
I’d love to know if you tried this Jamaican chicken soup recipe. You can do so by leaving a rating and a comment below!
Source: 1
Best Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipes | Nourishing Time
Monday 3rd of May 2021
[…] I had to start with Jamaican chicken soup, as that is the one that I am most familiar with! The highlights of Jamaican chicken soup include thyme, pimento (allspice) and scotch bonnet pepper. You can find a complete recipe here. […]
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Tuesday 27th of October 2020
[…] Your broth only has to simmer for a few hours, not days. That should make it easier for you to keep broth on hand, and it’s more palatable for most people than bone broth is! If you still struggle to drink broth, there are a variety of ways to use it that are still beneficial for you. Click here to find out different ways to use broth when you don’t really like how it tastes. My favorite way is in Jamaican chicken soup. […]
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Tuesday 29th of October 2019
[…] used a flavor packet which we now know is unhealthy due to additives such as MSG. Now I use this chicken soup recipe that is so much more nourishing and chock full of flavor. The most important part is choosing a […]
Tina
Wednesday 12th of December 2018
This recipe is absolutely delicious and has become a staple in my kitchen. <3 It has so many healthy ingredients that are good for you. I'm glad that I can make something without processed and packaged foods.