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Haitian Beef and Vegetable Soup (Bouyon Ayisyen)

The Quirky Foodster Team

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Ingredients

  • 500 g (1 lb) beef short ribs or stewing beef
  • 1 tbsp sour orange or lime juice
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper
  • 1.5 litres (6 cups) water or beef stock
  • 200 g (1 cup) yam, peeled and cubed
  • 200 g (1 cup) malanga or taro, peeled and cubed
  • 1 chayote squash, peeled and cubed
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 small green plantain, peeled and cubed
  • 100 g (1/2 cup) pumpkin (calabaza), cubed
  • 150 g (1 cup) flour, for dumplings
  • Water, as needed for dumplings
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Rub the beef with sour orange or lime juice, rinse, and pat dry.
  2. Heat oil in a large pot and brown the beef on all sides, about 8 minutes.
  3. Add onion and garlic; cook until fragrant, 4 minutes.
  4. Pour in the water or stock, add thyme and whole Scotch bonnet, cover, and simmer 45 minutes until beef is tender.
  5. Add yam, malanga, chayote, carrots, plantain, and pumpkin; simmer uncovered 25 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, make small dumplings by mixing flour with a little water into a firm dough, then rolling into small logs or flat ovals.
  7. Drop the dumplings into the soup and simmer a further 15 minutes until vegetables and dumplings are tender.
  8. Remove the Scotch bonnet, season with salt and pepper, and serve hot in deep bowls.

Introduction: A dense, hearty soup packed with root vegetables, dumplings, and beef, bouyon is a filling one-pot meal traditionally cooked on weekends, reflecting the Haitian style of using a wide array of tubers and greens in a single simmered pot.

Cultural Background: A dense, hearty soup packed with root vegetables, dumplings, and beef, bouyon is a filling one-pot meal traditionally cooked on weekends, reflecting the Haitian style of using a wide array of tubers and greens in a single simmered pot.

Tips: Cut all root vegetables to a similar size so they cook evenly and the soup has a uniform texture.

Variations: Beef can be replaced with goat, chicken, or smoked turkey. A vegetarian version omits meat and uses vegetable stock.

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days; freezes well for up to 2 months (dumplings soften on thawing).

Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding water if the soup has thickened too much.

Nutrition: Approx. 340 kcal, 22 g protein, 12 g fat, 38 g carbohydrate, 5 g fibre per serving.

FAQs:

Q: What are the dumplings made of?

A: Simple flour-and-water dumplings, sometimes called 'dumplings' or 'boulèt farin,' added directly to the simmering soup.

Q: Is bouyon the same as legim?

A: No, bouyon is a brothy soup with whole vegetable pieces, while legim is a thicker, mashed vegetable stew.

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