Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup

This traditional Jamaican soup is a firm favourite in our family, and has become a much looked forward to starter on Christmas dinner, where the lamb adds an additional depth to the warming taste. Great for those winter nights. It never fails to pick you up, so nourishing it smells great in the kitchen and is perfect for those moments together around the table.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Skinless Chicken (legs & thighs) or chunks of lamb on the bone
  • 1 tsp salt.
  • 1tsp. Black pepper
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 6 pimento seeds
  • 1 tsp garlic & ginger
  • 6-8 cups of water
  • 2 Medium carrots (Chopped)
  • 1 medium onion (chopped)
  • 2 spring onions (chopped)
  • 200g Sweet potato or White potato chopped into large chunks
  • 250g Pumpkin (Diced)
  • 150g Yam chopped into large chunks 
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet
  • 1 Packet of Pumpkin (50g)
  •  1 packet cock soup mix (50g)
  • Dumplings/Spinners
  • 250g Plain flour
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 tsp salt.

 

Optional:

Chicken stock cubes

Corn on the cob

Plantain

Celery

 Method

  1. Add water to a large pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Cut skinless chicken into pieces, and place the chicken into the pot along with the pumpkin. Then add salt, pepper, pimento,  garlic & ginger and thyme. Mix them all together and boil for 20 minutes on a medium heat. (Add optional stock cubes also)
  3. Add onions, spring onions, sweet potatoes or white potatoes, yam, carrots, and bring to boil for 15 minutes. (Add optional plantain, corn on the cob, celery)
  4. Make your dumplings - mix flour and salt together, slowly add the water and nead into a dough. Break dough into small chunks and roll some into tight balls. Roll the others into spinners (tight cocktail sausage shapes, fatter in the middle)
  5. Add Dumplings and spinners along with 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper into the pot and cook for further 15 minutes.
  6. Then add your Pumpkin and cock soup mix and stir well and simmer for 5-10 minutes
  7. Serve!