Ingredients

• 12 1/2 cups water
• 1 (1 pound) pumpkin, cut into cubes
• 2 pounds beef bottom round, cut into cubes
• 1/2 pound beef soup bones, trimmed of excess fat
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 1 (14 ounce) can MSG-free beef broth (such as Swanson®)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 leaves Chinese thyme
• ground black pepper to taste
• 4 ears corn, cut into thirds
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 1 large potato, cubed
• 1 (3 ounce) package pumpkin beef noodles (such as Maggi®) (optional)
• 1 bitter melon, seeded and chopped
• 1 small radish, peeled and sliced into half moons
• 1 Scotch bonnet chile pepper, chopped
• 2 green onions, pressed flat with a knife

Instructions

1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Place pumpkin in a blender. Cover and blend until pureed.
2. Stir pureed pumpkin, beef, soup bones, and salt into the water; add beef broth, garlic, thyme, and ground black pepper. Cover the soup and simmer until until beef is nearly tender and cooked through, about 40 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
3. Stir corn, carrots, potato, noodles, bitter melon, radish, Scotch bonnet chile pepper, and green onions into the soup; cook uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.