While the pumpkin is an October symbol in North America, squash is rather a January 1st symbol in Haiti. Indeed, January 1st 1804 marked the independence of Haiti and the first day the newly freed slaves were able to have Joumou soup, a meal that was previously forbidden by their French Masters. This butternut squash soup is now enjoyed as a family meal at the beginning of each year in defiance to the former colonial authorities. In addition to being a great historical symbol, Joumou soup has the advantage of being a substantial, stand-alone meal as it mixes chicken and meat with squash and a whole suite of vegetables. So even though it is quite a long recipe because of all the vegetable washing and cutting involved, it provides a wonderful opportunity for precious family time not only while making the preparation a group activity, but also in the degustation.
Joumou soup (butternut squash soup)
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Ingredients
- 500g of cubed beef stew meat
- 750g of chicken
- 250g of cubed smoked ham
- 1 butternut squash, fresh or frozen, (peeled and cut in big chunks)
- 1 leek, (washed and cut in big chunks)
- 2 large onions
- Garlic cloves ((to taste))
- Water
- 3 Large carrots
- 6 medium potatoes, (coarsely diced)
- 1 small green cabbage cut in pieces
- 250g of spaghetti (cut in small pieces) or macaroni
- Salt and black pepper ((to taste))
Directions
| 1. | Clean the chicken and the beef with water and lemon; season to taste and set aside for at least 2 hours |
| 2. | In a very large and deep pot, put squash, leek, onion and garlic cloves; cover with water and bring to boil. Remove from the stove when the squash is tender |
| 3. | Put some of the vegetable water aside. Process the rest of the water and the squash, leek, onion and garlic gloves in an electric blender until a puree is obtained |
| 4. | In the same large and deep pot as before, boil the chicken, beef and cubed smoked ham in the vegetable water that was kept aside for about an hour |
| 5. | Add the vegetable puree and season to taste; add water if necessary to dilute the puree as the soup is meant to have a thick yet liquid consistence; season to taste |
| 6. | When the soup has a good consistence and the meat is tender, add the carrots and the potatoes to the pot and let simmer |
| 7. | When the carrots and the potatoes are tender, add the cabbage to the soup and let simmer |
| 8. | Lastly, add the spaghetti or the macaroni and let simmer; remove the soup from the stove when the noodles are cooked |
| 9. | A final little trick: the prominent characteristic of the Joumou soup is its orange-yellowish color. If the squash you have available is to pale to your liking, add some boiled carrots in your electric blender while making the squash puree. This will add color to your soup. |
A final little trick: the prominent characteristic of the Joumou soup is its orange-yellowish color. If the squash you have available is to pale to your liking, add some boiled carrots in your electric blender while making the squash puree. This will add color to your soup.
