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Jamaican Saturday soup
Beef soup with pumpkin and dumplings
Saturday soup: beef soup with pumpkin, yam, chocho, dumplings and spinners
Saturday is soup day in Jamaica: the week's cleaning and market shopping get done while a big pot of beef soup bubbles on the stove, and by afternoon the whole yard is called in for a bowl. Beef shin and bones simmer with pumpkin until it melts and thickens the broth, then yam, chocho (christophene), carrot and cornmeal dumplings and thin "spinners" go in, with a whole scotch bonnet for perfume. The usual mistake is adding all the ground provisions at the start, so they collapse into mush; they go in during the last 40 minutes. Chef's tip: leave the scotch bonnet whole and lift it out before serving; you get the fruity aroma without the burn.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
- 1 ½ lb beef shincut into 4 cm chunks, with a bone or two if you have them
- 3 litres water
- 1 ⅛ lb pumpkin or calabazapeeled, cut into chunks
- 1 onionchopped
- 4 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 spring onions (scallion)bruised
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 scotch bonnet pepperwhole, not cut
- 14 oz yellow yampeeled, cut into chunks (or white yam)
- 1 chocho (christophene)peeled, cut into chunks
- 2 carrotssliced
- 2 tsp saltto taste
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the dumplings and spinners
- 7 oz plain flour
- 1 ¾ oz fine cornmeal
- ½ tsp salt
- ¾ cup cold waterabout
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 1 ½ lb beef shin and 3 litres water in a large pot and bring to the boil. Skim off the grey foam that rises for the first 10 minutes so the broth stays clear.
10 minStep 2: Add 1 ⅛ lb pumpkin or calabaza, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic, 3 spring onions (scallion), 4 sprigs fresh thyme and 8 allspice berries (pimento). Cover partly and simmer gently for 1 hour, until the beef is nearly tender and the pumpkin has started to dissolve into the broth.
60 minStep 3: Meanwhile mix 7 oz plain flour, 1 ¾ oz fine cornmeal and ½ tsp salt, then knead in ¾ cup cold water to a firm, smooth dough. Rest it under a cloth.
5 minStep 4: Add 14 oz yellow yam, 1 chocho (christophene), 2 carrots and 1 scotch bonnet pepper to the pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 5: Pinch off pieces of dough: roll half into thin finger-length "spinners" between your palms and flatten the rest into small discs. Drop them into the simmering soup.
5 minStep 6: Simmer for 20–25 minutes more, stirring now and then so nothing catches, until the beef falls apart when pressed, the yam is tender, and the dumplings float and are firm right through. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
25 minStep 7: Season with 2 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Fish out the whole scotch bonnet, thyme stalks and any bones. Serve in deep bowls.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 13 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jamaican Saturday soup take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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