Chef-tested recipe
A comforting Barbadian chicken soup commonly brings together split peas, ground provisions, pumpkin, fresh herbs and flour dumplings. This approachable pot combines chicken thighs, sweet potato, green banana and spiced dumplings.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Cuisine
- Barbadian (Bajan)
- Course
- Soup or main dish
- Best Served With
- Fresh herbs, pepper sauce on the side or bread. Storage and Food Safety Cool quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate at 4°C or below. Consume within 2 days. Reheat only what is needed until the chicken and broth are thoroughly hot.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Ingredients
- 900 g bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
- 180 g dried yellow split peas, rinsed paid link
- 300 g pumpkin, peeled and cubed
- 250 g sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 200 g green banana, peeled and cut into chunks
- 150 g carrot, chopped
- 150 g onion, diced
- 20 g spring onion, chopped
- 15 g garlic, crushed
- 10 g fresh thyme
- 1.8 litres water or unsalted chicken stock
- 8 g fine salt, adjusted to taste paid link
- 2 g ground black pepper
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet, optional
- 180 g plain flour, for dumplings paid link
- 90–110 ml water, for dumplings
- 2 g salt, for dumplings paid link
Method
1. Put the rinsed split peas in a large pot with the water or stock. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes until beginning to soften.
2. Add chicken, onion, garlic, thyme and pepper. Bring back to a simmer, skim surface foam and cook gently for 20 minutes.
3. Add pumpkin, sweet potato, green banana and carrot. Simmer another 20 minutes, checking that the split peas and vegetables are tender. Add a little hot water if needed.
4. Meanwhile mix flour, dumpling salt and about 90 ml water into a firm dough. Knead briefly and form 12 small dumplings; add more water sparingly if dry.
5. Add dumplings to the simmering soup and cook uncovered for 12–15 minutes until the centres are cooked and no dry flour remains. Check chicken at its thickest part reaches at least 75°C for 2 minutes.
6. Remove thyme stems and the whole hot pepper. Taste, adjust salt, and finish with chopped spring onion.
Beginner Technique Notes
Cut provisions to similar sizes so they finish together. The cooked pumpkin and split peas naturally thicken the broth. Keep the Scotch bonnet intact for aroma and remove before serving.
Substitutions
Green banana may be replaced with an equal weight of yam or extra sweet potato; the texture changes. Boneless chicken thighs cook sooner, so shorten the initial chicken simmer and check temperature.
Allergen Notes
Contains wheat from the dumplings; check stock ingredients.
Always Cook with Heart. Always!
