There’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of cozy soup and this tasty Jamaican Veggie Soup is a healthy burst of delicious flavor like a warm hug of goodness. Aromatic Jamaican spices are coupled with zesty garlic and onions, hearty potatoes, protein-packed chickpeas, tasty squash and zucchini, all swimming in a savory tomato broth that is a delicious nod to the Jamaican cuisine. This comforting veggie laden soup is ultra-satisfying and brimming with flavor.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Hi there, Ameera here!
I just love exploring new cuisines, don’t you? I have to say, I am much more adventurous than before when it comes to cooking food. I love developing recipes; it’s my passion – a fun and creative outlet that I find deeply rewarding and satisfying.
WFPB Cooking Dichotomy
I am always intrigued when I see comments on Facebook and Instagram about differing philosophies on cooking and baking.
Some folks like to keep things super simple, they don’t have any time to be in the kitchen. They want simple bowls of steamed veggies with minimum effort.
I totally respect that; while others like myself, find cooking and baking richly rewarding. It is our way to release some creativity. I truly enjoy the process and it punches my “feel good ticket” when my family goes crazy over the food that I prepare for them.
What I struggle with is when individuals from both sides of the fence start fussing at each other for holding their own personal views and approaches to Whole Food Plant Based cooking and baking.
Diversity makes the world go around after all, right? It would be a boring world if we were all exactly the same, and everyone held the same views.
I personally straddle the fence quite a bit, that is why we created the “Whip it Up Wednesday” category. The WIUW category of recipes is a hybrid of simple cooking with a rich-list of flavorful ingredients.
I apologize, I got off the beaten path from discussing this recipe because I got distracted as I keep seeing a lot of posts/comments where people are dissing each other’s method of cooking, number of ingredients, or type of WFPB ingredients used. We are all on the same journey to health; let’s all be supportive, encouraging, and positive towards each other.
Any who… back to the deliciousness at hand, this tasty Jamaican inspired soup. YUM!
This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.
Jamaican Cuisine
I love Jamaican food, it is SO tasty and brimming with lots of yummy spices! This soup is a nod to that beautiful cuisine with its earthy flavors and delicious array of spices. It does contain some spices that are unexpected (for some) in a savory dish, like cinnamon and allspice, but you can use a tiny pinch or simply adjust as you see fit.
I’ll let Mom tell you more!
Hello, Robin here!
This soup was so much fun and quite delicious! I love exploring new cuisines too! Have you found yourself expanding your food horizons since going Whole Food Plant Based like we have? This way of eating has opened a whole new world of deliciousness to us!
We love testing new recipes from all over the world. It sure makes life more exciting!
If you try this flavorful dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.
Products Used:
- Ceramic/enamel lined Dutch oven, deep skillet, or similar large stock pot/skillet.
Jamaican Veggie Soup
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Total Time: 60 Minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Jamaican
Description
There’s nothing more comforting than a big bowl of cozy soup and this tasty Jamaican Veggie Soup is a healthy burst of delicious flavor like a warm hug of goodness. Aromatic Jamaican spices are coupled with zesty garlic and onions, hearty potatoes, protein-packed chickpeas, tasty squash and zucchini, all swimming in a savory tomato broth that is a delicious nod to the Jamaican cuisine. This comforting veggie laden soup is ultra-satisfying and brimming with flavor.
Whole Food Plant Based, vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, gluten free, no highly processed ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 cup red onion, fine dice
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 – [ 14.5 oz. ] can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable broth *
- 2 cups water (or broth)
- 1 Tablespoon low sodium tamari *
- ½ teaspoon baking soda *
- 1 ½ cups sweet potatoes, peeled, small dice *
- 1 ½ cups red skinned potatoes, unpeeled, small dice *
- 1 – [ 15.5 oz. can ] chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 Tablespoon dried minced onion flakes
- 2 teaspoons dried crushed thyme leaves *
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ + 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon *
- ¼ + 1/8 teaspoon allspice *
- 1 teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper*
Other Optional Ingredients:
- 1 small zucchini, small dice (about 1 to 1 ½ cups)
- 1 small yellow squash, small dice (about 1 to 1 ½ cups)
- Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add all the Spice/Herb Ingredients except for the cayenne pepper. Mix and set aside.
