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haitian soup joumou featuring plantains garnished with lime slices

Soup Joumou (From Haitian-American Kathiana LeJeune)

A symbolic Haitian dish eaten every New Year’s Day – based on pumpkin and full of vegetables, protein, pasta, and flavor!
4.34 from 6 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Course Main, Soup
Cuisine Caribbean, Haitian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 548 kcal

Ingredients
  

Epis Seasoning

  • 1 Bell Pepper or a mix of different peppers that equals one whole bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup Parsley
  • 1 cup Green Onion about 6
  • 6 cloves Garlic
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil or your prefered oil
  • Black Pepper to taste

Soup

  • 1 medium Butternut Squash
  • 2 pounds Meat Option (turkey, chicken, or beef)
  • Cow’s foot (optional)
  • 1 cup Vinegar
  • 1 Lime
  • 2 large Potatoes
  • 2 medium Carrots
  • 2 1/2 cups Green cabbage
  • 1 stock Celery
  • 1 medium Plantain (optional)
  • 1 sprig Parsley
  • 1 cup Epis
  • 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet Pepper *See Note 1
  • Salt and Black Pepper to taste
  • 1 cup Macaroni shells
  • 1 cup Thin pasta (vermicelli or spaghetti)

Instructions
 

Cue Up The Episode!

Make The Recipe

    Make The Epis Spice Blend

    • In a blender or food processor, blend together bell pepper, parsley, green onion, garlic, bell pepper, black pepper, and olive oil.

    Prep Process

    • Clean and season your meat options and cow’s foot (optional) with vinegar and lime, rinse off with water, then marinate the meat with the epis blend for at least an hour or overnight.
    • Once the meat has marinated, peel the skin of the butternut squash and cut it into cubes. Peel and dice the other vegetables (potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and celery).

    Cooking Process

    • In a large stockpot, add 5-6 cups of water (or until the meat is fully covered), bring to a boil, and add the marinated meat and cow's foot if you are using it. Boil for about 40 minutes or until you can easily pierce it with a fork, and about 10 minutes before the meat is done, add the squash to the pot.
    • Once both the meat and squash are done, remove the squash and meat. Get another bowl and using a colander, strain the water from the pot into the bowl. This is your stock, set aside.
    • Put the cooked squash in a food processor or blender and blend the squash until smooth.
    • Back in the pot, add your meat (and cow foot), the stock, the pureed squash, and the remaining ingredients: carrots, potatoes, celery, cabbage, plantains (optional), thyme, salt, black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper (take this out when it gets soft unless you like your food to be really spicy!), and boil until just done.
    • Reduce heat to low, add both types of pasta to the pot, and boil until pasta is done.
    • Once soup is ready serve it hot. It is usually accompanied by sliced Haitian bread and either ginger tea or hot chocolate.

    Notes

    Nutrition

    Calories: 548kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 24gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 58mgSodium: 86mgPotassium: 1.155mgFiber: 7gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 13.42IUVitamin C: 77mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword easy, New Year's Eve, Plantains, Soup, Soup Joumou
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