Puchero Vegetable Soup

⏳ Time

2 hours 20 minutes

🥕 Ingredients

🍽️ Servings

Description

Puchero is a hearty peasant stew, something in between a soup and a casserole, with variations depending on the region. It was created in Andalusia, where chickpeas are abundantly added, and meat plays a minor role. In South America, whose recipe we are sharing here, beef has become the main ingredient of puchero due to its affordability and availability.

Ingredients

Beef chuck roast - 0 lbs
Butternut Squash - 5 oz
Potato - 1 piece
Corn Cobs - ½ pieces
Celery stalk - 1 piece
Sweet Potato - 5 oz
Parsley - 3 stalks
Carrot - 1 piece
Bay leaf - 6 pieces
Spanish onions - 1 head
Onion - 1 head
Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
Green peppercorns - 0 oz
Paprika - to taste
Ground Black Pepper - to taste
Salt - to taste

Step by Step guide

Step 1

Cut half of the carrot lengthwise. Halve the onion. Sauté them in a dry skillet for 1 minute on the flat, wide side, then flip and hold for another 10 seconds.

Step 2

Remove the membranes from the meat, place it in a large pot, cover with water (the exact amount isn't critical, but the meat should be submerged at least) and put it on the heat.

Step 3

When the water reaches a boil, drain it and add fresh water — about 3 liters — season with salt, and add the sautéed carrots and onions, a sprig of parsley, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Simmer for 2 hours, skimming off any foam. Do not cover the pot to prevent the broth from darkening. Once the meat is cooked, slice it, and strain the broth.

Step 4

Cut the remaining carrot into large pieces and slice the corn into 3 cm thick rounds.

Step 5

Peel the sweet potato, potato, and pumpkin, and slice them into 1.5 cm disks, then cut them in half. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin, transfer the vegetables to a pot, cover with water, and once boiling, simmer for 5 minutes, adding salt and lemon juice to preserve their color.

Step 6

Cut the white onion into large cubes and divide the celery stalk into four pieces.

Step 7

Heat oil in a saucepan, sauté the onion, then add the pieces of meat and pour in the broth.

Step 8

Add the corn and celery stalk to the pot, and after 1 minute, add the carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, potato, chopped celery leaves, and 2 sprigs of parsley.