- In a large ceramic/enamel-lined deep skillet, Dutch oven, non-stick deep skillet or similar stock pot, add the diced onions and matchstick carrots, sauté over medium heat until they begin to soften, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add a tablespoon or so of water if they start to stick and/or to prevent burning.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds, then add the Spice/Herb mix, sauté for about 30 seconds, just to release their fragrance, then add the broth, water, and potatoes, bring to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, remove the lid, add the petite diced tomatoes, tamari, baking soda, and chickpeas and simmer until the potatoes are just about tender.
- If adding zucchini and squash, add them now and cook just until they reach the desired tenderness. Note: Zucchini and squash release a lot of water, so check your seasonings and adjust accordingly as the extra water released from the zucchini and squash may dilute your seasonings.
- Add the cayenne pepper, stir well, simmer for a minute or two, discard the bay leaves.
- Serve with freshly chopped cilantro or parsley, if desired.
Notes
*Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
*Cinnamon/Allspice: If you enjoy cinnamon and allspice in savory dishes, use the full amount indicated in the recipe. If you are unsure, start out with a smaller amount, then taste test toward the end.
*Baking Soda: The baking soda is often used as a neutralizer for dishes that contain a lot of acidity, typically from tomatoes. We use it in this dish to remove some of the tomato acidity without losing the tomatoey flavor. When you add it, the mixture will bubble up, then settle down as it neutralizes the acidity.
*Potatoes: You can use all red skinned potatoes or all sweet potatoes or a mix of both as we did. Cut them into ½ inch diced cubes.
*Tamari: We used San J Tamari Soy Sauce, Gluten Free, Reduced Sodium. You can substitute the tamari with reduced sodium soy sauce, Braggs Liquid Aminos, or Braggs Coconut Liquid Aminos.
*Dried Crushed Thyme Leaves: If using ground thyme, use half the amount indicated in the recipe.
*Cayenne Pepper: If you enjoy heat, use the full amount. If you are unsure start with a smaller amount and increase as needed.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Makes: 4 servings
*Storage: Refrigerate, use within 7 days.
This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a very small commission if you purchase through those links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures! For more information, see our disclosures here.
On the menu for today–Dorian’s brushby makes this a perfect rainy, windy day soup!
Many thanks as always for the best recipes on the Web!
Hi there Jenna 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words. We truly appreciate it! We are so happy you plan to give this recipe a try. We hope you love it as much as we do!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
This sounds delicious! I have a jerk seasoning that I bought recently. I may give it a try.
Hi there Gina 🙂
Awesome, thank you so much! We hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as we do!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Omg!! This soup/stew is absolutely delicious. I usually never come back to comment either but this one!! Awesome. I love all your recipes thank you both. Just my husband and I now for dinner most nights and the leftovers save me another night of cooking too. Bonus
Hi there Judy 🙂
Yaaaay!!! We are so thrilled to hear that you and husband enjoyed this recipe as well as other recipes of ours that you have tried – *doing a happy dance*. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your wonderful feedback with us. We appreciate your support!
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
I am loving this soup! I was nervous about the cinnamon in particular, but I think it tastes gorgeous! I cut the amount of baking soda in half because I like a little bit of that tomato bite. Super impressed you two are geniuses.
Hi there Tosha 🙂
Woo Hoo!! We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing your adjustments and wonderful feedback with us! We truly appreciate you taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂
Wow! The flavors in this soup are absolutely brilliant. It is as good as anything I’ve tasted from my favorite Jamaican restaurant. There seemed to be a lot of ingredients, but most are spices and herbs. You just line them up, measure into a bowl, and clear them away. It goes pretty quickly. I didn’t have red onion so I used yellow. I used my own veggie broth, and did not use any salt. Otherwise I followed the recipe exactly, using the Instant Pot. Thanks for posting this recipe.
Hi there Dave 🙂
Yaaaayyy! We are so thrilled that you enjoyed this recipe and thought the flavors were absolutely brilliant! Thank you so much for sharing your awesome review with us. We appreciate you taking the time to write.
-Ameera and Robin 🙂