Try This Haitian Pumpkin Soup Recipe

We’ve spent some time looking at a few must-try Haitian dishes, but with Fall just around the corner, we thought it was a great time to share our favorite Pumpkin Soup recipe. Although this is a dish typically prepared on January 1 to celebrate the Haitian Independence Day, the day to celebrate the freedom won for slaves from the French in the 1800s, there’s no reason why we can’t cook it up whenever we’re craving it (which we must say, is often!). Because let’s be honest, every day is a day to celebrate freedom and being treated as equals.

Not only does pumpkin soup have a rich meaning in the country of Haiti, but it can also have a rich flavor….if you do it right! With that being said, here is one of our favorite takes on a well-loved Haitian recipe.

Soup Joumou (pronounced “joo-moo”)

This recipe was found at Saveur.

Serves 6-8 people.

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 scallions, sliced, plus more for garnish
• 1⁄4 cup roughly chopped parsley
• 1⁄2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 medium shallot, sliced
• 1 scotch bonnet chile, stemmed and seeded
• Juice of 1 lime, plus wedges for serving
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb. beef chuck, cut into 1⁄2″ pieces
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 cups beef stock
• 2 carrots, cut into 1 1⁄2″ pieces
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1 1⁄2″ pieces
• 1 small leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 1⁄2″ pieces; rinsed
• 1 small yellow onion, cut into 1 1⁄2″ pieces
• 1 large Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1 1⁄2″ pieces
• 1 medium turnip, peeled and cut into 1 1⁄2″ pieces
• 1⁄2 small green cabbage, cored and cut into 1 1⁄2″ pieces
• 1⁄2 small kabocha squash, cut into 1″ pieces

Instructions

1. Puree garlic, scallions, parsley, thyme, shallots, chile, juice, salt and pepper, and 1⁄2 cup water in a blender until smooth; mix with beef in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
2. Remove beef from marinade and dry with paper towels; set aside. Heat oil in a 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add beef; cook, turning as needed, until browned, about 8 minutes. Add stock and and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender, about 1 1⁄2 hours. Add carrots, celery, leeks, onion, potatoes, turnips, and cabbage; cook, slightly covered and stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, bring squash and 2 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until squash is tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1⁄2 cup cooking liquid and transfer squash and liquid to a blender; puree until smooth and set aside. When vegetables are tender, uncover, and stir in reserved squash puree; cook, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thick, 5–10 minutes more; season with salt and pepper and serve with scallions and lime wedges.

Have you perfected your own pumpkin soup recipe? Let us know about it! We’re always eager to try out new concoctions.

Just because it’s not New Years doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a pot of pumpkin soup. It’s always appropriate to celebrate the end of slavery, but we at Restavek Freedom serve up bowls knowing that we still have a lot of work to do. There are still as many as 300,000 kids living in the restavek system in Haiti. Restavek is a form of
child slavery that we are committed to ending in our lifetime.

Are you interested in joining us? Visit our website or contact us today to learn more about what we do and how we are fighting child slavery in Haiti.