Turkey Neck Soup

Learn how to make this delicious island style turkey neck soup (MY WAY). A soup that is so filling, delicious, flavoursome and comforting. Pieces of turkey neck pressure cooked, combined with a variety of ground provisions herbs, spices, dumpling and simmered to make the best seasonal soup.

Course Appetiser

Cuisine Caribbean, Jamaican

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 2

Servings people

Calories 439kcal

Author Charla

Ingredients

To make the base for the soup

1½-2 lb turkey neck (680g-1.3kg)
3 tablespoon all purpose seasoning (45g) see notes for recipe
leftover turkey bones or carcass (preferably roasted)
3 scallion ends trimmed
½ tablespoon peppercorns (7.5g)
6 pimento berries
4 sprigs thyme tied together
10 cups water (2½ litres)

To make the soup

1-1½ lb calabaza pumpkin (560g) chopped
2 medium carrots chopped
1 small potato chopped (Irish or sweet potato)
½ lb yellow yam (450g) chopped
4-6 ears of corn
1 cho cho chopped
2 scallion/green onion sliced (or trim the ends and keep them whole)
6-8 sprigs thyme tied together
10 pimento berries
scotch bonnet
4 tablespoon Cock soup mix I used my homemade version, see the recipe link or use 1 packet
additional black pepper, garlic/onion powder/granules and pink salt to taste

To make the dumpling and spinners

2 cups gluten free flour
½ cup water
½ teaspoon pink salt

Instructions

To make the base for the soup

Sprinkle the all purpose seasoning onto the turkey neck, coating evenly then set aside.
Place the turkey neck and carcass in the pressure cooker/instant pot along with scallion, black peppercorns, pimento berries, thyme and the water.
Secure the lid, select "pressure cook" and adjust to 30 minutes then set the valve to "sealing".
While the turkey neck is pressure cooking, cook half of the pumpkin (you can steam it or boil it in water) then crush it with a fork or potato masher and set it aside.
Once the time is up, do a quick release and switch the valve to "venting" be careful as the steam will immediately shoot upwards, so keep your face away from the lid.
Remove any fat/scum/residue from the surface with a spoon before using it.
Remove the scallion, turkey carcass, black peppercorns and discard them

To make the soup

.Transfer the turkey stock that you just made along with the turkey neck to a large stock pot.
Bring the stock pot to a boil (it will boil quickly since the liquid is already hot) then add the crushed pumpkin then stir.
Now add the vegetables/herbs - cho cho, yellow yam, carrot, sweet corn, scallion, pimento berries, thyme and the cock soup mix and stir then reduce the heat to medium/low.

To make the dumpling and spinners

Place the flour in a medium sized bowl with the pink salt.
Gradually pour the water into the bowl (you may not need all of it) and make a firm doughball.
Pinch off a small amount of dough and roll in the palm of your hands to make "spinners" and make discs to make regular dumpling.
Start to add them as you make them to the pot.
Once the dumpling/spinners are added, add the scotch bonnet, partly cover the pot (if it is possible) and allow to simmer for 1hr - 1 ½ hour (skim off any additional foam if needed).
If you want the soup thicker, use the back of a spoon to mash some of the potato/pumpkin.
Do a taste test and adjust for additional onion/garlic powder or granules along with black pepper and pink salt.

Notes

This is the recipe link to my All Purpose Seasoning and Homemade Cock Soup Mix. If you are wheat intolerant then you will find this useful.
Save yourself some time by peeling the vegetables ahead of time. Have some water mixed with a few teaspoons of pink salt/lemon juice in a bowl and once you peel the vegetables (especially the yam and sweet potatoes) leave them in the bowl of salt water as this will prevent discolouring.
Use a stock pot that yields at least 4 quarts/3 litres to avoid the risk of any over spill onto your stovetop.
Because this recipe is quite time consuming, to speed things up I recommend boiling or steaming your pumpkin while the turkey neck/bones are being pressure cooked.
You can add the scallion/green onion to the soup whole if you want to, I prefer to slice mine up but a lot of Caribbean people keep theirs whole.
As per Caribbean custom, be sure to wash the turkey neck with vinegar and lime/lemon and salt (if you include it too).
Turkey neck takes a while to cook so I do recommend pressure cooking it first of all.
If you don't own an instant pot, use the old style of pressure cooker, that's what I used prior to getting an instant pot.
You can include whatever vegetables and ground provisions you want, sweet corn, yam, cocoyam, dasheen, cho cho etc...

Nutrition