Recipe
🥙 LUNCH
Kittitian Chicken Bouillon
A hearty Kittitian one-pot of chicken simmered with potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin in an aromatic, herb-scented broth; homely island comfort food.
Kittitian · easy · serves 5
prep 20 min · cook 45 min
~467 cal · 51g protein · 24g carbs · 16g fat · 4g fiber · 6g sugars · 4g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Bouillon is the everyday comfort stew of St Kitts and Nevis, a hearty one-pot of chicken simmered with root vegetables and pumpkin in an aromatic broth. Where goat water and the national stewed-saltfish plate are the islands' celebration dishes, bouillon is what a Kittitian home cooks on an ordinary day, thrifty, nourishing, and endlessly adaptable to whatever is in the kitchen.
The method is simple and forgiving: brown the seasoned chicken with onion and garlic, add potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin, then it all in a well-seasoned scented with thyme and a whole hot pepper until the meat is tender and the broth has body. The pumpkin softens and thickens the pot, giving it a gentle sweetness.
It is served hot in deep bowls, a bowl of island home cooking that needs nothing more than a spoon and, if you like, a slice of bread to soak up the broth.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, nut-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 5
2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, sliced
1 1/2 cups pumpkin, cubed
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 pepper, left whole
5 cups chicken or vegetable
2 tbsp vegetable oil
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
Instructions
1
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown it in the oil in a large pot with the onion and garlic.
2
Add the potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, and celery and toss to coat in the aromatics.
3
Pour in the stock, add the thyme and the whole scotch bonnet, and bring to a boil.
✎ Chef’s note
The cubed pumpkin is doing quiet work: as it dissolves it thickens the broth and gives the bouillon its gentle sweetness and body.
4
Reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and the vegetables are soft.
5
Lift out the pepper, adjust the salt, and serve hot in deep bowls.
Basseterre home tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Basseterre. Goat water is Montserrat's national dish first, and Saint Kitts is where it is most prominent after that, so the honest line is that Basseterre cooks it rather than invented it. Montserrat's own authorities insist on meat from a male goat and connect the stew to Irish stew brought by settlers.
🗺️
Saint Kitts and Nevis. Sources genuinely disagree about the national dish, some naming stewed saltfish with dumplings and breadfruit and others goat water, so the honest answer is that both are cited and the entry names both. Goat water's dumplings are called droppers, spooned straight into the pot rather than shaped.
🌍
North America. North America's table began with Indigenous foodways, the "three sisters" of corn, beans, and squash, plus chiles, tomatoes, and cacao, then layered on colonial, African, and immigrant influences. From Mexico's UNESCO-recognized cuisine to the Cajun and Creole pots of Louisiana and the fiery jerk of the Caribbean, the region turns ancient staples into something new. Barbecue, tacos, gumbo, and mole all carry stories of migration and adaptation.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Saint Kitts and Nevis
Goat WaterA rich, spiced goat stew thickened with breadfruit or flour and scented with clove and rum, the Saturday pot.
Stewed Saltfish with DumplingsSalt cod stewed down with tomato, onion, and pepper, served with boiled dumplings and ground provisions, the national breakfast of St. Kitts.
Coconut Sugar CakeChewy pink-and-white coconut candy set in ginger sugar syrup, a nostalgic Saint Kitts and Nevis sweet.
Browse all Saint Kitts and Nevis recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Pot or saucepan.
Storing it: Stews and braises keep 3 to 4 days refrigerated and often taste better the next day. Reheat gently, adding a splash of water if it has thickened.
Make it a Saint Kitts and Nevis meal
Kittitian SorrelDrink
Coconut Sugar CakeDessert
Goat WaterDinner
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Frequently asked questions
What is Kittitian Chicken Bouillon?
A hearty Kittitian one-pot of chicken simmered with potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin in an aromatic, herb-scented broth; homely island comfort food.
Where does Kittitian Chicken Bouillon come from?
Kittitian Chicken Bouillon is a Kittitian dish from Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Can Kittitian Chicken Bouillon be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Kittitian Chicken Bouillon recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Kittitian Chicken Bouillon safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Kittitian Chicken Bouillon take to make?
About 65 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 5.
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