Soup joumou

Name: Soup joumou
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 110 min
Total time: 270 min
Yield: 8 bowls
Cuisine: Haitian
Ingredients: 800 g Beef, shin or chuck, in 3 cm cubes; a few bones if you have them; 2 piece Lime, juiced; 6 clove Garlic; 4 piece Spring onion; 1 bunch Parsley; 1 tbsp Thyme, leaves; 1 medium Bell pepper, green bell, chopped; 4 piece Cloves; 1 tbsp Salt; 1.2 kg Butternut squash, or kabocha; peeled, seeded, in chunks; 3 l Water; 2 tbsp Neutral oil; 1 large Onion, chopped; 400 g Potato, peeled, in chunks; 3 medium Carrot, thick slices; 3 stick Celery, sliced; 1 piece Leek, sliced and washed; 300 g Cabbage, shredded; 120 g Macaroni, or broken spaghetti or rigatoni; 1 piece Scotch bonnet, whole, stem on; 20 g Butter

Haiti's independence soup: a smooth pumpkin broth with beef, pasta, potato, carrot, cabbage and a whole scotch bonnet, eaten every 1 January.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.

Start cooking

Prep: 40 min
Cook: 1 hr 50 min
Rest: 2 hr
Total: 4 hr 30 min
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild
Cost: A bit special$16–28 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Soup joumou is a thick, bright orange soup built on puréed pumpkin, ideally the dense green-skinned Caribbean calabaza, with beef marinated in epis and lime, then simmered with potato, carrot, celery, cabbage, turnip, leek and a handful of pasta until everything is tender and the pumpkin has dissolved into the broth. A whole scotch bonnet floats in the pot for aroma without heat unless someone breaks it. The soup is seasoned with thyme, parsley, cloves and lime. This version uses butternut or kabocha squash, which are close to calabaza, and beef shin or chuck. It takes about two hours and feeds a houseful.

What you'll need

21 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 21 ready

8 servings

Ingredients
Epis marinade
Vegetables

Ingredients

Servings

Ingredients

Beef, shin or chuck, in 3 cm cubes; a few bones if you have them800 g
Butternut squash, or kabocha; peeled, seeded, in chunks1.2 kg
Water3 l
Neutral oil30 ml
Onion, chopped1 large
Scotch bonnet, whole, stem on1
Butter (optional)20 g

Epis marinade

Lime, juiced2
Garlic6 clove
Spring onion4
Parsley1 bunch
Thyme, leaves15 ml
Bell pepper, green bell, chopped1 medium
Cloves4
Salt15 ml

Vegetables

Potato, peeled, in chunks400 g
Carrot, thick slices3 medium
Celery, sliced3 stick
Leek, sliced and washed1
Cabbage, shredded300 g
Macaroni, or broken spaghetti or rigatoni120 g

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Blend the lime juice, garlic, spring onion, parsley, thyme, bell pepper, cloves and salt to a rough epis. Rub into the beef and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight.
10 min
Step 2
Heat the oil in a large pot and brown the beef with its marinade and the onion for 10 minutes. Add 2 litres of water, bring to the boil, skim, and simmer covered for 1 hour.
75 min
Step 3
Meanwhile boil the squash in the remaining litre of water until soft, 15 minutes. Blend smooth with its cooking water.
20 min
Watch: Blend hot liquid in batches, lid cracked, with a cloth over it.
Step 4
Pour the squash purée into the beef pot. Add potato, carrot, celery, leek and the whole scotch bonnet. Simmer 15 minutes.
15 min
Step 5
Add the cabbage and pasta and simmer 12 to 15 minutes more until the pasta is cooked and the soup is thick. Fish out the pepper. Stir in the butter if using and taste for salt and lime.
15 min
Tip: The pasta thickens the soup as it sits. If serving later, cook it a minute less.
Step 6
Serve in big bowls with bread. Leftovers thicken overnight and are thinned with a little water.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 1511 kcal
Protein: 32.8 g
Carbs: 27.3 g
Fat: 143.2 g
Saturated fat: 84.2 g
Fibre: 5.1 g
Sugar: 7.4 g
Sodium: 1624 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Wheat

Dairy-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Beef → Chicken thighs, or no meat
A meatless soup joumou is made in many households on 1 January. Use vegetable stock and add a spoon more oil.

Tips

Haitian cooks often add a spoon of Maggi or a bouillon cube. More salt and the cloves cover most of that job.
A turnip or a piece of white yam in with the potatoes is traditional and worth adding if your shop has them.
Some families finish with a splash of lime or a little evaporated milk. Both are common.

History & culture

Haitians eat soup joumou on 1 January, Independence Day, and give it to neighbours. The soup is a declaration: a dish enslaved people were forbidden to eat, cooked and eaten by free people. Families make it in pots big enough to bathe in. In 2021 UNESCO added it to its list of intangible cultural heritage, the first Haitian entry.

Under French rule, pumpkin soup was a planter's dish that enslaved Haitians cooked but could not eat. After the revolution ended slavery and the republic was declared on 1 January 1804, the soup was claimed as a symbol of freedom. The pasta, cabbage and root vegetables are the later additions of a soup that was meant to be abundant.

Regional variation — Calabaza (joumou) is the pumpkin that gives the soup its name. Butternut or kabocha are the closest widely available squashes and are what most Haitian cooks abroad use.

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Soup joumou take?

4 hr 30 min all in — 40 min prep, 1 hr 50 min cook, 2 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 8 bowls. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Medium.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free.

8 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

A bit special — about $16–28 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Stockpot, Blender, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1 tbsp.

What can I use instead?

Beef → Chicken thighs, or no meat. A meatless soup joumou is made in many households on 1 January. Use vegetable stock and add a spoon more oil.

What should I watch for?

Blend hot liquid in batches, lid cracked, with a cloth over it.

Any tips from this recipe?

Haitian cooks often add a spoon of Maggi or a bouillon cube. More salt and the cloves cover most of that job. A turnip or a piece of white yam in with the potatoes is traditional and worth adding if your shop has them. Some families finish with a splash of lime or a little evaporated milk. Both are common.

Can I prepare this ahead?

Blend the lime juice, garlic, spring onion, parsley, thyme, bell pepper, cloves and salt to a rough epis. Rub into the beef and marinate at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve in big bowls with bread. Leftovers thicken overnight and are thinned with a little water.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.