A rich, comforting Jamaican-style soup made with smoked turkey, soft pumpkin, hearty root vegetables, and traditional dumplings (spinners). This flavourful one-pot dish.
Serves
4 – 6 people
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
60 – 70 minutes
Ingredients
- 500–700g smoked turkey (chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- ½ medium pumpkin (about 600–800g, peeled and cubed)
- 2 medium potatoes (chopped)
- 1 large carrot (sliced)
- 1 green banana (peeled and sliced)
- 1 corn on the cob (cut into pieces, optional)
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 tsp pimento (allspice berries)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1–2 tsp all-purpose seasoning
- 1 stock cube
- Salt and black pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup water (add gradually)
Method
- Add smoked turkey to a large pot with garlic, onion, thyme, pimento, and bay leaf. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20–25 minutes to build flavour.
- Stir in the pumpkin and allow it to cook until it begins to soften and break down. This helps naturally thicken the soup.
- Add potatoes, carrots, green banana, and corn (if using). Stir gently and let simmer for 15–20 minutes.
- Add all-purpose seasoning, stock cube, salt, and black pepper. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Make the spinners in a bowl, mix flour and salt. Add small amounts of water to form a firm dough. Roll small pieces between your hands to create thin dumplings.
- Drop spinners into the soup along with the whole Scotch bonnet pepper. Do not break the pepper unless you want extra heat.
- Let everything cook for another 10–15 minutes until dumplings are firm and all ingredients are tender.
Tips
- Allow the pumpkin to fully soften for a thicker, richer texture
- Avoid stirring too much after adding dumplings
- Adjust spice level by keeping the Scotch bonnet whole
