Haitian pumpkin soup, or soup joumou, is a celebrated and meaningful dish traditionally enjoyed on New Year’s Day. It’s a rich and savory blend of pumpkin, various vegetables, and plenty of meat, all simmered together to create a deeply flavorful and comforting meal.
Ingredients for a Large Pot
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2 lbs. cow tail and cow foot
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1 large squash (about 3-4 lbs), peeled or unpeeled
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2-3 carrots, chopped
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2-3 potatoes, chopped
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1 turnip, chopped
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1 leek, chopped
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1 cup macaroni or spaghetti
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Optional: dumplings, corn, or other vegetables like cabbage or spinach
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For Cleaning: 2 to 3 lemon, halved
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For Seasoning: A flavorful blend of Haitian spices (epis), including garlic, onions, parsley, and hot peppers.
1. The main meat used in squash soup is cow tail and cow foot, any other meat is optional
1. Begin by thoroughly cleaning the cow tail and cow foot. Rub each piece with half a lemon, then rinse them with cold water. Place the cleaned meat in a large pot, cover with water. Boil until the meat is tender.
2. Boil them and add seasoning (spices (epis), including garlic, onions, parsley, and hot peppers)
3. You have a choice of purchasing the squash pealed or un pealed
4. Place the peeled or unpeeled squash in the pot to boil until most the water changes color
5. For the peeled you can scrape the squash from the peeled outer layer
6. Once the squash is properly boiled remove it from the pot and blend it for a couple of minutes to ensure it is liquefied
7. Next step is to place the following items in the pot: (carrots, potatoes, turnips, leek ) and boil for a few minutes:
8. Add the cut vegetables in the pot with the meat and boil for a few minutes:
9. Other items include macaroni, spaghetti and here (optional dumpling, corn)
10. Now add the blended squash to the pot with the meat, and vegetables and let it finish cooking
11. Finally, pour the blended squash puree into the pot with the meat and vegetables. Stir everything together and let the soup continue to simmer until all the ingredients are fully cooked and the flavors have blended.