Habiba Tunau MD

Some days you just need a warm hug, a loving embrace or a meal that puts a smile on everyone’s face.  There is nothing like the aroma of all the herbs and vegetables, chicken & scotch bonnet bubbling in a large pot on a Saturday afternoon! The anticipation of a nutritious, delicious and filling meal that transports you to the beaches of the Caribbean or your grandmother’s kitchen. You & your family will love this recipe loaded with protein, vitamins and fiber. It is simple once you have assembled all your ingredients- and there are many but don’t worry, on a cold day or if feeling under the weather,  it is so worth it to make this soup!

Ingredients

5 Chicken thighs/legs

3 ears of corn

3-4 large carrots

2 celery stalks (optional)

Half a pumpkin and or 1 butternut squash

2 scallions

1 onion

1 green and red pepper

Fresh garlic

1 scotch bonnet pepper

1 chayote squash (optional)

2 large Irish potatoes

1 piece of white/yellow yam

A handful of angel hair pasta

Salt, pepper & fresh thyme

1 & ½ cups of reg flour

This recipe will make 8 servings or more! You will need at least  30 mins prep & 1.5 hours cooking time.

Instructions

• Boil 8-10 cups of water in your biggest pot
• Add washed chopped chicken to water & boil for 10 mins,
• Add chopped/cubed pumpkin ( about 2 cups) or butternut squash and cook till it is soft for about 20 mins.
• Add chopped carrots, celery, garlic and chayote  and continue to boil
• Make your dumplings & add to soup ( mix the flour & a pinch of salt in a bowl with cold water slowly forming a dough. Shape dough into flattened balls or finger like shapes with your hands)
• Add chopped potatoes, & bite size pieces of yam and boil for 10 mins
• Lower heat and add chopped onions, peppers, salt & pepper
• Cut each ear of corn into 3-4 pieces and add to pot
• Add smashed scallions, thyme & whole scotch bonnet to pot
• Finally add broken pieces of angel hair to soup and simmer till it is cooked.

Tips

• Some vegetables like chayote or yams may not be in season or available. Use what you have or check the ethnic/Caribbean/Asian stores in your area.
• Some people don’t like bones in their soup – you may remove the chicken from the soup once it is cooked, debone it and set it aside. Add it back to the soup once done.
• If you don’t have a very large pot you may have to split your ingredients into 2 pots.
• Besides the pumpkin, which helps give the soup the nice color, add the ingredients that cook the longest first.
• Condensed canned chicken soup is often added while cooking this soup but a healthier less sodium option is to add some dry angel hair pasta near the end of the cooking.

Enjoy and please feel free to share this recipe with your loved ones!

Watch the Video Below

 

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