Authentic Haitian Joumou Soup Recipe (Pumpkin Soup)

Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a show about food, culture, and connection.

This Haitian Freedom Soupe Joumou recipe comes from my podcast guest, Kathiana LeJeune. Listen to her episode What If We Weren’t All Chicken? as you prepare this traditional pumpkin soup.

Soupe Joumou is richly flavored and incredibly satisfying. It combines pumpkin (or winter squash), vegetables, protein, and pasta into a nourishing, filling bowl. Including plantains and thin pasta may feel unexpected in a pumpkin soup, but they add wonderful texture and depth. Like many family recipes, Kathiana shares no exact proportions — the dish is meant to be adapted to taste. Below you’ll find helpful guidelines to get you started.

P.S. Looking for more soups? Try the Jamaican Chicken Soup recipe from my guest Ashley or the 5-Ingredient Hungarian Dairy-Free Potato Soup from guest Dora.

Kathiana’s Memories of Making Soup Joumou

Growing up, I preferred the simple parts of the soup — chicken, noodles, carrots, and celery — and avoided the other vegetables. As I got older I began to appreciate all of the ingredients and what the dish represents. My cousins and I still obsess over Soup Joumou, inviting friends to share in its comforting flavors. That bowl holds pieces of my history, culture, memories, and joy.

-Kathiana LeJeune

Top Tip

Be patient. Soup Joumou is a special dish—often prepared for important occasions—so allow it to simmer so the flavors fully develop.

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Butternut squash – substitute calabaza, kabocha, or another winter squash if needed.
• Meat (your preference) – turkey, chicken, beef, or goat will all work.
• Cow’s foot (optional) – adds a rich, gelatinous stock and extra umami.
• Potatoes – yams or sweet potatoes are acceptable substitutes.
• Parsley
• Carrots
• Green cabbage
• Celery
• Plantains (optional)
• Epis – a Haitian herb-and-spice blend. Kathiana’s epis uses parsley, green onion, garlic, black pepper, and oil; other versions include cilantro, bell pepper, thyme, lime, and vinegar.
• Thin pasta (vermicelli or spaghetti)
• Macaroni shells
• Vinegar
• Lime
• Salt & pepper
• Garlic
• Green onion
• Bell pepper – your choice of color
• Scotch bonnet pepper – very hot; use sparingly or remove early while cooking to moderate heat.
• Olive oil

Instructions

• Make the epis by blending bell pepper, parsley, green onion, garlic, black pepper, and olive oil into a loose paste.
• Clean and season the meat and cow’s foot (if using) with vinegar, lime, and epis. Marinate for at least one hour or overnight.
• Peel and cube the butternut squash. Peel and chop potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and celery. Slice plantain if using.
• If adding cow’s foot, pressure-cook it until tender.
• Place the marinated meat in a large pot or Dutch oven and add enough water to cover. Simmer until the meat is nearly tender, then add the squash and cook until squash and meat are done.
• Reserve the cooking liquid (stock). Remove a portion of the cooked squash and purée it in a blender or food processor until smooth.
• Return the cooked meat to the pot, add the strained stock and the puréed squash, then add the remaining vegetables, cabbage, plantain (optional), and herbs and seasonings. Simmer until vegetables are just tender.
• When the soup is nearly finished, add both the thin pasta and macaroni shells and cook until the pasta is al dente.
• Adjust salt and pepper to taste, remove the scotch bonnet if you added it whole, and serve hot—traditionally with sliced Haitian bread and a warm drink such as ginger tea or hot chocolate.

Haitian Independence Day Soup

Soup Joumou carries deep historical meaning: after Haiti’s successful revolution, formerly enslaved people celebrated by sharing a dish that had previously been reserved for the colonial elite. Eating Soup Joumou on New Year’s Day honors that freedom and remembrance.

Equipment

• Large bowl
• Blender or food processor
• Large pot or Dutch oven
• Pressure cooker (optional, for cow’s foot)

Storage

• Refrigerate cooled soup in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freeze portions in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to 3 months.

More Caribbean Recipes

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Recipe

Haitian Freedom Soupe Joumou Recipe (Pumpkin Soup)

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4.4 from 7 reviews

• Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 servings

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Description

A symbolic Haitian soup traditionally eaten on New Year’s Day. Based on pumpkin or winter squash, it’s hearty, vegetable-forward, and full of comforting flavors.

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Ingredients

Epis Seasoning

• 1 bell pepper (or a mix equal to one whole bell pepper)
• ¼ cup parsley
• 1 cup green onion (about 6)
• 6 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Black pepper to taste

Soup

• 1 medium butternut or kabocha squash
• 2 pounds meat (turkey, chicken, or beef)
• Cow’s foot (optional)
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 lime
• 2 large potatoes
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 ½ cups green cabbage
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 medium plantain (optional)
• 1 sprig parsley
• 1 cup epis seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper (use with caution)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 cup macaroni shells
• 1 cup thin pasta (vermicelli or broken spaghetti)

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Instructions

Cue Up The Episode!

Listen to Kathiana LeJeune on The Storied Recipe Podcast, “What If We Weren’t All Chicken?” while you prepare this soup.

Make The Epis

1. In a blender or food processor, blend bell pepper, parsley, green onion, garlic, black pepper, and olive oil into a paste.

Prep

1. Clean and season meat and cow’s foot (if using) with vinegar and lime, rinse, then marinate with the epis for at least an hour or overnight.
2. Peel and cube the squash. Peel and dice potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and celery. Slice plantain if using.

Cook

1. In a large pot, add enough water to cover the meat (about 5–6 cups), bring to a boil, then add marinated meat and cow’s foot. Simmer until meat is tender (about 40 minutes). Add the squash about 10 minutes before the meat is done so it cooks through.
2. Remove the cooked squash and meat. Strain the cooking liquid into a bowl—this is your stock. Purée the squash until smooth.
3. Return the meat and cow’s foot to the pot. Add the stock, puréed squash, and remaining vegetables: carrots, potatoes, celery, cabbage, plantains (optional), thyme, salt, black pepper, and the scotch bonnet (remove when soft if you want to limit heat). Simmer until vegetables are tender.
4. Reduce heat, add both kinds of pasta, and cook until pasta is al dente.
5. Serve hot, traditionally accompanied by sliced Haitian bread and a warm beverage.

Notes

• Note 1: Remove the scotch bonnet once it softens if you prefer milder heat.
• Enjoy the episode of The Storied Recipe Podcast with Kathiana LeJeune while you cook for a fuller experience.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 2 hours
• Category: Main, Soup
• Cuisine: Caribbean, Haitian

Nutrition

• Calories: 548
• Sugar: 7 g
• Sodium: 86 mg
• Fat: 20 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 69 g
• Fiber: 7 g
• Protein: 24 g
• Cholesterol: 58 mg