What is the history of booyah stew?

Belgium immigrants settled the shores of Lake Michigan in northeast Wisconsin . Here they carried on their European soup tradition, and the word booyah comes from either the French or Walloon language spoken by them. The booyah recipe presented included beef and pork stew meats in addition to chicken.

What is booyah in Minnesota?

“Booya” (sometimes spelled “booyah”) is a type of stew particular to Minnesota and the Upper Midwest, made in batches of up to 200 gallons at a time . (The word may have origninated from a mishearing of “buillon” in Wisconsin.) Most take a minimum of 12 hours to cook, and some as many as four days.

Booyah (also spelled booya, bouja, boulyaw, or bouyou) is a thick stew , believed to have originated in Belgium, and made throughout the Upper Midwestern United States.

Who made booyah famous?

Scott peppered his SportsCenter highlight rundowns with many signature catchphrases, from the admiring "cool as the other side of the pillow" to the preacherly "Can I get a witness from the congregation?" But within a few years of debuting on ESPN in 1993, "Booyah!" had become Scott's calling card, his joyful ...

Why do people say booyah?

(colloquial) Expressing satisfaction or accomplishment . Mission accomplished.

How old is the word booyah?

Writing in Slate last month, Ben Zimmer explored the origins of “boo-yah,” linking it to the West Coast rap scene in the late 1980s and early 90s , where it was slang for gunfire — until Scott would forever link it to sports.

How did MN get its nickname?

Minnesota's official nickname comes from its French state motto, adopted in 1861: l'étoile du nord meaning, “the star of the north.” Another unofficial nickname is the Land of 10,000 Lakes because, well, Minnesota has thousands of lakes—11,842 to be exact!

What does Minne mean in Minneapolis?

Its name was derived from the Sioux word minne, meaning “water,” and the Greek polis, for “city.” St. Anthony was chartered as a city in 1860 and Minneapolis in 1867; the two cities merged as Minneapolis in 1872.

What is the primary ingredient in booyah?

“What they are all agree on is that booyah is a soup of stewed chicken and many kinds of vegetables, and the longer it simmers, and the more the ingredients merge, the better it tastes.”

What is booyah made of?

Mix chicken, potatoes, beef, corn, carrots, green beans, chicken broth, celery, beef broth, diced tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, cabbage, salt, basil, oregano, celery salt, black pepper, and vegetable base in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours.

Some say booyah is based on a traditional Belgian dish of broth and rice, which Belgian Walloons brought with them to Wisconsin's Green Bay. Others maintain that it was the Polish who engineered it . The name, on the other hand, may come from the French word for broth, bouillon.

Where did stew originate from?

Amazonian tribes used the shells of turtles as vessels, boiling the entrails of the turtle and various other ingredients in them. Other cultures used the shells of large mollusks (clams etc.) to boil foods in. There is archaeological evidence of these practices going back 8,000 years or more.

Where did rabbit stew originate?

Rabbit stew is a traditional dish of the Algonquin people, an indigenous people of North America. Rabbit stew has been described as a "kind of national dish in Crete", Greece , and is also prepared on the Greek island of Icaria, where hares and partridges comprise the primary game meats available.

Where does cream stew come from?

Cream stew is often considered by Japanese people as a dish with foreign origins, much like omelet rice, doria (rice gratin), and Napolitan. Despite their appearance resembling non-Japanese dishes, these culinary delights have deep roots in Japan .

a farmgirl's dabbles Booyah | Upper Midwest Fall Stew Recipe Tradition (2024)

Booyah (or booya) is a fall stew tradition of the Upper Midwest, cooked outdoors in a giant kettle to feed the masses. This recipe is downsized for the stovetop, a rich and flavorful soup you’ll crave every booyah season!

a farmgirl's dabbles Booyah | Upper Midwest Fall Stew Recipe Tradition (1)

Booyah is a Fall Stew Tradition of the Upper Midwest

Have you ever eaten a steaming bowl full of Booyah? Have you ever been to a Booyah? That’s right. This fun-to-say word is both a soupand an event, mostlymaking their appearances innorthern Wisconsin, parts ofMinnesota, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. People sometimes refer to it as Green Bay Booyah.

I had no clue about this booyah tradition until a just few years ago when friends of ours invited us to theirs. The invitation read “You’re invited to the Booyah!”, and it talked about eating booyah.

We didn’t know what we were in for. But how could we not be curious?

Of course, we had to accept.

You’re gonna love this rich and flavorful Booyah soup recipe I’m sharing with you today, scaled down in quantityfrom traditional mega-batch recipes made in giant kettles to feed the masses. Yes, this one can be enjoyed wherever you live, from your very own kitchen.

But…if you’re ever invited to a Booyah, please promise me you’ll go!

Here’s another favorite recipe, perfect for fall: This ultra tender, flavorful Beer Can Chicken just can’t be beat!

The Tradition of a Booyah Kettle

Booyah is a rich and flavorful soup, absolutely delicious, made in huge batches in “booyah kettles”. The photo above shows the booyah kettle and booyah stick owned by our friends, Jason and Dianna. They were the ones who introduced us to this tradition of the Upper Midwest.

It was Dianna’s idea to open up their home and backyard to this Booyah tradition 6 years ago. When her dad heard about it, he jumped in with an offer to help. Growing up in South St. Paul, attendingthese events at various churches and local festivals was a regular part of life for Dianna’s family.

Their Booyah is now an annual fall event for their family and friends.The actual date is dictated by the availability of Dianna’s brother’s cover band the Lid Twisters, who provide live entertainment all evening long. Each year they tweak the recipe just a bit and lengthen the invite list, currently at over 100 guests.

