An Amish Burgoo

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This Burgoo soup seems really popular in the Midwest and in Kentucky and has gained a following among the Amish in certain communities. What is this soup? It's an all-in-one soup.

It’s interesting to me to see how the Amish are very good at adopting regional favorites and making them their own. I’ve seen this food phenomenon in Texas where the Amish really incorporate all sorts of Tex-Mex foods into their life and okra into their foods.

Amish communities in Mississippi and Tennessee have adopted cornbread and pork and beans and other southern specialties. 

Gloria even did a recipe for Frogmore Stew several years ago, that’s a Southern specialty from the Carolina Lowcountry. The Amish in Montana ador the native huckleberries, using them in shakes, puddings, and cakes. So the fact that some Amish have embraced this burgoo soup isn’t a stretch. My parents are fans of the soup, it’s served at a restaurant in Loveland Ohio, that is where they became acquainted with it.

Here is Burgoo in a photo journey:

And it really just sounds like a classic “everything but the kitchen sink soup “
You can easily mix and match various ingredients. There’s a lot of versatility to the soup.
For instance, the peas in this recipe could easily be swapped out for Lima beans. Peppers could be added, if you wanted. You can cut the potatoes smaller. And from what I have read, the reason you cook the meat in large chunks first and then gradually scale them down is that the big hunks soak up more of the flavor. So you'll get a very juicy, flavor-filled meat.

Burgoo's origins, legend has it, is French, but it came to the USA and caught on in Kentucky. This is a soup that takes 4 to 6 hours to make and the meats should be cooked first. Tastes even better the next day after the flavors have had a chance to really meld.

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• 🥣 Burgoo Ingredients
• 📋 Burgoo Instructions
• 🥣 More Big Amish Soup Recipes
• 🖨️ Amish Burgoo Soup

🥣 Burgoo Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3-4 pounds pork shoulder or country ribs, cut into large pieces (3 to 4 inches wide)
• 2-3 pounds chuck roast, cut into large pieces
• 3-5 chicken legs or thighs (bone-in)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 quart chicken stock or broth
• 1 quart beef stock or broth
• 1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 large potatoes
• 1 pound of frozen corn
• 14 ounces of fresh or frozen peas
• Salt and pepper
• 4-8 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

📋 Burgoo Instructions

1. Heat vegetable oil on medium-high heat in a large soup pot and brown all the meats.   
2.  Do not move the meat while browning, get it seared on each side and then put in a bowl.
3. Sauté onions, carrots, celery and put in the pot and brown them. If necessary, add more oil to the pot.  Sprinkle salt over the vegetables.
4. When the vegetables are well browned, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until you can really smell it.
5. Return the meats to the pot and the chicken and beef broths and the tomatoes and stir. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours.
6. Remove the meat pieces, strip from bones and cut into smaller pieces, return to pot. Uncover and remove the meat pieces. Strip the chicken off the bone and discard skin if you want.
7.   Return all the meat pieces to the pot and bring it up to a strong simmer.
8. Add potatoes
9. Peel and cut the potatoes into chunks about the same size as the meat  . Add them to the stew and cook them until they are done, about 45 minutes.
10. When the potatoes are done, add the Worcestershire sauce,
11. mix well and taste for salt. Add more Worcestershire sauce to taste if needed.
12.         Add the corn and peas.
13. Mix well and cook for at least 10 minutes, but no harm in letting it simmer longer.  

🥣 More Big Amish Soup Recipes

Big soup recipes are common among the Amish, here are some more favorites!

Frogmore Stew

A lowcountry favorite!

Yankee Bean Soup

So thick and full of flavor!

End-of-Winter Soup

Lots in this one!

Cheddar Chowder

Cheesy!

🖨️ Amish Burgoo Soup