Caribbean Chicken Soup with Root Vegetables (Stovetop and Instant Pot)

Caribbean chicken soup can look a little different depending on what you have on hand. Sometimes it’s a soup with chicken pieces, root and other vegetables, and tiny noodles from soup packets. Other times, it’s a clean-out-your-fridge kind of soup, made with some chicken pieces and whatever combination of things you find.

For me, it’s always a big pot of soup with root vegetables (ground provisions), fresh herbs, and chicken simmering on the stove.

This chicken soup is made from scratch with a whole chicken, hearty root vegetables, and a broth that cooks low and slow until everything comes together. It’s simple, filling, and the kind of soup that feeds everyone without needing much explanation.

This is the kind of soup you make when you need something warm and nourishing. The kind that sits on the stove and fills the house. The kind you grow up on and don’t really measure. You just know when it tastes right.

What is Caribbean Chicken Soup

Caribbean chicken soup is a hearty soup made with chicken, root vegetables, fresh herbs, aromatics, and a few pantry staples. It’s not thick like a stew and not a curry. The rich broth is full of flavor, and the vegetables are what make it filling.

It’s typically made with ground provisions like cassava, sweet potatoes, and eddoes, simmered with chicken until everything is tender and some of the veggies melt into the broth. It’s a flexible soup, built on what you have, but always rooted in simple ingredients cooked together.

Why You’ll Love This Caribbean Chicken Soup Recipe

• It’s made from scratch: This isn’t complicated cooking. It’s just real ingredients simmered together until everything tastes right.
• It actually fills you up: The root vegetables (ground provisions) make this more than just broth. It’s a full meal in a bowl.
• It’s Flexible: Use what you have. Swap vegetables, add dumplings, or keep it simple. This is the kind of soup that works either way!
• It’s the kind of comfort food that doesn’t need explaining: Warm, hearty, and satisfying. The kind of soup you put on the stove and let it do its thing.

Ingredients for Caribbean Chicken Soup with Root Vegetable

This Caribbean chicken soup is built with a mix of root vegetables that cook down into the broth and give it body and flavor. Use what you have and adjust as needed. This is one of those soups that works either way.

• Whole chicken: Use a whole chicken, about 5–6 lbs. It gives the soup a richer broth and more flavor.
• Root Vegetables: You’ll need cassava, white sweet potatoes, russet potatoes, yam, carrots, and Caribbean pumpkin (calabaza or butternut squash). Use what you have—this soup is flexible.
• Aromatics: Yellow onion, garlic, and a bit of celery build the base of the soup.
• Fresh Herbs: Fresh thyme is key here. You can use fresh parsley or parsley flakes—both work.
• Wiri wiri peppers: These add a little heat and flavor. You can swap with a scotch bonnet or habanero, or leave them out if you prefer.
• Seasoning: Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little turmeric for color and depth.
• Oil: Use a bit of oil to sauté the aromatics and build flavor at the start.
• Water: Water works here. The chicken, herbs, and vegetables create a flavorful broth as everything cooks together.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Caribbean Chicken Soup on the Stove top

Prep the whole chicken

I prep the chicken, by removing the liver, gizzards, and neck from the chicken (if included) and set aside or discard. Then I cut off the tail, remove any feathers and that tiny bit of yellow skin on the drumstick.

Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut out the backbone, then split the chicken in half down the center of the breast.

From there, you can leave the chicken in halves or break it down further into smaller pieces. If you want a step-by-step guide, you can follow my post on how to break down a whole chicken.

Season the Chicken

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, and parsley.

Then, add the seasoning to the chicken and mix until everything is evenly coated. Let it sit while you start building the soup.

Build the Base and start the Soup

Place a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the oil, then the onions and a pinch of salt. Cook for a few minutes to let them sweat. Next, add the celery, pumpkin, potatoes, and garlic, and cook for a few minutes.

Add the cassava, then place the seasoned chicken (cut in half) on top along with the backbone pieces and gizzards. Add the fresh thyme.

Pour in the water and mix everything together. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then continue boiling for about 30 minutes.

Finish the Soup

Remove the cooked chicken from the soup and transfer to a bowl. Remove as much of the chicken skin and shred the chicken into bite sized pieces, then set aside.

Next remove the thyme stems from the broth. The leaves will fall off during cooking. Then use a fork to crush a most of the potato into the broth to naturally thicken the soup.

Add the chicken back to the pot along with the sweet potatoes, yams, and 2 cups of water. Continue simmering for 10 minutes, then add the plantains, carrots, and wiri wiri peppers. Cook until the sweet potatoes and plantains are fork tender.

Remove from the heat and serve hot.

Make This Caribbean Chicken Soup in the Instant Pot

When I first developed this recipe, I made the entire soup in a large (10-quart) Instant Pot. These days, I use a standard 6-quart, so I only pressure cook the chicken and finish the soup on the stovetop.

To do this, use the sauté function on the Instant Pot to cook the onions, garlic, celery, and pumpkin in a bit of oil until they begin to soften.

Add the potatoes, the seasoned chicken, the thyme and water, then cook on high pressure for about 15 minutes. Use the rapid release function to release the pressure then remove the chicken and continue the rest of the recipe on the stovetop, starting from the step where the chicken is removed and the remaining vegetables are added.

You can also use a stovetop pressure cooker for this step.

Pressure cooking the chicken helps speed things up while still building flavor. In about 15 minutes, the chicken becomes tender and the broth develops a depth that would normally take longer on the stove.

Storage

Let the soup cool completely, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

For longer storage, freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, then reheat on the stove over medium heat until warmed through.

Recipe Variations

• Root Vegetables: Use any combination of root vegetables you like. Eddoes are a great addition if you can find them. You can also use Caribbean yams instead of American yams, or Japanese sweet potatoes instead of white sweet potatoes.
• Chicken: You can use bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, or swap for boneless chicken or chicken breast. If using boneless cuts, you can substitute the water with chicken broth or stock for more flavor.
• Add More Vegetables: If you want to add more to it, you can include vegetables like corn on the cob or chayote. Caribbean soups are usually full and hearty, not just a light broth, so adding more vegetables is a natural way to make the soup stretch and feed more people.
• Add Dumpling: Add dumplings toward the end of cooking for a more filling version of this soup.
• Add Noodles: If you prefer noodles, add them toward the end of cooking so they don’t overcook. Smaller noodles work best here, broken thin spaghetti, or small pasta shapes.

Tips for the Best Caribbean Chicken Soup

• Use a whole chicken if you can: It gives the broth more flavor and body than boneless cuts alone.
• Cut the root vegetables into large pieces: This soup takes time, this allows them to hold their shape while the soup simmers.
• Crush a few pieces of potato into the broth: This help thicken the soup and give it more body.
• Let some of the root vegetables melt into the broth: Let the edges soften and some melt into the broth. This gives the soup more body and a velvety texture.
• Give the soup time to simmer: This allows the chicken, herbs, and vegetables to fully flavor the broth. Add more water as needed if the broth reduces too much while cooking.
• Pop the wiri wiri peppers: This add a bit of heat and flavor to the soup.

Frequently Asked Questions