Spicy Cucuzza Soup
- Heather Vences
- Sep 21, 2024
- 9 min read
Updated: Jan 24
This soup impressed my mother-in-law, a truly gifted cook—my ultimate validation. It’s simple, never the same twice, and always satisfying. I’ll start with the basics so you can dive right in. Or, read through the entirety of this blog to discover how I sourced my ingredients in my section of the Ozarks and built those MIL-impressing flavors.
The Basics:
- Cucuzza
- Tomatoes
- Broth (or bouillon)
- Chicken
- Crushed Red Pepper
With any variation of these ingredients, you can create a delicious soup by combining them in a pot. However, I prefer incorporating lots of veggies and developing a depth of flavor as I build the dish. Keep reading to learn more, or go straight to the recipe HERE.
In this guide:
The Whole Story:
As I mentioned before, this soup has never turned out the same way twice. That’s because I use whatever ingredients I have in the fridge. The only items I buy specifically for this dish are the ones listed in “The Basics” section above. Here is what I used this time:
Two cucuzza squash
Two celery stalks
Half an onion
One tablespoon of minced garlic
Two teaspoons of dittany
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
One whole habanero
A quarter of a lemon
28 oz can of whole tomatoes
4 cups of homemade beef bone broth
2 cups water
1 ½ pounds of chicken wings
Two carrots
One bunch of beet greens
Separate from the soup, I set out some delicious toppings:
Crispy fried okra
Toasted sourdough-discard bread
Prepping the Cucuzza and Vegetables
According to my camera roll, I’ve made this soup during the last week of summer for years. I never plan it that way; it just happens because cucuzza is available in late summer, and I can’t resist! Cucuzza is a fast-growing squash that holds up well to boiling, and I highly recommend growing it. Just plant a seed anywhere, and the vine will start producing fruit rapidly — my Dad used to tell stories of our MawMaw’s vines growing up the telephone poles!
Unfortunately, I didn’t grow it myself this year, but luckily, it’s newly popular at the Fort Smith Farmer’s Market. Most vendors carry it, but make sure to pick the thinner fruit to avoid large seeds.
Once you have your cucuzza, peel it, cut it in half lengthwise, and slice it into 1-inch chunks. Then, dice the onions and celery, slice the carrots, and mince the habanero and garlic. Roughly chop the tomatoes and reserve their juice. Each ingredient plays an important role — the cucuzza adds a mild, hearty texture, while the onions, celery, and garlic build up a savory foundation. The tomatoes do more than just bring acidity; they’re what make this soup special, giving it that signature rich, red color and turning it into something far beyond a simple broth-based soup. Set everything aside for now — we’ll bring them together soon.
Searing the Chicken Wings
Heat your Dutch oven over medium-high heat and season the chicken wings with salt and pepper. If you're open to some bones in your soup, chicken wings are perfect, as the skin and bones release incredible flavor into the broth. I highly recommend using farm-fresh chicken from Shady Oaks Farms in Greenwood. Their holistically raised chicken has been a game changer for me, both in flavor and quality. If you’re not near Fort Smith, feel free to reach out for a recommendation on a local farm near you. Ozark Pasture Beef in NWA has a wonderful family that provides chicken of the highest quality to their co-op style business. If you’re not located in Ozarks, I'd still be happy to help you find your own quality source.
Sear the wings on all sides until they’re golden brown, letting the skin crisp and leave little bits stuck to the pot. Don’t worry — those stuck-on bits will turn into flavor gold later! Once seared, remove the wings and set them aside.
Building the Soup’s Base
In the same pot, add your diced celery, onions, and habanero. Reduce the heat to medium. Let them cook until they soften and begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes. Now add dittany or oregano — dittany, which grows wild on our property, adds a beautiful oregano-like flavor. Stir for a minute or two to release the aromas, then add the cucuzza and mix everything together.After the cucuzza has had a few minutes to soak up the flavors, stir in the minced garlic and crushed red pepper. Give it a minute to release its fragrance, and then add the roughly chopped tomatoes. Let them simmer for a few minutes before adding the reserved juice. The juice helps deglaze the pot, lifting those flavorful browned bits left by the chicken.
