Learn how to make your very own homemade Grace inspired cock soup mix using a medley of herbs and spices. Add to your favourite Jamaican and Caribbean meat based soups.
Have you ever wondered how or if it is even possible to make your own dried soup mix? Well the answer is yes, you can!
I have a great solution for you, a DIY soup mix, that is made from scratch using flour/starch, herbs and spices. It all comes together in a matter of minutes.
**Update alert, I have updated the recipe by using celery seed powder instead of celery salt and also included pumpkin powder so the mix doubles up as both cock soup mix and pumpkin soup mix**
What is cock soup mix?
In short, it's a dried chicken soup flavour enhancer and thickener. Many Jamaicans and other Caribbean islands depend on this mixture to finalise their soup.
My family would also use this to finish off our soup and the soup would be full of flavour, texture with a unique colour to it.
I must admit no Jamaican chicken soup would be the same without adding this.
However, as I got older I began to be more conscious of certain ingredients and how my body would respond to them.
After reading the ingredients list of cock soup I knew it would be more beneficial to make my own.
Why you need this key ingredient
Admittedly, I wanted to omit the soup mix and I actually tried making some Jamaican Chicken Soup with some Cassava Dumpings using chicken stock and adding the usual ingredients - chicken pieces, herbs, root vegetables etc...
The results wasn't that great, first of all, the soup didn't have any body to it plus it lacked that punchy flavour and there was no colour to the soup.
I knew straight away this wasn't going to work and based on the feedback that I got from my family. I needed to head back to the drawing board and make my own chicken soup mix.
After doing some trial and error with herbs, spices, flour and starch. I came up with my own homemade chicken soup enhancer that works just as good as what is in the supermarkets.
The taste, texture and colour when added to soup really works so well. I'm happy and confident that you will love it as much as I do.
Reasons to make homemade soup mix
- You know what ingredients are in the soup mixture
- Most of the ingredients are widely available and easy to source
- It's cheaper to make your own from scratch
- It has a long self life
Ingredients that you will need
- Brown rice flour: This is used as a gluten free option in place of ordinary flour.
- Cornmeal or tapioca starch: A thickener is needed both cornmeal or a neutral starch like tapioca is a good option.
- A few strands of gluten free spaghetti/noodle: A few dried strands are needed, a small amount is broken into very small pieces.
- Turmeric: This enhances the colour of the soup and yields that yellow-ness to it.
- Onion powder/granules/thyme/parsley/garlic/black pepper/paprika/celery salt: All of the herbs and spices used. I use dried herbs for longevity of the actual mix.
- Chilli/pink salt: both are subjective, some people omit the salt if the soup already has salt in it and chilli is a matter of your threshold for spiciness.
Making Pumpkin powder for (Pumpkin soup mix)
- Chop and peel some pumpkin (you will need about 1lb) or use a whole butternut squash into thin slices.
- Place the slices on your dehydrator tray
- Dehydrate for up to 12 hours @ 70c/158f
- Place the dried pumpkin in a spice/coffee grinder
- Mill into a fine consistency and add 2-3 tablespoon to your soup mix to make pumpkin soup mix.
- Store any excess in a jar (it should last for several months)
How to make the D.I.Y mix
- Place all of the ingredients in a spice/coffee grinder (may also be mixed by hand)(excluding the noodles).
- Pulse into a fine powder like consistency then add the spaghetti/noodle strands
- Store in a glass jar and use accordingly
I'm Caribbean but not gluten free can I still make this mix?
Yes, if you don't subscribe to gluten free living you are more than welcome to make this using normal flour instead.
Is this mix very spicy?
No, it's not. It's quite mild due to the additional herbs and spices being used. It has a mild kick to it.
Notes and tips
- This mix makes 10 tablespoons in total.
- Store your mix in a glass jar and out of direct sunlight to decrease the chance of volatility.
- The shelf life for your mix should be a year.
- Brown rice flour is gluten free, but you can use any other wheat free flour if you don't have or want to use brown rice flour.
- Tapioca starch is a clean starch and a highly recommended starch to use. Fine cornmeal also works just as well if you don't any to hand (organic if possible)
- For best results include both flour and starch as they will help to give texture to your soup
- Celery seed and chilli are optional, not a deal breaker if you don't have them.
Other Caribbean soup recipes to try
**Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**
Homemade Cock Soup Mix
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Brown rice flour
- 2-3 tablespoon pumpkin powder see post, use to make pumpkin soup mix
- 2 tablespoon cornmeal or tapioca starch
- A few strands of gluten free spaghetti/noodles broken into small pieces (see picture)
- 2 ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon onion powder/granules
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon garlic
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon celery seed optional
- ⅛ teaspoon chilli optional
- ½ tablespoon pink salt
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a spice/coffee grinder (may also be mixed by hand)(excluding the noodles)
- Pulse into a fine powder like consistency.
- Then add the spaghetti/noodle strands
- Store in a glass jar and use accordingly
Video
Notes
- This mix makes 10 tablespoons in total.
- Store your mix in a glass jar and out of direct sunlight to decrease the chance of volatility.
- The shelf life for your mix should be a year.
- Brown rice flour is gluten free, but you can use any other wheat free flour if you don't have or want to use brown rice flour.
- Tapioca starch is a clean starch and a highly recommended starch to use. Fine cornmeal also works just as well if you don't any to hand (organic if possible)
- For best results include both flour and starch as they will help to give texture to your soup
- Celery seed and chilli are optional, not a deal breaker if you don't have them.
Tyeisha Pinnock
Question: does brown rice flour work for making dumplings as well?
Charla
Hi Tyeisha, yes brown rice flour will work, although the dumpling will be dense if you use it as a stand alone ingredient. I hope that helps!
Audra P
Hi Charla
I've stopped using the packet version and started using this and I honestly prefer your recipe. I'm being more health conscious and I love the recipes you are sharing. Thank you
Aud
Charla
Hi Aud, thank you so much. I'm so glad to hear that my homemade version suits your preference. I do appreciate the support, it means so much to me.
Lavonne
Tapioca Question? Went to the store today I saw small balls for Tapioca then I saw large chunks? Can you recommend a brad to get. Thank you
Charla
Hi Lavonne, Tiana if you're in the UK or Bob Red Mills if you are stateside, but you will need the starch which looks like a white powder not the balls, that's used for drinks, a lot of Asian people use it in their drinks, you don't want that stuff. I hope that helps.
Serena
Hi your recipes look brilliant so happy to have found a healthier version of cooking the Caribbean food I love
Can’t wat to start cooking
Thankyou
Charla
Hey Serena, thank you and welcome!!