INGREDIENTS
| 1/2 cup | Flour |
| 1/2 teaspoon | Salt |
| 1/2 teaspoon | Pepper |
| 2 pounds | Stew meat, cut onto one-inch cubes |
| 2 tablespoons | Olive oil |
| 2 tablespoons | Unsalted butter |
| 1 large | Onion, chopped |
| 2-3 cloves | Garlic, chopped |
| 3 | Carrots, thinly sliced |
| 2 | Celery ribs, thinly sliced |
| 4 cups | Low sodium vegetable broth or water |
| 1 | Bay leaf |
| 2 teaspoons | Beef bullion granules |
| 3 cups | fresh pumpkin, cubed or canned pumpkin |
DIRECTIONS
- Using a large resealable plastic bag, add the flour, salt and pepper. Then add the cubed stew meat a few pieces at a time and shake to coat, remove, and put on a plate until all pieces are coated.
- In a large heavy pot, add the butter, and oil till heated. Add the meat and let it brown a boit. Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes (do not burn the garlic). Stir in the celery and carrots, broth or water, bay leaf, and bullion.
- Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Stir in pumpkin and bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until pumpkin if fresh and stew meat are tender. Discard the bay leaf.
- Ladle into soup bowls and serve with some crusty bread and enjoy.
Hollis, Lee. The Death of a Pumpkin Carver. Kensington Publishing, New York, 2018.