It isn't difficult to guess that this recipe calling for 2 hens and 8 pounds of beef stew meat yields enough Bouja to feed a crowd. This soup is loaded with cabbage, rutabagas, and beans in a broth seasoned with pickling spice.
INGREDIENTS (for 8 servings):
- 2 (6 pound) whole chickens
- 7 pounds beef stew meat, diced into 1 inch pieces
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium head cabbage, chopped
- 8 onions, chopped
- 4 (16 ounce) packages frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans rutabagas
- 2 (15 ounce) cans lima beans, drained
- 2 cups cut yellow beans, drained
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon pickling spice
PREPARATION:
Boil chicken and beef in a large soup pot 15 to 20 minutes, until tender. Use enough water to cover. Remove meat and cut into bite-size pieces. Discard fat and skin.
Add celery, cabbage and onions to broth and boil for 10 to 15 minutes or until almost tender. Add frozen vegetable mix, rutabagas, lima beans, yellow beans, and tomatoes and continue to cook until soup has reached desired thickness.
Add meat and simmer until meat breaks apart, stirring occasionally with a wooden paddle. Salt and pepper to taste. IMPORTANT: Put dry pickling spice in a strong cloth bag and tie firmly with string so it will not come apart. Drop the bag into the simmering bouja, plunging it in and out for a short time until the soup tastes just right for you.