Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a show about food, culture, and love.
This Jamaican Chicken Soup recipe was shared by my podcast guests, Ashley and Precious — a daughter-and-mother duo. If you like, cue up their episode while you make the soup: “Jamaican Chicken Soup with Ashley and Her Mother Precious.” The story behind this dish makes it taste even better.
This warm, nourishing Jamaican chicken soup is perfect for cooler weather and for anyone who loves hearty one-pot meals. The broth is thickened with pumpkin, enriched with tender chicken and root vegetables, and finished with simple cornmeal dumplings that require only three ingredients. In Jamaica this soup is often made for people who are sick because the combination of bone-in chicken, vegetables, and gentle spices feels restorative and comforting.
Ashley and Precious’s Memories of Making Jamaican Soup
Ashley and her mother Precious shared the recipe along with memories of four generations of women making this soup in a cozy brownstone in New York City. Precious learned to feed siblings as a child in Jamaica and, after arriving in the city at 14, continued to cook for a large household. For their family, this soup carried the taste of home.
Growing up, Ashley remembers the steady boil of the squash-thickened broth while children slid down the banister and relatives gathered in the kitchen. Those warm memories are part of what makes this recipe so special.
Top Tip
If you use a Scotch Bonnet or habanero pepper, remove it as soon as it begins to soften. Leave it too long and the soup becomes very spicy — a little goes a long way.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Whole chicken – or substitute 8–10 bone-in, skin-on chicken legs and thighs.
- Pumpkin – substitute diced butternut squash or one 15 oz can of pumpkin puree.
- Onion
- Carrots
- Cho cho (chayote squash) – or use diced turnips as a substitute.
- Fresh corn – or frozen corn kernels; add frozen corn near the end of cooking so it stays tender.
- Potatoes – golden potatoes work best; sweet potatoes can be used for a sweeter flavor.
- Thyme sprigs
- Green onion (scallion)
- Scotch Bonnet pepper – substitute one habanero or use hot sauce to taste.
- Jamaican Cock Soup Mix – substitute chicken bouillon to build stock flavor.
- Salt and black pepper
- Neutral oil – sunflower, canola, or similar.
Ingredients for Jamaican dumplings
- White flour – can be swapped for a gluten-free flour if needed.
- Cornmeal
- Salt
Instructions
- Make the dumplings: In a large bowl combine the flour, cornmeal, and salt. Add warm water slowly while mixing until a soft dough forms. Knead briefly until mostly smooth, then divide into small, equal balls and set aside.
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and black pepper.
- Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 1–2 minutes. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook 2–5 minutes to render some fat without browning.
- Add diced pumpkin, thyme sprigs, whole scotch bonnet (leave whole), scallions, soup mix or bouillon, and seasoning. Add water to fill the pot about three-quarters full. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.
- Flatten each dumpling into a small disk (about ½ inch thick) and add them one by one to the simmering pot. Stir gently to prevent sticking, cover, and cook 8–10 minutes.
- Add potatoes, cho cho (or turnips), corn, and additional root vegetables. Cover and cook 10 minutes, then add carrots and cook until all vegetables are tender but not mushy.
- Lightly mash some of the pumpkin and potato in the pot to thicken the broth. Cook until the chicken is tender and starting to fall from the bone, then remove the scallions, scotch bonnet, and thyme sprigs before serving.
Tips for Making Dumplings
Follow these simple tips to get the right texture for boiled Jamaican dumplings:
- Add water slowly so the dough stays firm enough to hold its shape.
- Form dumplings into flattened disks or cylinder-shaped “spinners”; keep them uniform so they cook evenly.
- Make sure the liquid is at a rapid simmer or boil when you add the dumplings — too gentle a heat gives the wrong texture.
A Healing Soup for Illness
Precious says Jamaicans often serve this soup to people who are under the weather. It combines bone-in chicken for a rich, nourishing broth with vitamin-rich vegetables like pumpkin, chayote (cho cho), potatoes, turnips, and carrots. Bone-in chicken simmered slowly releases minerals and collagen into the stock, making the soup comforting and easily digestible when someone needs restorative food.
Equipment
- Large stockpot
- Mixing bowl for dumplings
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. Reheat gently on the stove; if the broth thickens too much, add a splash of water or stock to loosen it.
Notes
- Chicken: If you prefer not to work with a whole chicken, use 8–10 bone-in, skin-on thighs and legs for the same rich flavor.
- Pumpkin: Diced butternut or canned pumpkin puree work as convenient substitutes.
- Cho cho: Chayote can be swapped for diced turnips if unavailable.
- Corn: If using frozen corn, add it near the end so it stays tender (about 5 minutes before the soup is done).
- Heat: Keep the scotch bonnet whole to add flavor without overwhelming heat; remove promptly if it softens to avoid excess spice.
- Dumplings: For gluten-free dumplings, substitute with a tested gluten-free flour blend and adjust liquid as needed.
Recipe Summary
This Jamaican Chicken Soup is a comforting Caribbean classic: a pumpkin-thickened chicken broth loaded with vegetables and finished with simple cornmeal dumplings. It’s ideal for feeding a crowd, soothing someone who’s sick, or warming up on a chilly evening. Follow the steps above for dumpling texture and timing, and remember to remove the whole pepper and herbs before serving for the best balance of flavor and heat.
Listen to Ashley and Precious’s Episode
Tune into The Storied Recipe Podcast to hear the full conversation and the memories that accompany this recipe.