Simmering and Flavoring the Broth
Now, it’s time to add the chicken wings back into the pot along with your broth. I’ve made this soup with all sorts of broths over the years, but this time, I used homemade beef bone broth. I pressure-cooked beef marrow bones from the Arnold Family Farm Store for 4 hours in my Instant Pot. The result was a jelly-like broth packed with collagen and flavor that took this soup to the next level.
Making bone broth at home is easier than it sounds. You can simmer bones (beef, chicken, or pork) with water, a splash of apple cider vinegar, and some aromatics for 4-24 hours, depending on your method. If you don’t have the time, store-bought broth or bouillon also works perfectly! The key is using a low-sodium option to control the salt levels as you build the dish.
Add the 4 cups of broth and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the sliced carrots and simmer for 15 minutes, letting the broth develop layers of flavor. Squeeze in a quarter of a lemon to brighten the soup, then taste and adjust the salt as needed.
Adding the Greens
The last element to go into the pot before serving is the greens. I used beet greens in this version, but kale, spinach, or any leafy green will work just as well. You can also leave them out! Pull the stems, chop the leaves, and stir them into the soup. Let them simmer for another 5 minutes until they wilt and become tender. The greens add a fresh, earthy layer to the soup that balances out the richness of the broth.
Toppings and Finishing Touches
No bowl of soup is complete without a few crunchy toppings. For this version, I decided to fry up some crispy okra inspired by a dish I had at an Indian restaurant. I sliced the okra into 1 cm pieces, coated them in cornstarch, and fried them in just enough avocado oil to cover the pieces. Letting them get really crispy gave the soup the perfect crunch. My husband always likes my cooking, but I’ve set the bar pretty high over the years — and this simple addition got the “ooooh, yummy” look I was going for.
In addition to the okra topping, I served the soup with toasted bread made from sourdough discard. I had baked the bread the day before, and I simply sliced and toasted it to serve on the side for this meal. The tanginess of the sourdough pairs beautifully with the rich flavors of the soup, making it a great accompaniment.
Reminder: This is just how I made the soup. Feel free to make your own variation. Cucuzza was popular ‘back in the day’ because it’s cheap, easy to grow, and simple to cook for families without much money. You really don’t need much—just squash, tomatoes, and some seasoning to make a tasty soup. Cucuzza is delicious. Go for it!
Spicy Cucuzza Soup
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total cook time: 60 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
2 cucuzza squash
2 celery stalks
Half an onion
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
2 teaspoons dittany (oregano)
½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
1 whole habanero
A quarter of a lemon
28 oz can of whole tomatoes
4 cups beef bone broth or any low-sodium bouillon flavor
2 cups water
1 ½ pounds of chicken wings
2 carrots
1 bunch of beet greens (kale, spinach, collards, or any green you have on hand)
Don’t forget some crunchy toppings! I used…
Crispy fried okra
Toasted sourdough-discard bread
Directions:
Prep all your veggies:
Peel the cucuzza, cut it in half longwise, and slice it into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.
Dice the onions and celery and set aside.
Mince your habanero and garlic and set aside.
Slice your carrots and set aside.
Separate the can of whole tomatoes. Reserve the juice and rough chop the tomatoes.
Heat your Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the wings. Add your favorite cooking oil to a hot Dutch oven, and sear the wings on all sides.
After all sides are seared, remove the chicken and set it aside. Add diced celery, habanero, and onions to the pot and reduce the heat to medium. After a couple of minutes, add your dittany/oregano and red pepper flake.
After the onions and celery start to caramelize, add the cucuzza and mix.
After a few minutes, add the garlic and stir for one minute before adding the rough-chopped tomatoes.
Let the tomatoes simmer for a few minutes, and then add the juice.
Add the chicken back into the pot along with water and broth.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low. Add the carrots and simmer for 15 minutes.
