Beef, Leek & Delicata Squash Soup

A hearty autumn soup with beef, leek, delicata squash, cabbage and a garden parsnip, simmered in chicken feet broth with hingvastak and fresh turmeric.

SERVES

Yield varies with broth amount and serving size

PREP

As needed to clean and chop the vegetables and beef

COOK

Approximately 2 hours simmering, plus initial sauté

Ingredients

3 tablespoons ghee
1 large leek, cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup diced cabbage
1 garden parsnip, chopped
About 1 teaspoon hingvastak
1-inch piece fresh turmeric, grated
1 pound beef, cut into chunks
8–10 cups chicken feet broth
1 medium delicata squash, seeded and cut into chunks
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Heat the ghee in a large soup pot. Add the leek, cabbage, parsnip, hingvastak, grated turmeric, salt and black pepper. Cook together, stirring, until the vegetables begin to soften and the spices become fragrant.
Add the beef chunks and 8–10 cups chicken feet broth. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat as needed and simmer for about 1 hour.
Add the delicata squash and continue simmering for about another hour, until the beef and vegetables are tender. The total simmering time is approximately 2 hours; tenderness will depend on the beef cut and size of the pieces.
Taste the broth and adjust the salt and black pepper as needed. Ladle into bowls with plenty of broth.

This soup came together around beef, a large leek and delicata squash, with cabbage and a parsnip pulled from the garden because it was there. Fresh turmeric gives the broth its golden color, and hingvastak brings a savory, spiced warmth.

The beef and vegetables simmer first, then the delicata joins the pot for the second hour. The finished soup has plenty of vegetables and a broth worth savoring—Owen even drank his, which is rare! LOL.

From the Soup Pot to the Bowl

Sliced leeks and chopped vegetables cooking in a stainless-steel soup pot with freshly grated turmeric

Ayurvedic Perspective

Through a qualities-based Ayurvedic lens, the warmth, moisture and softness of this long-simmered soup offer a grounding meal for autumn. Beef, ghee and sweet root vegetables give it substance, while the leek, hingvastak and black pepper provide a pungent counterpoint.

These qualities may be especially welcome when Vata needs warmth and regular nourishment. This remains a substantial meal: portion size and individual tolerance matter. Kapha may prefer a smaller portion and less ghee; Pitta may prefer a gentler amount of hingvastak and black pepper. These are preparation-based considerations rather than a universal dosha prescription.

Explore the Ingredients

Each ingredient in this recipe offers its own unique qualities and actions in the body. In Ayurveda, food is more than nourishment — it is medicine. Click below to learn how these ingredients support balance, digestion, and overall well-being.