Chicken Feet Soup

Chicken Feet Soup – This delicacy is satisfyingly rich and intensely flavored. Its mouthwatering aromas, creamy texture, and intense flavor appeal to all the senses. Jamaican Chicken Feet Soup is a delicious way to enjoy the world of Caribbean cooking.

I grew up where chicken feet on the table is normal. But I get it if you have doubts the first time you see a bowl of chicken feet soup. Chicken feet, seriously? Those doubts will melt away after you taste it. It’s so tasty and filling. I eat every bite of that bowl of soup and then some. 

Chicken feet are an underappreciated ingredient packed with flavor and surprisingly meaty. Boiling the chicken feet creates a soup base to build even more flavors. As the soup cooks down, the starches from the pumpkin and potatoes thicken the broth into the perfect creamy texture that we love in our soups. With this recipe, you will ‌enjoy this dish as much as my friends and I do. 

When Do You Eat Chicken Feet Soup?

Soup is not just a winter food. In Jamaica and Africa, we serve soup no matter the outside temperature. So you can enjoy this meal any time and any place. The best part is that this chicken feet soup recipe allows for endless tweaking for your perfect soup. You can adjust it to your preferences. Simply add more vegetables, different vegetables, or extra peppers to make it spicy. 

Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken Feet – You need a pound of chicken feet. Get them with the toenails removed, or remove them yourself with a knife or kitchen scissors.
• Vegetables – You can finely chopped onion, minced garlic, diced celery, chopped green onions, and carrots to have them ready to go beforehand. Finish the soup with sliced sweet corn.
• Roots – Potatoes and pumpkin add healthy carbs and wonderful flavor for a filling one-pot meal.
• Spices – Fresh minced thyme, chicken bouillon, and a scotch bonnet pepper for some spice make this good enough for a special occasion.

How to Make Chicken Feet Soup

Prepare the Ingredients

1. Prepare the Chicken Feet – Chop the nails off of the chicken feet, be sure to cut a little bit higher than the nail to ensure you get all of it. Wash the feet with water or a mixture of lemon and or vinegar. Rinse well.
2. Chop Vegetables – Peel the pumpkin with a knife and cut it into bite-sized chunks. Dice the celery and carrot. Chop slices of sweet corn and then quarter the pieces. Set all this aside. Finely chop the onion and green onion.
3. Saute – In your soup pot, heat some oil, add onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until fragrant (about 1-2 minutes). Then go in with the celery and green onions and saute for another minute.

Make the Soup

4. Add Chicken Feet – Add the chicken feet, scotch bonnet (if you like it spicy), and chicken bouillon powder. Add a cup of water and allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Add the Roots – Once the chicken boils for 5 minutes, throw in the pumpkin, potatoes, and the rest of the water (about 4 cups). Stir occasionally and let the pot come to a boil for 30 minutes. As the soup cooks, season with salt to taste, and add more water if you need to.
6. Finishing Touches – 10 minutes or so before you’re ready to serve, add the carrot and corn. Continue stirring and let the soup cook until all the vegetables are tender.
7. Serve – Once everything is the texture and consistency you like, serve it hot next to your favorite bread.

Tips and Tricks

• If your chicken feet come with a yellow membrane, you can easily peel it off by blanching the feet in boiling water for a few minutes and shocking them in ice water. This will loosen the skin for easy removal.
• As the soup cooks and your veggies get tender, smash some pumpkins on the pot’s side to naturally thicken the soup and enhance its richness.
• You can serve this Jamaican soup as soon as it comes together, but the longer it cooks, the better it tastes. So be patient!

Make-Ahead Instructions

Like most soups, the longer the flavors meld, the more the taste improves. So making this ahead of time is a great option. The easiest way is to throw all the ingredients into a crockpot or Instant Pot and let it cook all day. Then you’ll have hot and delicious chicken feet soup on the table with minimal effort.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Serve this soup hot. People eat it with all kinds of sides, but they are happy as long as it is steaming. A popular add-in with this soup is cornmeal dumplings or a side of cornbread.

You can store leftover soup in the fridge in the same pot you cooked them after it has cooled down. I also like to portion it out in containers, evenly sharing the leftover chicken feet. You can also freeze it for three months.

Just let it thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating on the stove or in the microwave if you freeze it. Heat the soup slowly and add water as needed to get the best tasting leftovers.

FAQs

More Amazing Soul-Food Recipes

• Southern Collard Greens
• Pig’s Feet
• Jiffy Cornbread
• Fried Chicken
• Buttermilk Pound Cake

Conclusion

This soup is a comforting, delicious, satisfying meal full of tradition and tastes way better than anything you can buy. Are you hungry for more delicious soul-food recipes? Then sign up for our newsletter to stay up-to-date.