Jason and Dianna set up a tent in their backyard with seating and long tables to hold all the side dishes and desserts brought by guests. Friends and neighbors catch up on all the latest while kids run and play. It’s a beautiful fall scene.

How our Friends Make Their Recipe

When I asked Dianna to share a little bit about how they prepare this stew, she referred to a spreadsheet that her dad has created, listing ingredients and timing. Isn’t that awesome?

Here is how our friends make their booyah recipe in a giant booyah kettle:

The day before: pre-cook all on-the-bone meats (to include short ribs, chicken, and oxtails – plus soup bones for extra flavor). Save liquid for broth the next day. Remove all bones and discard.
The day of, at 4:00 am: light the fire outside under the 20-gallon booyah kettleand add the broth, dried beans, onions, parsley, cubed pork and beef, pork brisket, crushed fresh garlic, and plenty of flavorful dried herbs and spices.
6:00 am: add the meats that were cooked and de-boned the day before.
Noon: add the rutabagas.
2:00 pm: add the cabbage, carrots, celery, green peppers, and potatoes.
3:00 pm: add the canned peas, corn, green beans, and whole tomatoes.
5:00 pm: soup’s on! Or should I say booyah’s on?!

Hosting One of These Gatherings Takes Commitment!

Hosting a booyah is no small ordeal. It takes a great deal of time and energy to pull off the event, not to mention massive quantities of ingredients.

I have to retell the story that Dianna told me, about the one year when she got up at 4:00 am, lit the fire, and added the broth and other ingredients to the pot. She went back to bed, in need of a bit more sleep.

Then she completely missed the 6:00 addition of meats. And what was in the pot ended up burning. Dianna called her dad in a panic, and they decided to proceed as normal, hoping the burned ingredients would just give the stew some extraflavor.

It all turned out alright.

But the following year, and every year since, Dianna says that her dad shows up at their house by 3:30 am, just to make sure everything goes according to the spreadsheet. ;)

A Smaller Green Bay Booyah Recipe

The recipe is from the new Cook’s Country Eats Local cookbook. If you know about Cook’s Country from America’s Test Kitchen, then you know that this recipe has been tried, and tried again, until it reached ultimate perfection.

a farmgirl's dabbles Booyah | Upper Midwest Fall Stew Recipe Tradition (4)

The majority of us will never buy a 20-gallon booyah kettle and spend a couple days preparing this kind of feast for our family and friends.

That’s where this downsized Green Bay Booyah recipe comes in ultra handy.

a farmgirl's dabbles Booyah | Upper Midwest Fall Stew Recipe Tradition (5)

But please know that even though this soup was scaled downfrom a full-fledged booyah recipe, it still requires hands-on time and simmering time. It’s essential for full flavor and tender meats.

And I promise you, it’s absolutely worth it!

a farmgirl's dabbles Booyah | Upper Midwest Fall Stew Recipe Tradition (6)

The broth is heavenly, super flavorful witha gorgeous silken quality from the gelatin of the beef bones.And there are chunksof tender meats and vegetables in every single spoonful. The stew is rich and hearty.

If you’re looking for a new fall tradition, maxed out in homemade warmth and comfort, this booyah recipe has my vote.

Like this fall stew recipe? Save it to Pinterest!

And a couple more stews to keep you cozy this fall and winter, recipes from my friends: Lemon Chicken Stew from FoodieCrush and Sancocho (Peurto Rican Beef Stew) from The Noshery.

Booyah

Yield: 10 servings

prep time: 30 minutes mins

cook time: 3 hours hrs

total time: 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Equipment

Ingredients

2.5 lbs. bone-in English-style short ribs, trimmed, meat and bones separated (I used bone-in beef chuck short ribs)
2.5 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs trimmed
salt
pepper
1 T. vegetable oil
2 yellow onions chopped fine
2 ribs celery minced
8 c. low sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
4 c. shredded green cabbage
1 28- oz. can diced tomatoes
8 oz. rutabaga peeled and cut into ½” pieces
1 lb. russet potatoes peeled and cut into ½” pieces
3 large carrots peeled and sliced ¼” thick
1 c. frozen peas
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Pat beef and chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and black pepper.
Heat oil in largeDutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown beef on all sides, about 10 minutes; transfer to plate. Cook chicken until browned all over, about 10 minutes; transfer to plate. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard it.
Pour off all but 1-1/2 teaspoons fat from pot. Add onions and celery and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits. Add beef, beef bones, and chicken, and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until chicken registers 175° F, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken to bowl. When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces, discarding bones. Cover chicken and refrigerate.
Continue to simmer stew until beef is tender, about 1-1/4 hours longer. Transfer beef to plate. When cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces, discarding fat. Remove beef bones and bay leaves; discard.
Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer; discard solids. Allow liquid to settle, about 5 minutes, then skim off fat and return liquid to pot.
Add shredded beef, cabbage, tomatoes, rutabaga, 1-1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper to liquid and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rutabaga is translucent around edges, about 15 minutes.
Stir in potatoes and carrots and cook until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add chicken and peas, and simmer until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Notes

adapted slightly from Cook’s Country Eats Local

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 1 Calories: 556kcal Carbohydrates: 26g Protein: 49g Fat: 30g Saturated Fat: 10g Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 201mg Sodium: 485mg Fiber: 6g Sugar: 8g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.

Did you make this recipe?Please leave a comment below. And share a photo on Instagram with the hashtag #afarmgirlsdabbles or tag @farmgirlsdabble!

Cuisine: American

Course: Soup

a farmgirl's dabbles Booyah | Upper Midwest Fall Stew Recipe Tradition (9)

Cook’s Country gave me a copy of Cook’s Country Eats Local for my review. I was not compensated additionally to write this post. Originally published in September 2015. Some photographs updated September 2018.