Chicken soup has been a part of the Caribbean diet for generations. Chicken soup is a great way to get back into a healthy routine. It also helps to reduce symptoms of a cold or flu.
The following chicken soup recipe is simple to make, and it contains all the essential vitamins and minerals needed to help the body.
But want to know what secret ingredient makes this Caribbean chicken soup so delicious?
In this post, I will share the Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipe that has been around for generations and is still used in Caribbean households. I will also share a few tips on how you can use this recipe to make a chicken soup that’s not only delicious but also healthy.
About My Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipe
Caribbean chicken soup is a portrait of Caribbean cuisine. The Caribbean is diverse and beautiful, as is the soup. Caribbean chicken soup gives you a traditional look into the Caribbeans. It is spicy and so much tasty. The cooking process is easy and cooking-friendly. I made the soup with the available ingredients. You might find them around you.
I have used some of my favorite herbs and vegetables in this recipe. I preferred some spices along with the chicken in this recipe. It is better not to overcook the soup. The cooking steps are very simple. You just need to prepare the chicken and vegetables for cooking. Then go for dumplings to add on.
Add delicious tomato paste to have a hot tomato flavor. I do not prefer to miss those soft dumplings in the Caribbean chicken soup. Because it brings the actual authentic flavor to the soup.
In the winter season, this soup dish is very enjoyable. Don’t miss the food because it’s easy and takes a very short time.
Ingredients for This Chicken Soup Recipe
- 5 to 6 Chicken Pieces
- ½ Cup Quartered Sweet Potato
- 1 Cup Small Diced Pumpkin
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 4 to 5 Baby Corn or ½ Cup Sweet Corn
- 2 or 3 Dry Bay leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons Paprika
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil or Olive Oil
- 1 Cup All-purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Powdered Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 piece Scotch Bonnet Pepper
- 1 piece Bell Pepper
- 4 to 5 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
- ½ tablespoon Chopped Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Onion
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Coriander Leaves
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- ½ teaspoon Chopped Cilantro
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 2 Tomatoes, Quartered
- ½ Cup Brunoised Carrot
- ½ Cup Sliced Plantain
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ tablespoon Chopped Parsley Leaves
How to Make Caribbean Chicken Soup
Step 1: Make Tomato Paste
First, quarter 2 or 3 tomatoes. Boil them for 5 minutes at a high flame. Take a blender and put all the boiled tomatoes into it. Add ½ teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves, and ½ teaspoon of paprika to it. Now blend it until it is fully pasted.
Ensure that no lumps are left in the paste.
Step 2: Marinade the Chicken Pieces
Take half a chicken and cut it into 5 to 6 pieces. Spice up the chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon of paprika, and ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Store aside for the next steps.
Step 3: Cook the Vegetables
Before sauteing chicken pieces, you need to prepare vegetables. Peel off the pumpkin and dice it.
Similarly, prepare ½ cup of brunoise carrot, ½ cup of sliced plantain, ½ cup of quartered sweet potato, and 4 to 5 baby corn or ½ cup of diced sweet corn.
Boil all the vegetable pieces properly. Check if it is fully boiled using a fork or toothpick. You can add some olive oil while the water is boiling. It makes the vegetables look glossy. After boiling, separate the vegetables from the water. Store the leftover water.
Step 4: Cook the Soup
Take a large soup pot. Place it on the stove. Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil or canola oil. Heat the oil for 3 minutes. Add 4 to 5 chopped garlic cloves, ½ tablespoon of chopped ginger, 1 tablespoon of chopped onion, 1 piece of Scotch Bonnet pepper, 1 piece of bell pepper, and 2 or 3 dried bay leaves gradually.
Saute the spices for a couple of minutes. Then add the marinated chicken pieces. Fry the chicken well with the spices. When it turns light brown, add 1 cup of chicken stock to it. Cover the pot and cook for a few minutes. Incorporate tomato paste and some water. Stir to mix up well. Then add the boiled vegetables. Cover the pot again. Now simmer it for 10 minutes.
Step 5: Prepare Soft Dumplings
Dumplings are one of the core ingredients of the Caribbean soup. Place 1 cup of flour, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl.
Add some water gradually and mix to make a dough. After preparing the dough, take a small amount of it in your hand. Roll it to make an I-shaped dumpling. Or you can make a round-shaped dumpling.
Similarly, prepare 4 to 5 dumplings.
Step 6: Finish Cooking Caribbean Soup
Now open the lid of the soup pot. Add the dumplings to the soup. Then add ½ teaspoon of chopped cilantro, 1 tablespoon of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, ½ tablespoon of chopped parsley leaves, and 1 ½ teaspoons of paprika to it.
Add extra water if needed. Then stir continuously. Let the soup cook for another 5 minutes. After finishing cooking, take the soup pot from the stove. Garnish the soup with some parsley leaves and chopped cilantro.
Enjoy authentic Caribbean chicken soup.
The Cooking Tips You Shouldn’t Miss Before Cooking
It is a simple dish. But maintaining some cooking rules makes it just awesome. Here are some cooking tips that you should read at least before going to the kitchen for cooking:
- Add both chicken broth and leftover water after boiling into the soup. It’s better not to use direct water.
- Store marinated chicken for more than two hours if you can. You can use vinegar or lime juice as a marinating ingredient. It makes the chicken soft.
- Turmeric powder is a game-changer in the recipe. Don’t miss to use this. But use it for a very little amount.
- Finally, the dumplings are essential. It’s better to make the dumpling layers thin. Make it as soft as you can. For this add enough amount of water. Knead the dough for at least 10 minutes.
Ingredients
- 5 to 6 Chicken Pieces
- ½ Cup Quartered Sweet Potato
- 1 Cup Small Diced Pumpkin
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 Teaspoons Salt
- 4 to 5 Baby Corn or ½ Cup Sweet Corn
- 2 or 3 Dry Bay leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons Paprika
- 2 tablespoons Canola Oil or Olive Oil
- 1 Cup All-purpose Flour
- 1 tablespoon Powdered Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 1 piece Scotch Bonnet Pepper
- 1 piece Bell Pepper
- 4 to 5 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
- ½ tablespoon Chopped Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Onion
- 1 tablespoon Chopped Coriander Leaves
- 1 Cup Chicken Stock
- ½ teaspoon Chopped Cilantro
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 tablespoon Lime juice
- 2 Tomatoes, Quartered
- ½ Cup Brunoised Carrot
- ½ Cup Sliced Plantain
- 1 teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ tablespoon Chopped Parsley Leaves
Instructions
- Quarter and boil 2-3 tomatoes for 5 minutes.
- Blend with ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp sugar, coriander, and paprika until smooth.
- Cut half a chicken into 5-6 pieces. Season with 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, paprika, and turmeric powder.
- Dice pumpkin, brunoise carrot, plantain, sweet potato, and baby corn. Boil until tender.
- Heat oil, saute garlic, ginger, onion, peppers, and bay leaves.
- Add chicken, brown it, then add chicken stock and tomato paste.
- Incorporate boiled vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Mix flour, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and water to make dough. And prepare dumplings.
- Add dumplings, cilantro, lime juice, thyme, black pepper, parsley, and paprika.
- Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Garnish with parsley and cilantro. Enjoy.
Bottom Line
I hope you will enjoy this healthy Caribbean Chicken Soup recipe. It’s very easy to prepare and can be enjoyed by everyone. If you love Caribbean food, you will really enjoy this recipe. I’m sure that your family will love it too. If you are looking for a healthy and delicious Caribbean soup recipe, this is it! Thanks for reading.
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