Mannish Water

Two white bowls filled with goat, tripe and vegetable soup, with spoons, and Scotch bonnet peppers set alongside.

Mannish Water (also known as Goat Head Soup) is a traditional Jamaican soup recipe made with goat, tripe, fresh vegetables, Scotch Bonnet peppers, herbs and spices, including adobo seasoning for real depth of flavor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Caribbean, Jamaican

Keyword best mannish water recipe, Jamaican goat heat soup

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1 30

Total Time 1 45

Servings

Calories 397kcal

Author Tanya Harris

Equipment

1 Pressure Cooker 6-quart
1 Stock pot 12-quart

Ingredients

2 lbs goat pieces chopped, cleaned with water and vinegar and patted dry
½ lb tripe chopped, cleaned with water and vinegar and patted dry
4 sprigs thyme divided
6 cloves garlic sliced
1 teaspoon allspice berries
12 cups water divided
½ lb yams peeled and cubed
½ lb taro root peeled and cubed
2 carrots chopped
2 white potatoes largely chopped
2 green bananas unpeeled but rinsed, split, and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 chayote cubed
4 green onions whole
2 Scotch bonnet pepper whole
1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
1.5 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

For Spinners

1 cup all-purpose flour
⅓ cup water
½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Add the goat, tripe, sliced garlic, 2 thyme sprigs, allspice berries, and 8 cups of water to a 6-quart pressure cooker. Cover and pressure cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Once done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then quickly release any remaining pressure. Meanwhile, bring the remaining 4 cups of water to a boil on the stovetop or in a kettle.
Once the goat in the pressure cooker is done, and the pressure has been released, pour the contents into a 12-quart stock pot over medium heat. Carefully add the 4 cups of hot water to the stock pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
Add yams, taro root, carrots, white potato, green bananas, chayote, green onions, scotch bonnet peppers, 2 thyme sprigs, and adobo seasoning.
Let the soup simmer, partially covered, for about 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the spinners by adding all-purpose flour and salt to a bowl and stirring to combine. Add water and mix until a dough forms. Take small pieces of the dough and roll them between your hands to make small 'spinners' or dumplings. Slowly add spinners to the pot and let the soup simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes, until the spinners are cooked through.
Taste the soup and season with salt and black pepper.

Notes

I start this recipe in a pressure cooker to cook the goat and tripe to reduce the amount of time needed to cook. You can skip the pressure cooking step and cook the goat on the stovetop in a large pot, over medium-low heat, until the goat becomes tender, about 1.5-2 hours.
Add the scotch bonnet peppers to the pot whole. These will add flavor to the soup, but be careful not to burst them unless you want a spicy soup.

Nutrition