Sunday, December 30, 2007

Soup Joumou (Haitian pumpkin soup)

I've learned to cook a few Haitian dishes. This is a recipe for pumpkin soup which Haitians traditionally serve on New Year's Day. People make a batch of soup and then if someone visits that is what they serve them. New Year's Day is a big holiday in Haiti. I'm not one to follow recipes exactly. I tend to think of them more like suggestions or outlines. And Haitians of course use fresh herbs and seasonings and pumpkins that they cook down but I can buy it ready to go in a can. I'm for easy recipes. This doesn't sound that great but our girls ask for it sometimes. My mom has never gotten past the pumpkin part and tried the soup but it's basically a veggie soup in a pumpkin base instead of tomato base.

Soup Joumou (Haitian Pumpkin soup)

1 lb. cubed (or ground) beef
1 lb. chicken
1-2 sliced onions (to taste)
1 clove minced garlic
2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. parsley
pinch of cloves
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. beef bouillon
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 can pumpkin
turnips, carrots, potatoes, celery, cabbage
1/4 lb. spaghetti or other pasta (if you use spaghetti, break it into 1/4's)

Cook beef and chicken. Shred chicken. Put meat in a large pot and add about 6 cups water, seasonings, veggies (except cabbage) lemon juice, pumpkin and pasta. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer over low heat for 1/2 hr. Add more water if necessary. Cut up cabbage and add to soup. Cook until veggies are done. Serve with French bread or garlic toast. Bon appetit!

2 comments:

en2zasm said...

Yea! This is like the pumpkin soup recipe I got when I was in Haiti. I lost it and did a search on Google. Thanks for posting it!

My son is adopted from Haiti and we are expecting to pick up our daughter in a week or two (after two years of waiting). Keeping some of their culture is important to me.

Best wishes!
~Carol Ann

Amy said...

I'm so glad you found it helpful. I hope we can pick up our son soon too. Blessings with picking up your daughter!
Amy