Soup Joumou

Story

On 1 January 1804, after defeating Napoleon's forces in the only successful slave revolution in history, Haitians marked their independence by eating the luxurious squash soup they had spent years cooking for enslavers but been forbidden to taste themselves. The act was not symbolic by accident: joumou soup was a plantation delicacy, and claiming it was a deliberate declaration that the people who had cooked it were now free. Every New Year's Day since, Haitian families and diaspora communities prepare enormous pots of Soup Joumou to share with neighbours and strangers, turning an annual meal into a living memorial to the revolution and to the ancestors who made it possible. In 2021, UNESCO inscribed Soup Joumou on its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list, recognising it as an edible act of remembrance, dignity, and resistance.

Ingredients

• For the epis (Haitian green seasoning): 30g fresh flat-leaf parsley, 5g fresh thyme leaves, 1 medium green bell pepper (120g) chopped, 4 spring onions (60g) chopped, 1 small onion (70g) chopped, 6 garlic cloves, 15g fresh coriander (optional), half a Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper seeded, 30ml white distilled vinegar, 30ml fresh lime juice, 30ml neutral oil, 1 teaspoon salt
• 900g beef chuck or stewing beef, cut into 3cm cubes
• 500g beef soup bones or beef shank
• Juice of 2 limes plus 60ml white vinegar for washing the meat
• 120ml prepared epis for the marinade
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1.5kg Caribbean pumpkin (giraumon), kabocha, or calabaza squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 large green plantain (about 220g), peeled and sliced into thick rounds
• 250g yellow yam or firm yam, cut into chunks
• 300g potatoes (2 medium), cut into chunks
• 200g taro or malanga, cut into chunks (optional but traditional)
• 200g carrots, thickly sliced
• 120g turnip (1 medium), diced
• 1 large leek (about 100g), well washed and sliced
• 1 large celery stalk (about 60g), chopped
• 1 large onion (about 150g), chopped
• 400g green cabbage, cut into thick shreds
• 120g dried spaghetti, vermicelli, or macaroni
• 1 whole Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, left intact
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 5 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 10g fresh flat-leaf parsley, tied in a bunch
• 4 to 6 whole cloves
• 0.25 teaspoon ground allspice
• 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 15g unsalted butter
• 30ml fresh lime juice to finish

Method

• 1. Make the epis: blend all epis ingredients (parsley, thyme, green pepper, spring onions, onion, garlic, coriander, half a Scotch bonnet, vinegar, lime juice, oil, and salt) to a thick paste. Set aside 120ml for the marinade and refrigerate the rest.
• 2. Clean and marinate the beef: rinse the beef and bones in cold water, rub with vinegar and lime juice, then drain and pat dry. Season with salt and black pepper, coat thoroughly with the 120ml epis, and squeeze over the juice of one lime. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
• 3. Brown and simmer the beef: bring the marinated meat to room temperature. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the beef and bones in batches until deeply coloured on all sides. Return all the meat to the pot, add enough water to just cover (about 1 to 1.2 litres), and add the thyme, 2 to 3 whole cloves, and the parsley bunch. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 45 to 60 minutes until the beef is tender, skimming foam as needed.
• 4. Cook and puree the squash: place the cubed squash in a separate pot, cover with 1.5 litres of water, and boil until very soft, about 20 to 25 minutes. Blend with enough of its cooking liquid to form a thick, completely smooth puree (aim for about 1.5 to 2 litres of liquid total). Reserve any extra cooking water.
• 5. Build the soup: add the squash puree to the pot with the cooked beef and its broth. Stir well and add a further 1 to 1.5 litres of water to give enough liquid to cook all the vegetables and pasta. Add the onion, leek, celery, carrots, turnip, potatoes, yam, and taro. Stir in the minced garlic, remaining whole cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Add the whole intact Scotch bonnet, the thyme sprigs, and parsley. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce to a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes until the root vegetables are just turning tender.
• 6. Add plantain, pasta, and cabbage: add the plantain slices and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the dry pasta and simmer, stirring to prevent sticking, for 8 to 10 minutes until nearly cooked. Add the shredded cabbage and stir in gently. Cook for a further 5 minutes until the cabbage is tender but still has some bite. If the soup becomes too thick at any stage, add hot water or reserved squash cooking liquid in small amounts.
• 7. Finish and balance: remove the whole Scotch bonnet, thyme stems, parsley bunch, and any large soup bones. Stir in the butter and add the lime juice. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper until the soup is bright, deeply savoury, and full-flavoured. Rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving.
• 8. Serve very hot in large bowls, making sure each portion has beef, squash broth, plantain, root vegetables, cabbage, and pasta. Offer crusty bread and extra lime wedges alongside.

Common questions