Jamaican Mannish Water Soup Recipe

This is by far my favorite Jamaican soup recipe of all time. The taste the goat gives this dish is irresistible.I am so excited to share a truly special meal that we call Manish Water Soup in Jamaica.

It has pimento berries, pumpkin, and ground provisions. Plus, you are using goat parts such as the head, tripe, and leg to build the broth that is incredibly rich and deeply satisfying. It is packed with flavour and is said to give you that “strongback” feeling.

My Tips For The Best Jamaican Mannish Water soup

I always stress this, especially for dishes like Manish Water. Make sure you clean all your meats thoroughly with lime and vinegar. This isn’t just for hygiene; it really helps to cut away any raw smell and gets the meat nice and fresh. If the goat’s heat is pre-roasted and it looks a little bit brown, that is perfect.

When making my soup, particularly one that simmers for a long time, I always top up with hot water from a kettle, not cold water. Adding cold water will drop the temperature of your pot, slowing down the cooking process and potentially toughening the meat.

I know some people might be “weirded out” by goat head or tripe, but trust me, these give the Manish Water flavour. The bone marrow from the goat head and the unique texture of the tripe contribute to the depth of the dish. If you can’t find goat head at your local store, try a Caribbean grocery or butcher; it’s worth the hunt.

Why Strain the Soup Mix: You heard me, I strain my Manish Water Soup Mix to remove the noodles. Why? Because the goal is a runny, clear “tea” consistency, not a thick, starchy stew. The noodles, especially if overcooked, can make the soup too thick.

Ingredients

For the Meat & Initial Pot

• 1 lb Goat Head, chopped and cleaned (roasted for authentic preparation)
• 1 lb Goat Tripe (intestines), cleaned thoroughly with lime and vinegar
• 1/2 lb Goat Leg, cleaned and chopped (the meaty part)
• 8 cups Water (or enough to cover meat by at least an inch)
• 1 Tbsp Pimento Berries (Allspice)
• 1 Bouillon Cube
• Several sprigs Fresh Thyme
• ~1/4 lb Jamaican Pumpkin, chopped (optional, for flavour and colour)
• 4-5 cloves Garlic, chopped or left whole

For the Dumplings

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/4 cup Fine-Grained Cornmeal
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3-4 oz Water (add gradually)

Ground Provisions & Vegetables

• 1 medium Irish Potato, cut into 8 pieces (nice size cubes)
• 1/2 lb Yellow Yam, trimmed and cut into nice cube sizes
• 2-3 Green Bananas, cut thick (skin on, washed)
• 1 medium Carrot, cut into nice wedges or chunks
• 3 stalks Fresh Scallion, chopped
• Extra sprigs Fresh Thyme (for final addition)
• Extra Garlic cloves, chopped (for final addition)

Seasonings & Finish

• 1.5 oz packet Manish Water Soup Mix (strained to remove noodles)
• 1 whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper (do not cut, for flavour, or pierce for heat)
• 1-2 Tbsp All-Purpose Seasoning (to taste)
• 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper (or 1/2 tsp, to taste)
• Additional Hot Water (for topping up)

Instructions

Prepare the Meat (Pressure Cooker Method): In your pressure cooker (or large pot), bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add all the cleaned goat pieces (head, tripe, leg).

If cooking in a regular pot, this initial cooking stage will take 1.5-2 hours. In a pressure cooker on the stew setting, aim for 30-45 minutes. Have a kettle of hot water ready for topping up later.

To the meat, add 1 tablespoon of pimento berries, 1 bouillon cube, several sprigs of fresh thyme, the chopped pumpkin (if using), and the 4-5 cloves of garlic. Give it a good stir.

Cover the pressure cooker and cook on the stew setting for 30-45 minutes until the meat is tender.

While the meat is cooking, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Gradually add 3-4 ounces of water, mixing with a spoon at first, then kneading by hand until you have a nice, soft, non-sticky dough. Cover and set aside.

Carefully open the pressure cooker. If you had pumpkin in there, it should be soft enough to crush against the side of the pot. Transfer everything to a large pot if you haven’t been using one already. Bring the soup to a medium-high simmer. Add the diced yams and Irish potatoes.

Now, pinch off small pieces of your prepared dough. You can roll them into small balls or flatten them with your thumb into small, quick-cooking discs. Add them immediately to the simmering soup. Give everything a gentle stir.

Add The Dumplings

After about 20 minutes of the provisions and dumplings cooking, add the 1.5 oz packet of Manish Water Soup Mix. Important: Strain the soup mix to remove the noodles.  Stir this in, along with your 1 tablespoon of all-purpose seasoning (or to taste) and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper (or 1/2 tsp).

Add the chopped fresh garlic and fresh thyme. Squeeze the whole Scotch Bonnet pepper gently into the pot (don’t cut it unless you want extreme heat!), leaving the stem on for easy removal. Add the chopped scallion.

Finally, add the thick-cut green bananas (skin on, if you like that authentic touch). Green bananas cook relatively quickly, so adding them later prevents them from becoming too mushy.

