Alright, alright, let me tell you ‘bout this Jamaican soup, yeah? It ain’t nothin’ fancy, mind you, just good ol’ food that fills your belly and warms your soul. My old man, he used to say, “Good soup, good life,” and he weren’t wrong, no sir.
First off, you gotta have some good fish, ya hear? Not that fancy stuff from the store, but somethin’ fresh, somethin’ that tastes like the sea. We always used whatever we caught that day, sometimes it was snapper, sometimes it was cod, didn’t matter much long as it was fresh. And vegetables, gotta have those too. Carrots, potatoes, maybe some pumpkin, whatever you got growin’ in the garden. Chop ’em up real good, don’t need to be fancy, just small enough to cook fast.
Now, this ain’t no quick meal, mind you. You gotta let it simmer, let all them flavors mix together. That’s the secret, see? Patience. You can’t rush good soup. Low and slow, that’s the way to do it. Let it bubble away on the stove for a good long while, maybe an hour, maybe two, ‘til everything is soft and tender.
- Get yourself a good pot, a big one.
- Fill it with water, clean water mind you.
- Toss in your fish and your veggies.
- Add some seasonings, salt, pepper, maybe a little thyme if you got it.
And let it cook, low and slow, like I said. Don’t be pokin’ at it all the time, just let it be. You’ll know when it’s ready. The smell, oh, that smell! It’ll fill your whole house, make your mouth water just thinkin’ about it. That fish, it’ll get all flaky, and the vegetables, they’ll be so soft you can mash ’em with a spoon. That’s how you know it’s good, real good.
Now, some folks, they like to add some dumplings to their soup. Little balls of dough, they are. I ain’t much for dumplings myself, but my kids, they love ’em. If you wanna make dumplings, go ahead. Just flour and water, mixed together ‘til it’s a dough, then roll it into little balls and drop ’em in the soup. They’ll cook up real quick, float to the top when they’re done.
And then there’s the chicken soup, oh that’s another good one, yup. Same kinda deal, but with chicken instead of fish. Good chicken, mind you, not that skinny stuff from the store. And you gotta have good broth, chicken broth. Makes all the difference, it does. And for that chicken soup, I do like to add some Scotch bonnet pepper, but just a little bit, don’t want to burn your mouth off, haha.
You throw in the chicken and the veggies, and that good chicken broth, bring it to a boil then let it simmer again, you know the drill. Let those dumplings float up. It makes the whole thing taste… hearty, yeah that’s the word, hearty. Keeps you going all day long.
This soup, it ain’t just food, see? It’s…it’s comfort. It’s warmth. It’s a reminder of home, of family, of good times. It’s the kinda food that makes you feel good inside and out. And that’s what matters most, ain’t it? Feeling good.
So, there you have it. My two cents on Jamaican soup. Fish or chicken, it don’t matter much. Just good ingredients, cooked slow and with love. That’s all you need. Now, go on and make yourself some soup. You won’t regret it, I tell ya. It ain’t a fancy dish, but it sure is good for the soul.
And don’t forget to share with your neighbors, good food is meant to be shared, always remember that.
Tags：[Jamaican Soup, Fish Soup, Chicken Soup, Jamaican Food, Caribbean Cuisine, Comfort Food, Soul Food, Easy Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Traditional Food]
