Hi there !
March is finally here and I’m geeking up at the idea that it will be Spring in a few days ! As yo can probably tell by my excitement, Spring is my favorite season : we get to see the sun a bit more often (which, in Belgium terms, it means we get to see it at least twice a week), we can wear our trendy coats, and we’re at a crossroads between soup season and tzatziki’s lol.
Speaking of soups, this will be my last soup until Fall, so I decided to make one of my favorites : my Caribbean-Inspired Dumpling Soup.
As you probably know by now, I’m a big fan of Caribbean food, Haitian and Jamaican precisely, and among the many dishes I enjoy, dumpling soup is one of my main ones : rich in taste, nutritious, and a total knockout that will guarantee you the heaviest of naps.
The Dumplings
Also called Boy (Haiti) or Dombre (French Caribbean), the dumplings are made by mixing flours, water and salt. Their shape and size vary across the Caribbean : they will be round in Haiti and the French Caribbean and usually long and narrow in Jamaica and the Anglophone islands. The taste is the same, so it’s truly a matter of personal preference, just note that the size will double during the cooking process.
The Soup/Bouyon
Meat, Plantain, Cassava, Greens, Vegetables, Beans… the more the merrier ! Haitian Bouyon is definitely the « richest » soup in the Caribbean, no telling what may end up in the soup, but it tastes a-m-a-z-i-n-g! I chose to lay off the greens this time and opt for more plantain (because plantain is life).
I also used Jamaica’s browning technique for the meat which consists of caramelizing your meat of choice with brown sugar before cooking it with the rest of the Bouyon. The taste is simply amazing, it brings a subtle aftertaste which will bring out the flavor in your dish.
I also marinated the meat in green seasoning, (check my “Jamaican Oxtail and Peas” recipe, for the ingredients of the marinade) mixed the remaining marinade with warm water and used it as broth instead of using seasoning cubes : less salty, less artificial, tastier, healthier =)
This soup can be eaten by itself, but if you want extra carbs, mixing it with brown rice also works. Oh… and add a thread of olive oil to your bowl before eating/serving the dish; I don’t know if it’s the Italian in me who believes in “everything tastes better with olive oil”, but in this case, it is a game changer !
For more Caribbean dishes:
- Caribbean Curry Goat Stew, with Video
- Jamaican Oxtail and Peas with Video
- Vegan Jamaican Patties with Lentils
With that being said, bon appétit !
Scroll down for the full recipe and video instructions.
Caribbean- Inspired Dumpling Soup (Bouyon Boy), with Video
Course: MainCuisine: Caribbean5
servings15
minutes50
minutes30
minutesIngredients
- Meat Marinade
750g Beef
Green Seasoning
1 lime (juice)
1 tablespoon Brown sugar
- Dumplings
200g Flour
50g Warm water
½ teaspoon Salt
- Bouyon
1 tablespoon Brown sugar
Warm water
½ Red onion
2 Carrots
½ Green bell pepper
1 Red bell pepper
Fresh thyme
2 plantains
Salt to taste
Directions
- Meat Marinade
- In a large bowl, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, the lime juice, the meat and green seasoning. Mix well.
- Cover in film and let marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Dumpling Dough
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, water and salt.
- Take the dough out the bowl and kneed for 5 minutes until smooth. (Add more water if needed)
- Cut the dough in half, cover in plastic and freeze for a later use.
- Chop the dough into small chunks and roll your palm over the piece of dough into desired shape. Set aside.
- Bouyon
- Remove the meat from the fridge.
- Heat up a large pan. Add in the sugar, let caramelize by stirring continuously.
- Drain and add in the meat and stir until brown. Add in the marinade and warm water to the meat level.
- Add in the onions, peppers, carrots and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add in the plantains. Cover and cook 15 minutes.
- Add in the cooked beans and warm water to food level. Cook for 10 minutes, until the meat is soft.
- Add in the dumplings. Cover and cook 15-20 minutes. Salt to taste, if necessary.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil.