Traditional Jamaican Pumpkin Beef Soup

This traditional Jamaican Pumpkin Beef Soup is a delicious Saturday tradition!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb Yellow Yam, peel and cut into large cubes (Buy Now)
• 1 pack Grace Pumpkin Soup Mix (Buy Now)
• 1 pack Grace Chicken Soup Mix (Buy Now)
• 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper and/or Scotch Bonnet Hot Pepper Sauce to taste (Buy Now)
• 8 cups Water
• 2 lbs Stewing Beef
• 3 cups diced Jamaican Pumpkin, 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)
• 1/2 each red and green Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Margarine or Butter
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 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

DIRECTIONS: 

• Bring water to a boil and add beef and diced pumpkin
  

• Cover pot lower heat to Medium-Low and cook for about 1 hour or until the pumpkin has dissolved and beef is tender

• Add celery, carrot, chocho and turnip and bring to a boil

• Add yellow yam and dumplings (see recipe above) and bring to a boil
  

• Add bell peppers, onion and beef-pumpkin and/or chicken soup mix to pot

• Turn down heat and add butter/margarine, pepper sauce and thyme

• Place whole scotch bonnet pepper on top of soup, cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes

• Remove scotch bonnet pepper and thyme sprigs; turn off stove and serve..

• Enjoy