Chicken soup is undoubtedly comfort food for everyone, everywhere. In the Caribbean, our chicken soup is hearty and healthy. It’s superb for rainy days, snowy days, sunny days, Saturdays and pandemic days!
Today I am sharing my secret family recipe with you. This chicken soup recipe or the basic ingredients are all subject to change based on the availability of the ingredients and your preference.
CHICKEN SOUP USING THE BROWNING METHOD
My mom taught me to brown the chicken using the brown sugar stewing method which imparts a unique depth and flavor to this dish. This soup is unlike any other soup recipe you will come across.
Strangely, after posting this recipe on You Tube I discovered that not many people know about this technique. This is my technique of choice. If you choose not to use the sugar-browning step, you will certainly have a different outcome. In my opinion, it is not as delicious!
If you have never tried this method, do give it a try and let me know how it turns out.
Warning: this recipe makes a huge 10 qt pot, so feel free to reduce the quantity depending on your family size and needs!
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Ria's Family Chicken Soup
Caribbean, our chicken soup is hearty and healthy. It's great for rainy days,
snowy days, sunny days, Saturdays and pandemic days!
Equipment
- 10 QT SOUP POT
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tsp brown sugar
- 3 lbs chicken whole cut up or chicken pieces (wings, back, feet, thighs)
- 1 lb sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces (2 medium), use orange or purple or a combination
- 1 carrot sliced, large
- 1/2 lb green fig 2, optional (peeled and cut into 2 or 4 cut lengthwise)
- 1/2 lb potato 3 small, cut into quarters
- 2 corn each sliced into 3 pieces
- 1/2 lb eddoes / yautia cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 lb yuca/cassava peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
- ½ lb pumpkin peeled and cubed
- 4 tbs green seasoning optional
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 stalks celery chopped, divided into 2
- 4 scallions chopped
- ½ cup chopped bandhania divided
- 3 tbs minced garlic
- 10 thyme sprigs
- 12 ochro tops removed (1/2 lb if you love ochro)
- 2 Pimento peppers chopped
- About 12 cups hot water
- Finishing
- ¼ cup chopped celery 2 pimento peppers, ¼ cup chopped bandhania. Salt, to taste, freshly ground black pepper
Flour Dumplings
- 2 cups flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- Water to knead
Instructions
- If the chicken is large or whole, cut up into 2 inch pieces. If using chicken foot, remove ends of feet.
- Wash chicken with the juice of a lime or lemon and drain, removing skin or excess fat if you wish. You can season in advance with 2 minced scallions, ¼ cup minced bandhania, hot pepper, 1/4 onion, 1 tbs minced garlic, 2 tbs ketchup. 1 tbs soy sauce(not dark), 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. (I didn’t in the video).
- Peel and prep veggies and ground provisions (sweet potatoes, carrot, green fig, potato, corn, eddoes, yuca/cassava, pumpkin). Keep submerged in water to prevent oxidation/getting black.
- Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pot over medium heat.
- Add sugar and allow it to froth, bubble, expand and darken.
- Add chicken, stir until even brown in color, about 2-3 minutes. Cover, lower heat to medium and cook. It will release and cook in its natural juices. Stir every 10 minutes. Once most of the liquid has evaporated and the chicken is half way cooked about 15 minutes, add sweet potato, carrot, green fig, potatoes, eddoes, yuca/cassava, pumpkin, salt, black pepper, green seasoning, ½ celery(reserve other half for finishing), onion, scallions, garlic, chopped hot pepper. Stir fry for 3 minutes.
- Add enough hot water to cover by 2-3 inches(usually 10-12 cups), along with a whole hot pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender but still firm, about 30-50 mins. After 30 minutes, you can add the corn and ochro. Stir the pot every ten minutes, adding salt if required.
- While the veggies are cooking, knead the flour for the dumplings. Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Mix and gradually add water and knead to form a firm dough, process takes about 5 minutes. You can shape the dumplings and, to do so, pinch of a piece of the dough, shape by rolling between the palm of your hands to form a log. Repeat until all the flour is used up.
- Once the veggies are cooked until tender, add the dumplings and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, continuously stirring to combine the flavors and thicken the soup. Add more water if required, to make more sauce/broth.
- Finish off with chopped celery and pimento pepper(and/or bandhania/culantro). Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Best chicken soup it was so easy and cooking the chicken before really give a yummy taste love it love all your recipes
Did this today but used beef. Great directions for any type of soup. I used prepackage soup veg pack, wasnt bad. but next time fresh vegs.