Jamaican Beef Soup is so delicious and a Saturday tradition. For this soup recipe the pumpkin based broth is very similar to the base for Jamaican Chicken Soup, but with that beefy flavour. If you’ve had traditional Jamaican soup you’ll know that we like our soups to be hearty so they fill up your belly. That’s why they are more like a soup-stews! You want to make sure your Beef Soup has “nuff food” – that’s because the food in Jamaican soup is cut in big pieces nothing dainty at all m’dear. You may even need a fork, but a true Jamaican knows how to use a spoon to full effect when eating Beef Soup. Always good to have a big pot of soup around on a Saturday. They also taste lovely the next day… maybe even better! Cooking tip: When the dumplings float to the top they’re cooked. Enjoy!
Ingredients
8 cups Water
2 lbs Stewing Beef
3 cups diced Jamaican Pumpkin, or buttercup or butternut squash
2 Carrots, chopped (1-inch piece)
3 stalks Celery, chopped (1-inch pieces)
1 Chocho (chayote), peeled and sliced into 16 pieces
1 cup Turnip, diced (optional)
1 lb Yellow Yam, peeled and cut into large cubes
1/2 each red and green Bell Pepper, chopped
1 large Onion, chopped
1 package Jamaican Beef-Pumpking Soup Mix (optional)
1 package Chicken Soup Mix or 10-oz can condensed Chicken Soup
1 Tbsp Margarine or Butter
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper and/or Pepper Sauce to taste
Dumplings
1 cup flour
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
Mix together to make stiff dough. Form into 7 to 8 flat, round dumplings
Method
1. Bring water to a boil and add beef and diced pumpkin
2. Cover pot lower heat to Medium-Low and cook for about 1 hour or until the pumpkin has dissolved and beef is tender
3. Add celery, carrot, chocho and turnip and bring to a boil
5. Add yellow yam and dumplings (see recipe above) and bring to a boil
6. Add bell peppers, onion and beef-pumpkin and/or chicken soup mix to pot
7. Turn down heat and add butter/margarine, pepper sauce and thyme
7. Place whole scotch bonnet pepper on top of soup, cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes
8. Remove scotch bonnet pepper and thyme sprigs; turn off stove and serve.
Makes 6 Servings
The Fay Way: Gold Members click below to watch me cook this recipe step by step.
