Carbonada (Beef & Pumpkin Soup)

This South American soup includes chunks of beef and pumpkin, plus plenty of hearty vegetables, all in a rich broth. My Argentinian friend taught me this version, but there's plenty of regional variation. All of them are delicious.

Author

Christian Leue

Servings

6-8

Category

Soup

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 pounds of kabocha pumpkin*, scrubbed thoroughly and roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp Bluegrass
• 3 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 large white or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 sweet pepper, seeded and chopped into small pieces
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 (12-ounce) bag of frozen corn
• Salt

Directions

1. In a large soup pot over low heat add two tablespoons of olive oil, the onion, and the Blue Grass, and stir well to mix.
2. In a large frying pan over medium-high add the beef in batches with a little bit of olive oil. Remove them to a bowl as they brown.
3. After the onion has softened and become translucent (about 15 minutes), add the vegetables (except for the corn), cooked beef, and bay leaves, plus water to cover.
4. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beef and vegetables are tender (about 40 minutes). At this point add the corn, mix well, and then salt to taste. Once the corn has warmed, about 5 more minutes, serve the soup.
5. Leftovers reheat well and will keep for at least 3 days in the fridge. I like to serve the soup with either cooked rice (added to the soup), or bread.