This Jamaican Pumpkin Soup – Hearty and Savory recipe is my go to meal! The pumpkin soup is such a comfort food! You can have it as a meal. It takes time to prep and cut up the ingredients. However, once everything is prepped, it is so easy to cook! You can just throw all the ingredients together in a pot and let it cook for a couple hours. Soup tastes even better the next day as all the ingredients are absorbed in the soup!

I love this Jamaican Pumpkin Soup! This is a perfect meal on cold days, when you are sick. Even if you are not sick, this soup is a meal to boost your immune system and keep you healthy!

Ingredients for this Jamaican Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients for Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
Ingredients for Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
  • 2 Packs of Grace COCK chicken noodle soup
  • 1.76 lb of Pumpkin
  • 2 White Onions
  • Two Chayote (aka Cho Cho) -> the green fruits in the above picture
  • 2 Carrots
  • 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts -> you can also use Beef instead of chicken.
  • One lb of Yam
  • 1 Sweet Potato
  • 1 Container of HOME-MADE Chicken Stock (not shown in above picture) . You can replace with Campbell less salt chicken broth
  • 1 Cup of Mixed Frozen Vegetables/Corn
  • 2 Stalks of Green Onion (not in the above picture)
  • Pinch of Salt and Pepper to taste (not in the above picture)
  • 4 Quarts of Water (not in the above picture)

Secret Ingredients to this Hearty and Savory Jamaican Pumpkin Soup:

  • 1 Branch of Dry Thyme
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet (Only if you can take ‘hot’. this can be optional)
  • approx 20-30 Pimentos
The Secret Ingredient to his Hearty and Savory Pumpkin Soup - Scotch Bonnet, Dry Thyme and Pimentos
The Secret Ingredient to his Hearty and Savory Pumpkin Soup – Scotch Bonnet, Dry Thyme and Pimentos

Cooking Instructions:

What takes longest in this recipe is preparing all the ingredients for the Jamaican Pumpkin Soup to make it hearty and savory. You have to peel the Pumpkin, Chayote, Carrot, Yam, Sweet Potatoes and cut in cubes.

Tip for Yam: If you cut the yam in cubes and put right away in the pot, then it is fine. If you are not putting it into the pot right away, then make sure to soak it in water so it doesn’t go brown.

Tip for Sweet Potato: After cutting the Sweet Potato in cubes, soak in water so it doesn’t go brown. Sweet Potato goes into the Pot LAST (i.e. at the very end as the sweet potato breaks up in the soup).

How to Clean and Prep the Chicken before cooking:

  • Rinse the Chicken Breasts in cold water
  • Cut the chicken breasts in cubes
  • Soak in water and add some lime juice.

We have a practice of soaking the chicken in water with lime juice/lemon juice before cooking the chicken. This not only helps disinfect the chicken and tenderize the meat, it also provides a clean base for rubs and marinades.

  • Put a pot of 4 Quarts of Water to a boil
4 Quarts of Water for Pumpkin Soup
4 Quarts of Water for Pumpkin Soup
  • Add Pumpkin, 2 packs of Grace COCK chicken noodle soup, home-made chicken stock or Campbell low sodium chicken broth
  • Add in 1 branch of Dry Thyme, Scotch Bonnet (optional) and 20-30 Pimentos
Pumpkin, Thyme, Scotch Bonnet, Pimentos
Pumpkin, Thyme, Scotch Bonnet, Pimentos in a pot
  • Julienne the White Onions and add to the pot
  • Let it boil for a bit
  • Add in Frozen Mixed Vegetables/Corn
  • Add in the rest of the chopped up ingredients like Carrots, Yam, Chayote..
  • Let the soup boil for 1.5 hours on Medium Heat
  • Stir occasionally to avoid the ingredients getting stick to the bottom of the pot
  • Add in the Sweet Potato at the very end as the sweet potato breaks up in the soup.
  • Cover the pot partially and cook for another 20-30 minutes at Low Heat until the sweet potato is cooked.
  • Add in 2 Stalks of Green Onion and let it cook for a bit.
  • Taste the sweet potato and other ingredients in the soup to see if it is cooked/soft.
  • If the sweet potato is cooked, then the soup is ready to SERVE!
  • For Jamaicans who love to have Dumpling in your Pumpkin Soup, see below for how to make dumplings to add to this Hearty and Savory Jamaican Pumpkin Soup!
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup - Hearty and Savory
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup – Hearty and Savory