Taste the soup and adjust the all-purpose seasoning and black pepper as needed. Add more hot water if the soup is too thick. I added about 12-14 cups of water in total throughout the process. Cover and let it simmer for another 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld beautifully.

Once everything is tender and the flavors are perfectly balanced, turn off the heat. Before serving, carefully remove any large bones from the goat head and tripe, as well as the thyme sticks and the whole Scotch Bonnet pepper.

Leftovers & Storage

• Storage: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
• Reheating Tip: When reheating, gently warm on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of hot water or broth to loosen it up, as the provisions and dumplings will absorb some of the liquid and thicken it overnight.

Oh my word, this soup is a true labour of love, but every single bit of effort is worth it.

More Jamaican Soup Recipe

• Traditional Jamaican Fish Tea Recipe
• Delicious Jamaican Curry Oxtail Recipe

Jamaican Mannish Water Soup Recipe

Recipe by Ren PetersCourse: SoupsCuisine: JamaicanDifficulty: Medium

Servings

8-10

servings

Prep time

25

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

15

minutes

Calories

320

kcal

This is more than soup, it’s a rite of passage. Mannish Water is bold, earthy, and unapologetically Jamaican, simmered low and slow with goat head, tripe.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Goat Head, chopped and cleaned (roasted for authentic preparation)

• 1 lb Goat Tripe (intestines), cleaned thoroughly with lime and vinegar

• 1/2 lb Goat Leg, cleaned and chopped (the meaty part)

• 8 cups Water (or enough to cover meat by at least an inch)

• 1 Tbsp Pimento Berries (Allspice)

• 1 Bouillon Cube

• Several sprigs Fresh Thyme

• ~1/4 lb Jamaican Pumpkin, chopped (optional, for flavour and colour)

• 4-5 cloves Garlic, chopped or left whole

• For the Dumplings

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour

• 1/4 cup Fine-Grained Cornmeal

• 1/2 tsp Salt

• 3-4 oz Water (add gradually)

• Ground Provisions & Vegetables

• 1 medium Irish Potato, cut into 8 pieces (nice size cubes)

• 1/2 lb Yellow Yam, trimmed and cut into nice cube sizes

• 2-3 Green Bananas, cut thick (skin on, washed)

• 1 medium Carrot, cut into nice wedges or chunks

• 3 stalks Fresh Scallion, chopped

• Extra sprigs Fresh Thyme (for final addition)

• Extra Garlic cloves, chopped (for final addition)

• Seasonings & Finish

• 1.5 oz packet Manish Water Soup Mix (strained to remove noodles)

• 1 whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper (do not cut, for flavor, or pierce for heat)

• 1-2 Tbsp All-Purpose Seasoning (to taste)

• 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper (or 1/2 tsp, to taste)

• Additional Hot Water (for topping up)

Directions

• Prepare the Meat (Pressure Cooker Method): In your pressure cooker (or large pot), bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add all the cleaned goat pieces (head, tripe, leg).
• To the meat, add 1 tablespoon of pimento berries, 1 bouillon cube, several sprigs of fresh thyme, the chopped pumpkin (if using), and the 4-5 cloves of garlic. Give it a good stir.
• Cover the pressure cooker and cook on the stew setting for 30-45 minutes until the meat is tender.
• While the meat is cooking, combine 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Gradually add 3-4 ounces of water, mixing with a spoon at first, then kneading by hand until you have a nice, soft, non-sticky dough. Cover and set aside.
• Carefully open the pressure cooker. If you had pumpkin in there, it should be soft enough to crush against the side of the pot. Transfer everything to a large pot if you haven’t been using one already. Bring the soup to a medium-high simmer. Add the diced yams and Irish potatoes.
• Now, pinch off small pieces of your prepared dough. You can roll them into small balls or flatten them with your thumb into small, quick-cooking discs. Add them immediately to the simmering soup. Give everything a gentle stir.
• After about 20 minutes of the provisions and dumplings cooking, add the 1.5 oz packet of Manish Water Soup Mix. Important: Strain the soup mix to remove the noodles. Stir this in, along with your 1 tablespoon of all-purpose seasoning (or to taste) and 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper (or 1/2 tsp).
• Add the chopped fresh garlic and fresh thyme. Squeeze the whole Scotch Bonnet pepper gently into the pot (don’t cut it unless you want extreme heat!), leaving the stem on for easy removal. Add the chopped scallion.
• Finally, add the thick-cut green bananas (skin on, if you like that authentic touch). Green bananas cook relatively quickly, so adding them later prevents them from becoming too mushy.
• Taste the soup and adjust the all-purpose seasoning and black pepper as needed. Add more hot water if the soup is too thick. I added about 12-14 cups of water in total throughout the process. Cover and let it simmer for another 20 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld beautifully.
• Once everything is tender and the flavors are perfectly balanced, turn off the heat. Before serving, carefully remove any large bones from the goat head and tripe, as well as the thyme sticks and the whole Scotch Bonnet pepper.