Dutch Carnavalssoep, e.g., Carnival soup, is a richly filled tomato soup made during Carnival (Vastelaovend) in the South of the Netherlands. With delicious ingredients such as smoked sausage, ground beef, and white beans in tomato sauce, you certainly lay a good foundation for a great evening. And everyone likes this soup. Easy and quick to make, this soup is definitely on the table this Carnival!
Dutch Carnavalssoep (Carnival Soup)
This hearty soup is often eaten during carnival time: Carnival soup, also called Old women soup, Truuje soup, or Alde Wieven soup. And the name of the soup already betrays its Limburger origin. Now you may think "old wives soup" what a particular name, but this is because everything in this soup is cooked so long that it is soft. And therefore suitable for the elderly without teeth.
The carnival soup is filled with smoked sausage, white beans in tomato sauce, meatballs, and vegetables combined into a tasty tomato soup. And that makes this soup a good bottom in the stomach before you go to Carnival. So put this large pot of soup on the fire, serve it with a delicious sandwich, and plunge into the polonaise!
What do you need for Limburgse Truujesoep?
To prepare this Dutch Carnavalssoep (Carnival Soup), you need the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Ground beef - has a lot of flavors and goes well in this soup. But you can also opt for half beef/half pork, chicken, or minced lamb.
- Onion and garlic - Seasonings in the soup
- Kielbasa - (or Polish sausage) originated in Poland. It comes in a dozen varieties, but this one is made with pork and smoked. In the Netherlands, we've got our own variety called Rookworst, which is not very well available in America.
- Celery, sun-dried tomatoes, and leek - Vegetables that provide a healthy filling to the soup.
- White beans in tomato sauce - White beans in a sweet, somewhat thicker tomato sauce, also known as baked beans.
- Tomato Juice - Juice obtained from tomatoes. Salt is often added, so it is essential to taste the soup before you season it further.
- Brown Sugar - To sweeten the soup. It has just a bit more depth in flavor compared to white sugar.
- Sweet Chili Sauce - Is a slightly spicy bright orange sweet and sour sauce. Made from chili pepper, sugar, vinegar, and other seasonings.
- Kecap Manis - (an Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce) is used in this recipe. If you don't have Kecap Manis at home, but you do have light soy sauce, low sodium soy sauce, or dark soy sauce? Then add two tablespoons of honey and one tablespoon of extra brown sugar to the soy sauce.
- Stock cubes - This recipe uses two beef stock cubes and three . You could replace the Maggi cubes with salt or liquid Maggi.
How to prepare Dutch Carnival Tomato Soup
You can find a printable recipe with a detailed description at the bottom of this blog.
- Add oil to the pan and fry the onion for 3 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and stir-fry for half a minute. Then put leek and celery into the pan and cook, stirring everything, for 3 minutes over medium heat.
- Pour the tomato juice and water into the pan. Also, add the chili sauce, sugar, and sweet soy sauce.
- Spoon the white beans in tomato sauce and sun-dried tomatoes into the pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roll meatballs from the ground beef and cut the smoked sausage into slices. Add it to the soup and stir well. Simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
This is delicious with garlic bread, a Dutch worstenbroodje, or saucijzenbroodje. But a cheese sandwich will certainly go well with this.
Garnish with some fresh, thinly sliced leek and parsley.
Tips, Substitutions, and Variations
- Add sliced mushrooms, 2 ½ cups (250 grams) to the carnavalssoep.
- Instead of smoked sausage, you can also add fried bacon to the soup.
- If you're going for the authentic carnival atmosphere, cut a green, yellow, and red bell pepper into cubes and put them in the soup. With these carnival colors, you certainly will get in the mood.
Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- soup pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic squeezed
- 2 leeks washed and thinly sliced
- 3 stalks celery washed and diced
- 9 cups tomato juice
- 2 cups water
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons kecap manis
- 1 pound white beans in tomato sauce or baked beans
- 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes sliced in thin strips
- 2 beef stock cubes
- 3 Maggi cubes squares
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 sliced kielbasa
- black pepper and salt
Garnish
- Fresh Parsley finely chopped
- leek washed, and cut into thin rings
Ingredients you need per step are listed below the step in Italic
Instructions
- Heat a soup pot with oil over medium heat.2 tablespoons sunflower oil
- Add the onion and cook for three minutes until translucent.2 onions
- Put the garlic into the pot and stir well for 30 seconds.2 cloves garlic
- Add the leek and celery to the pan and fry for three minutes, stirring occasionally.2 leeks, 3 stalks celery
- Pour the tomato juice and water into the pan and add the brown sugar, chili sauce, and sweet soy sauce.9 cups tomato juice, 2 cups water, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce, 2 tablespoons kecap manis
- Pour the white beans into the pan and add the sun-dried tomatoes and all the stock cubes.1 pound white beans in tomato sauce, 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes, 2 beef stock cubes, 3 Maggi cubes
- Bring to a boil and lower the heat. Simmer for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roll meatballs into balls.1 pound ground beef
- Add the minced meat and kielbasa to the pan and let it simmer for another 15 minutes.1 sliced kielbasa
- Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper.black pepper and salt
- Serve the soup in bowls and garnish with some finely chopped leek and parsley.Fresh Parsley, leek
Notes
- Add 2 ½ cups (250 grams) of sliced mushrooms.
- Instead of smoked sausage, you can also add fried bacon to the soup.
- If you're going for the authentic carnival atmosphere, cut a green, yellow, and red bell pepper into cubes and put them in the soup. With these carnival colors, you will get in the mood.
- Refrigerator: Let the soup cool quickly and cover. This way, the soup will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freezer: Cool the soup quickly and pour it into an airtight freezer container. Keep ¼ inch (½ cm) free from the top edge (the soup expands slightly during freezing). This way, you can store the soup in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let thaw in the refrigerator.
- Reheat: Heat the soup over low heat while stirring until warm.
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