How to make Dumplings to add to this Jamaican Pumpkin Soup Recipe:

  • Add 2 cups of All Purpose Flour into a bowl
2 cups of all purpose flour to make dumpling
2 cups of all purpose flour to make dumpling
  • Add 2 pinches of Salt
  • Add Enough Water for consistency of the dough so you can roll it into a dumpling shape.
Dumpling for this Hearty and Savory Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
Dumpling for this Hearty and Savory Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
  • Add the dumpling into the Pumpkin Soup at the end and cook the dumpling for approximately 20 minutes at medium heat

Check out Health Line for the Health Benefits of Chayote and Pumpkin.

Tools used in this recipe:

Please leave a comment if you have tried this recipe and like the soup! In my opinion, this is my favorite Jamaican Pumpkin Soup. It is not only delicious yet satisfying and comforting! There is always room for a hot bowl of pumpkin soup! Enjoy! Please share this recipe to your friends, family or colleagues if you like the recipe. Thank you!

The followings are some of my favorite recipes:

Print Recipe
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup - Hearty and Savory
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup - Hearty and Savory
Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings
Ingredients
Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup
Cuisine Jamaican
Servings
Ingredients
Jamaican Pumpkin Soup - Hearty and Savory
Instructions
How to Clean and Prep the Chicken before cooking:
  1. Cut the chicken breasts in cubes
    2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
  2. Rinse the Chicken Breasts in cold water
  3. Soak in water and add some lime juice.
How to make Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
  1. Put a pot of 4 Quarts of Water to a boil
    4 Quarts of Water for Pumpkin Soup
  2. Add Pumpkin, 2 packs of Grace COCK chicken noodle soup, home-made chicken stock or Campbell low sodium chicken broth
    Pumpkin, Grace COCK Spicy soup
  3. Add in 1 branch of Dry Thyme, Scotch Bonnet (optional) and 20-30 Pimentos
    The Secret Ingredient to his Hearty and Savory Pumpkin Soup - Scotch Bonnet, Dry Thyme and Pimentos
  4. Peel and Julienne the White Onions and add to the pot
    2 White Onions Julienne
  5. Let it boil for a bit
  6. Then add in the rest of the chopped up ingredients like Carrots, Yam, Chayote..
    Pumpkin, Thyme, Scotch Bonnet, Pimentos
  7. Add in Frozen Mixed Vegetables/Corn
  8. Add in the chicken breasts
  9. Let the soup boil for 1 hour and a 1/2 hours on Medium Heat
    Jamaican Pumpkin Soup - Hearty and Savory
  10. Stir occasionally so the ingredients don't stick to the bottom of the pot
  11. Peel and cut the sweet potato in cubes. Soak in water until use at the end. Add in the Sweet Potato at the very end as the sweet potato breaks up in the soup.
    Sweet Potato
  12. Cover the pot partially and cook for another 20-30 minutes at Low Heat until the sweet potato is cooked.
  13. Add in 2 Stalks of Green Onion and let it cook for a bit.
  14. Taste the sweet potato and other ingredients in the soup to see if it is cooked/soft.
  15. If yes, then this Jamaican Pumpkin Soup is ready to SERVE!
    Jamaican Pumpkin Soup - Hearty and Savory
How to make Dumplings
  1. Add 2 cups of All Purpose Flour into a bowl
    2 cups of all purpose flour to make dumpling
  2. Add 2 pinches of Salt
  3. Add Enough Water for consistency of the dough so you can roll it into a dumpling shape.
    Dumpling for this Hearty and Savory Jamaican Pumpkin Soup
  4. Then add the dumpling into the Pumpkin Soup at the end and cook the dumpling for approximately 20 minutes at medium heat
Share this Recipe