Chicken Foot Soup (Trinidad Style). A Hearty Caribbean Classic
If you’ve never tried Caribbean chicken foot soup, you’re in for a treat. This rich and hearty soup is packed with bold flavors, nutritious root vegetables, and the ultimate ingredient for deep flavor, chicken feet. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it. This one-pot soup is a true Saturday staple across the Caribbean, warm, comforting, and full of nourishing ingredients.
In the Caribbean, Saturdays mean one thing. Soup Saturday. Big pots bubbling on the stove, the whole house smelling like thyme, garlic, split peas, and pumpkin. Whether you grew up with Jamaican chicken foot soup or the classic Trinidad style, this cozy bowl brings all the familiar island flavors together.
From Trini corn soup to Jamaican red pea soup to a simple Caribbean pumpkin soup, every island has its signature. And now it’s time to add another must-make to your rotation: this rich and flavorful chicken foot soup.
Why try chicken feet?
I know it might sound strange if you didn’t grow up with it. But once you try this Caribbean chicken foot soup with dumplings, you’ll understand why it shows up in so many island kitchens. Chicken feet are loaded with collagen, which melts into the broth and gives the soup a silky, rich texture.
Is chicken foot soup healthy?
Yes. Chicken feet are naturally high in collagen. Pair that with vegetables, herbs, and roots, and you’ve got a nourishing, feel-good soup perfect for any day.
How to make chicken foot soup
What’s in chicken foot soup?
This chicken foot soup is built on layers of flavor from fresh herbs, vegetables, and spices. You can swap a few things based on what you have.
The main ingredient:
- Chicken feet – This is what gives the soup its unique body and rich broth. Clean them well before cooking.
The soup base and flavor:
- Pumpkin for sweetness and thickness
- Split peas for a heartier, creamier texture
- Garlic, onion, scallions
- Celery
- Pimentos or sweet peppers
- Fresh sprigs thyme, allspice, black pepper, salt
- Scotch bonnet for heat
- Optional. packet soup mix (chicken soup mix, pumpkin or cock soup)
Veggies & Provisions
- Corn
- Christophene (cho cho)
- Sweet potato
- Optional. carrots or yellow yam
- Dumplings made with flour and water
Methods
Making Caribbean chicken foot soup is easy once you get the hang of it. You can cook it on the stovetop, in a pressure cooker, or even in an Instant Pot, depending on how much time you have.
The most important step? Cleaning and prepping the chicken feet before cooking! Let’s walk through it:
1. Prep and clean the chicken feet
- Remove nails and any dark spots from the chicken feet.
- Soak them in water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lime juice and a little pepper sauce for about 10 minutes.
- Discard the water and rinse well.
2. Start the soup base
- If possible, soak your split peas overnight.
- In a large pot, add the chicken feet, soaked split peas, pumpkin, onions, cloves garlic, peppers, thyme, scallion, celery, allspice, black pepper, soup packet, and 6 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil and cook for about 25 minutes until the pumpkin and split peas are tender.
3. Blend for Body
- Once the peas and pumpkin are tender, use an immersion blender to partially blend the soup.
- If you don’t have one, remove about ¾ of the broth, blend it carefully, then return it to the pot.
4. Add provisions
- Add 2 more cups of water.
- Add the corn, christophene, and sweet potato to the pot.
- Bring everything back to a boil.
5. Make and add dumplings
- While the soup base cooks, mix your dumplings. Best to shape them into spinners.
- Once the soup is boiling again, add dumplings and salt to taste.
- Dumplings are cooked once they float to the top.
6. Taste & adjust
- Check for salt, pepper, and heat.
- Simmer a little longer if you prefer a thicker, richer soup.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
- Freeze: If freezing, remove dumplings and dense ground provisions to avoid mushiness. Freeze for up to 5 months.
- Reheat: Best on the stovetop over medium-low with a splash of water. Stir often to avoid sticking.
More Caribbean soups to try
And if you’re in the mood for more island soups, check out my:
Final Thoughts
This Caribbean chicken foot soup is full of flavor, texture, and tradition. Perfect for Soup Saturday or any day you need something warm and satisfying. If you make it, leave a rating and drop a comment. I’d love to hear how it turned out.
Frequently Asked Questions
About 25–30 minutes on the stovetop, or 8 minutes in a pressure cooker.
Yes. It tastes best fresh, but keeps well simmering on low until ready to serve.
Very close. Jamaican versions use more pumpkin and pimento seeds. Trini versions often include split peas and ground provisions.
Yes. In the Caribbean, we say chicken foot. In US stores, especially Costco, they label them “chicken paws.”
Yes. You can remove the feet from their bowl if they prefer only the broth and provisions.
Recipe
Chicken Foot Soup
Ingredients
Method
- Soak the split peas in water overnight if possible.
- Remove nails from chicken feet, and remove any discoloring.
- Place in a bowl with water and about a tablespoon of vinegar or lime juice and some pepper sauce. Let that soak for about 10 minutes.
- Throw that water off the chicken and give it another rinse.
- In a large pot, add the chicken feet, split peas, cubed pumpkin, onions, garlic, peppers, thyme, soup pack, scallion, celery, all spice, black pepper and 6 cups of water.
- Boil this for for 25 minutes until the pumpkin and split peas are tender.
- Make your dumplings while the chicken is boiling.
- Once tender you can use your immersion blender to blend up the soup. Or remove 3/4 of the broth and add it to a blender. Return the blended broth to the rest of the mixture.
- Add 2 more cups water and add the corn, christophene, and sweet potato and let that come to a boil.
- Add dumplings once boiling and add salt.
- Test for salt and pepper.
- Once dumplings are floating to the top they are cooked.
- Soup is ready to be served.
