Jamaican Chicken Foot or Pumpkin Soup is a traditional Saturday soup which is cooked in most households. Any part of the chicken can be used however the chicken back is often used because it is the most affordable. This is a quick one-pot meal which usually features pumpkins, carrots, yellow yam, Irish potatoes, cho cho and more. It is a quick and easy recipe to follow, especially making it in an instant pot, you will be done within 30 minutes or less.
This Jamaican Pumpkin Soup recipe features gluten free dumplings, made with all purpose gluten free flour. Not only is this pumpkin soup gluten free but it is vegan.
Pumpkin soup in general is an excellent autumn recipe. It encompasses that fall feel and crosses those elements with flavors from the islands. The combination is a mouthwatering fusion worthy of being repeated again and again. It will keep you warm during the winter months. To give you even more times during the holidays, I have converted my gluten free Jamaican Pumpkin Soup into my Instant Pot Jamaican Pumpkin Soup.
Have you tried Curry Chickpeas?
Traditional spices and flavors used in Jamaican soups are:
Jamaican Pimento
The pimento tree is indigenous to the Caribbean Islands.
It was found growing in Jamaica by early Spanish explorers who were quite impressed with the taste and aroma of the berries and the leaves. The name Pimento originated from the Spanish word "pimienta" (pepper or peppercorn). To most English speaking people the tree is called "pimento" and the berries "allspice". I use pimento in almost every savoury dish I make, even rice sometimes. Recently I have been blending both pimento and peppercorn together whenever I make BBQ sauce. This blend has changed the way I make BBQ for the past 6 months.
Jamaican Scallions:
Jamaican scallion is one of the fundamental plants that have helped to give our food its distinctive flavor. Normally, Jamaicans call scallions, ESCALLIONS, also known in some areas as spring onions, green shallot and onion sticks. Scallions are closely related to onions and they do have a milder flavor.
Thyme
English Thyme is the most common form of thyme and the flavor normally associated with thyme. However, Jamaican Thyme is said to be the strongest flavored cultivar of thyme around. Although the flavor of Caribbean thyme is the same as English thyme, it’s supposedly 10 times more powerful. It makes sense to me that Caribbean thyme is the strongest one out there, because we love our thyme!
Scotch Bonnet
Country pepper is a term us Jamaicans use to refer to any type of really spicy pepper. Country peppers are usually chopped and eaten alongside the food as a condiment, but if the fresh stuff isn’t available, then there must be the bottled kind. Scotch bonnets are often confused with habaneros, but they are different in both heat and flavor. While the resulting dish will still be peppery with this substitution, it isn’t quite the same. The most famous “country pepper” is the scotch bonnet. A kind of chili that resembles the tam o’shanter hat, the scotch bonnet rates anywhere from 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units.
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
Use Grace Pumpkin Soup to add body & flavor to your chicken, shrimp or beef soup, or to your steamed fish. The noodles make it even more delicious and a great addition to spice up any meal.
Ingredients
For the Soup
2 Cups Pumpkin Chunks
1 Ear of Corn, Cut into Rounds
3 Scallion Stalks
3 Thyme Sprigs
3 Pimento Seeds (Allspice Berries)
1 Teaspoons Pink Himalayan Salt
½ Packet Jamaican Pumpkin Soup Noodles
3 Cups Water
Gluten Free Dumplings
1 Cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
¼ Cup Water
Instant Pot Jamaican Pumpkin Soup: Step 1
Instant Pot Jamaican Pumpkin Soup: Step 2
Instant Pot Jamaican Pumpkin Soup: Step 3
Instant Pot Jamaican Pumpkin Soup: Step 4
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup - Instant Pot
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
- Cutting Board
- Measuring Cups
- Knife
- Wooden Spoon
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 Cups Pumpkin Chunks
- 1 Ear Corn Cut into Rounds
- 3 Stalks Scallions Chopped
- 3 Sprigs Thyme
- 3 Pimento Seeds or Allspice Berries
- 1 Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt Optional
- ½ Packet Jamaican Pumpkin Soup Noodles
- 3 Cups Water
For the Gluten-Free Dumplings
- 1 Cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
- ¼ Cup Water
- ¼ Teaspoon Pink Himalayan Salt Optional
Instructions
How to Make the Dumplings?
- Add both water and gluten free all purpose flour to a small bowl and work together to create a dough. The dough should resemble playdough.
- Break the dough into 8 equal pieces.Create whatever shape you desire. They will cook evenly despite the shape. Jamaican dumplings are traditionally round.
How to Make the Soup
- Turn the instant pot on to the pressure cook setting and set to 4 minutes.
- Add all the ingredients except the dumpling and close the instant pot.
- Once the instant pot is done cooking, use the quick release method to release the steam.
- Open the instant pot and turn on the saute setting for 6 minutes.
- Add the dumplings and allow the dumplings to cook. Mash the pumpkin to create a more hearty soup.
This reminds me of home. Yum 😋