Squeeze lemon into soup, stir, and taste. Add salt as needed.
Pull stems out of greens, chop, and add to soup.
Cook for another 5 minutes while you prep your desired toppings.
Note: I always try to serve toasted bread with my soup. Because I had okra and the extra time, I fried it crispy to top the soup. However, as tasty as it was, it’s not necessary. My MawMaw would make this with tomato paste, canned broth, and cucuzza. You can and should do that if that’s what you have!
Spotlight on Ingredients of the Ozarks
When you start selecting ingredients for quality, every simple dish you’ve made for years will be elevated. Here’s a closer look at the special elements that make this dish stand out:
The Cucuzza
Cucuzza is a remarkable, fast-growing squash that holds up beautifully when boiled. It’s a vine that can grow up to 2 feet in a single day, making it a prolific addition to the garden. While I didn’t grow it myself this year, I highly recommend planting it if you can. Just pop a seed in the ground, and by September, you'll be harvesting this versatile vegetable. If you're not growing your own, don’t worry — it’s growing in popularity! Almost every vendor at the Fort Smith Farmer’s Market had some. Look for the thinner fruit to avoid large seeds; remember, it grows fast and furious. It shouldn’t be pretty cheap.
The Chicken Wings
Finding high-quality chicken has been a journey. Recently, I discovered Shady Oaks Farms in Greenwood, which has quickly become my go-to source for farm-fresh, holistically raised chicken. I’ve been committed to sourcing my meat from local farms for nearly three years, and Shady Oaks has answered my chicken prayers. Their chicken, available at the Fort Smith Farmer’s Market or Main Street Mercantile in Van Buren, is not only delicious and satisfying but also affordable. Even if you’re not near Fort Smith, seek out local farms in your area — the difference in quality is worth it.
The Seasonings
I added dittany to this soup, which I harvest from our property at the end of summer. Dittany is a wild herb that grows abundantly and resembles oregano in flavor. While foraging isn’t an option for everyone, dittany is a great example of how local, seasonal herbs can enhance your cooking. I prefer to use ingredients from trusted sources and avoid those with unknown origins or stored in plastic, so dittany fits perfectly into my philosophy of using fresh, accessible ingredients. Plus, it’s free! Don’t go out of your way to buy dittany - forage it, grow oregano, or just use what you keep in your pantry. Heck, trade it out for some time or rosemary!
Both spicy elements came from local farms. My friends at Apple Seeds in Fayetteville shared some beautifully crisp, organically grown habaneros from their teaching farm. The red pepper flakes are from my regular Fort Smith Farmer’s Market trips. Every year in September, I stock up on freshly dried Thai peppers and store them in big jars on my counter—they usually last me until about June, when they start to age past their peak.
The Broth
For years, I made this soup with store-bought broth, but lately, I’ve leveled up with homemade bone broth. I used beef marrow bones from Arnold Family Farm Store, cooking them for four hours in the Instant Pot. Arnold’s is a special place for me—they made my dream of buying straight from the farm a reality. Right off Highway 71, you can pull into their red shop with a large barn behind it. Their beef is outstanding, and the prices are comparable to the grocery store. While their cows aren’t strictly grass-fed, you can absolutely taste the quality—it’s close! When you buy ground beef, a steak, and a roast, you know it came from one of the two cows they processed that week. I could go on and on about this wonderful place, but I’ll be linking a blog post about them HERE soon.
While homemade broth adds an extra layer of depth, it’s not essential. If time or resources are limited, feel free to use pre-made broth or bouillon. The key is to create a flavorful base that complements the other ingredients.
Each ingredient in this recipe has a story and a reason for being included. Finding and using high-quality, local ingredients takes effort, but the results are worth it. It’s not just about the taste — it’s about supporting local farmers, enjoying food at its freshest, and savoring the satisfaction of knowing where your ingredients come from. So, take the time to seek out these special ingredients, and you’ll find that the effort translates into a truly rewarding meal.
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