Jamaican Chicken Soup With Dumplings Recipe

This hearty, comforting Jamaican Chicken Soup With Dumplings is made with bone-in chicken, sweet pumpkin, and chewy spinners, ready in 75 minutes. The magic happens when the yellow yam and dumplings soak up the spicy, golden broth. I love making a large pot of this on cold, rainy weekends.

Why This Classic Works

For a long time, I struggled to get that authentic yellow hue and thick consistency. I finally learned that mashing a few pieces of the cooked pumpkin directly into the liquid is the key to building the base.

The real surprise was how much flavor comes from simply dropping in a whole scotch bonnet pepper. It infuses the pot with an incredible floral heat without making it too spicy to eat.

Jamaican Chicken Soup With Dumplings Ingredients

• 2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces
• 8 cups water
• 1 packet Jamaican pumpkin soup mix
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin, diced
• 1 medium yellow yam, peeled and sliced
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 ear of corn, cut into 4 pieces
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 stalks scallion, chopped
• 6 pimento berries (allspice)
• 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt

How To Make Jamaican Chicken Soup With Dumplings

1. Boil The Chicken: Place the chicken, water, and pimento berries in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Prepare The Vegetables: Add the pumpkin, carrots, yellow yam, and corn to the pot. Stir in the packet of soup mix to thicken the broth.
3. Make The Dumplings: In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, and water until a stiff dough forms. Pinch off small pieces and roll them between your palms to make long, thin spinners.
4. Simmer Together: Drop the dumplings into the boiling soup. Add the scallions, thyme, and whole scotch bonnet pepper.
5. Thicken And Serve: Let everything simmer uncovered for another 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the soup has thickened. Remove the scotch bonnet pepper before serving.

Recipe Tips

• Watch the pepper: Keep the scotch bonnet whole so it infuses flavor without overwhelming heat. Do not let it burst in the pot.
• Mash the pumpkin: If your soup is too thin, take out a few pieces of cooked pumpkin, mash them, and stir them back in.
• Mix the dough well: Knead your dumpling dough until smooth so the spinners stay chewy and do not fall apart in the liquid.

What To Serve With Jamaican Chicken Soup

This soup is a complete, filling meal on its own thanks to the starchy root vegetables and dumplings. You can serve it with a slice of hard dough bread to soak up the leftover broth. A simple side of fried plantains also pairs beautifully with the savory flavors.

How To Store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The broth will thicken as it cools, so you may need to add a splash of water when reheating. I do not recommend freezing this, as the yams and dumplings become mushy.

FAQs

Can I use boneless chicken? Yes, but bone-in chicken provides a much richer, more flavorful stock. If using boneless, you might need extra bouillon.

What can I substitute for yellow yam? If you cannot find Caribbean yellow yam, white potatoes or sweet potatoes work as a decent substitute.

What are spinners? Spinners are traditional Jamaican dumplings rolled into a long, tapered shape rather than a round ball. They cook quickly and are easy to eat.

Nutrition

• Calories: 410 kcal
• Total Fat: 12 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Cholesterol: 75 mg
• Sodium: 950 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 48 g
• Protein: 28 g

Try More Recipes:

• 10 Can Chicken Taco Soup Recipe
• Mexican Corn And Chicken Soup Recipe
• Easy 7 Can Chicken Taco Soup Recipe

Jamaican Chicken Soup With Dumplings

Recipe by Emily Mitchell

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

55

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

15

minutes

Comforting, thick Jamaican Chicken Soup With Dumplings features tender bone-in chicken, sweet pumpkin, and chewy spinners. Ready in 75 minutes, this hearty one-pot meal is the ultimate weekend warmer.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces

• 8 cups water

• 1 packet Jamaican pumpkin soup mix

• 2 cups fresh pumpkin, diced

• 1 medium yellow yam, peeled and sliced

• 2 medium carrots, chopped

• 1 ear of corn, cut into 4 pieces

• 3 sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 stalks scallion, chopped

• 6 pimento berries (allspice)

• 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/3 cup water

• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

• 1. Boil The Chicken: Place the chicken, water, and pimento berries in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
• 2. Prepare The Vegetables: Add the pumpkin, carrots, yellow yam, and corn to the pot. Stir in the packet of soup mix to thicken the broth.
• 3. Make The Dumplings: In a small bowl, mix the flour, salt, and water until a stiff dough forms. Pinch off small pieces and roll them between your palms to make long, thin spinners.
• 4. Simmer Together: Drop the dumplings into the boiling soup. Add the scallions, thyme, and whole scotch bonnet pepper.
• 5. Thicken And Serve: Let everything simmer uncovered for another 20 to 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the soup has thickened. Remove the scotch bonnet pepper before serving.