Ok, so really, my mom is the best cook ever! This is the second recipe she has shared with you during her visit with me this winter of early 2021. The recipe has no name, just soup. She makes this soup often and she just throws all these ingredients in a pot together. I decided to name it Caribbean Beef, Veggies and Rice Soup to encapsulate the majority of what’s in it. I think it sounds quite good if I may say so myself! 🙂
Many may say that it looks similar to asopao, a Dominican traditional rice soup but it’s nothing like it because the amount of rice is a lot less and the combination of veggies and meats are different. I will be sharing that recipe in the future for sure though. So look out for it!
Can I replace the meats in the soup?
Yes! In this recipe, my mom used beef stew meat that came already cubed by the supermarket. She also used short ribs. Short Ribs though, take much longer to become tender so she sometimes uses shank center that comes somewhat thinly sliced. This reduces cooking time for sure. If you have a preferred cut of beef, and know how it will cook, then absolutely give it a try with those.
Can I use other vegetables?
Absolutely! Just remember that this soup cooks for a while so stagger adding the vegetables depending on how long they need to cook to become tender. Example: my mom added the zucchini at the end because it cooks fast and she didn’t want them to be too mushy.
Can I omit the rice?
You totally can. The soup will be a bit more watery but it will still taste amazing. You can also add a little more rice if you want it thicker. Hey! The world is your oyster with this soup!
Check out my other soup recipes!
Latin Pumpkin Soup
Super Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup
Caribbean Beef, Veggies and Rice Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pack short ribs mine had 6 (shank center is another option)
- 2 lbs beef stew meat cubed
- 1/3 cup olive oil to sear meat
- 2 tbsp olive oil to sear and brown garlic
- 1 garlic head no peeling needed
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Water as you cook, you will add more and more, start with covering beef (follow instructions)
- 2 tbsp adobo
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 2 chicken bullion cubes
- 1/2 cup peppers sliced thinly, we used green and yellow
- 1/2 medium yellow onion peeled but not chopped or sliced. Half whole.
- 2 potatoes peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
- 1 carrot large, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 celery stalks cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 cup yucca peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
- 2 corn on the cob cut into 5 pieces
- 1/4 cup long grain rice
- 1 lime it's juice
- 1 cilantro bunch
- 1 zucchini chopped into 1 inch cubes
Instructions
- Prep! Yes, lots of prepping here but I promise it's so worth it!
- Chop all vegetables.
- Over medium high heat, in a large pot, heat olive oil.
- Add the beef. We will cook until all liquid evaporates and we sear the beef. Should be about 10 to 15 minutes.
- While the meat sears, in a small skillet, add olive oil over medium high heat and place an entire head of garlic, no peeling needed. We are going to sear it for about 5 minutes until it gets a light golden brown. Making sure to flip it around frequently.
- While beef is searing, add pepper and salt and continue to sear.
- Once beef is seared and there is no liquid left, just it's own fat (oil), add enough water to cover all the beef.
- Add the head of garlic you just seared, peppers and onion into the beef and water.
- Cover and cook over medium high heat until the beef is tender. If using short ribs, it could take up to 45 minutes to an hour. Add water if you notice water is evaporating too much and not fully covering the beef.
- Once the beef is tender, add 3 to 4 cups of water to the pot. The more liquidy to like your soup the more water you can add but I suggest 4 cups at the most. Adjust as you go.
- Bring to a boil again.
- Once water is boiling, add adobo, tomato paste, chicken bullion, potatoes, carrots, celery, yucca, corn and rice.
- Bring to a boil. and cook about 10 more minutes after it boils.
- Add lime juice and cilantro.
- Add more water if you feel the soup needs it.
- Add zucchini and cook until the zucchini is tender.
- Taste the soup. You can add a bit more adobo if you'd like a more intense flavor.
- Enjoy!
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