READY IN 2¾ hrs

Cazuela de Vaca (Beef and Pumpkin Stew)

Read Reviews (7)

"This hearty Chilean stew of beef, corn, and pumpkin is a one dish meal. The main ingredients are stewed in serving-sized pieces, so that each person receives a large piece surrounded by a broth with the other vegetables." — damasio

Directions

Cut the piece of beef into 6 large chunks (one per serving). Place the beef into a large saucepan; pour in the beef broth and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until nearly tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Stir the polenta into the stew along with the potatoes and onion. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Cut the pumpkin into 6, serving-sized pieces, and add to the stew along with the corn, carrot, bell pepper, celery, and leek; simmer until the vegetables are tender, adding more water if needed to barely cover. Stir in the oregano and paprika during the last 5 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into serving bowls, and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 30 mins
COOK 2 hrs 15 mins
READY IN 2 hrs 45 mins

Reviews More Reviews

Jan 23, 2009

I tried this receipe for my in laws who are Chilean and just flew in from South America on night. I was sadden that the cazuela/pumpkin turned out dry. I would use butternut squash or acorn squash next time. My mother who made this dish back in the old country recommended trying it with butternut squash. You can also use this receipe with chicken instead of beef if you like. My father in law wanted to add Cumin since it was missing just a tad flavor. Overall it is a nice basic soup and I followed the receipe 100% as written. I was hoping to impress but instead got a cooking lesson at dinner.

—Elaine

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Oct 08, 2009

This soup is a big hit in our house! Even my picky 2 year old liked it. :) I did substitute butternut squash for the pumpkin, used broccoli and mushrooms instead of leeks and onions (my husband doesn't like onions and I had mushrooms and broccoli I didn't want to go bad) as well as added the cumin someone else suggested. Amazing soup! Oh, but when I made it, it served way more than 6! It made a very large stock pot full. So good!

—speckldowl

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10 Ratings

Jan 27, 2011

South American 'pumpkin' is completely different from North American Pumpkin. It is sweeter and much softer, more a squash really. DO NOT USE PUMPKIN, SUBSTITUTE with Butternut Squash. I would use Knorr beef bouillon instead of beef broth and add sweet potato.

—gescudero

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Nov 27, 2009

This was a huge hit for our thanksgiving lunch for 4 people.I cooked it all in a crock pot over night except I didn't add the pumpkin. Then the next morning I cut the top off a pumpkin and saved the top for later. Meanwhile I had some other pumpkin chunks I added to the stew and let it simmer for another 2 hrs. I transported part of the stew into the pumpkin and baked it with a foil on top. I baked it for another hr but I think that was too long. The bottom started to leek. I would say maybe 20 minuted would have enough time for the pumpkin to bake. The top was too big for it to fit in the oven on the pumpkin, so I cooked it for about 30 minutes so it would have an even color. This was an excellent recipe my whole family loved but the only problem I saw was cooking the pumpkin too long. Other than that A+

—jtaylor

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Sep 18, 2007

Nice start. I did add more veggies though. Topped it with Cilantro, and Onions. Really nice.

—CLAUDIAMARINNA

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Jan 06, 2011

I have two Chilean students staying with us and I made this for them. They said it was very good and even went back for seconds!

—mary

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Nov 20, 2009

That was really good soup! I was skeptical at first to try this recipe reading from the previous comments about adding cumin and substituting the pumpkin. But I wanted a pumpkin stew recipe from the enormous pumpkin we just harvested. I used all the above ingredients but I cut my roast and pumpkin a bit smaller and used little red potatoes. My stew came out more hearty than more liquid...and was so flavorful! I had some cumin just in case, but did not need it. This is my first time making a pumpkin beef stew and I can't wait to bring it to my parents' home for Thanksgiving! It's so tender, that it won't ruin my mother's dentures! lol

—HelpMe2Stop.org

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Nutrition

Calories
314 kcal
16%

Carbohydrates
34.6 g
11%

Cholesterol
48 mg
16%

Fat
10.6 g
16%

Fiber
4.4 g
17%

Protein
22.2 g
44%

Sodium
226 mg
9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Cazuela de Vaca (Beef and Pumpkin Stew)

Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 314
Calories from Fat: 95

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10.6g 16 %
** Saturated Fat 3.8g 19 %
** Cholesterol 48mg 16 %
Sodium 226mg 9 %
** Potassium 1148mg 32 %
Total Carbohydrates 34.6g 11 %
** Dietary Fiber 4.4g 17 %
Protein 22.2g 44 %
** Sugars 7.3g
Vitamin A 225 %
Vitamin C 68 %
Calcium 10 %
** Iron 45 %
** Thiamin 23 %
** Niacin 72 %
** Vitamin B6 31 %
** Magnesium 22 %
** Folate 43 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.