The squash, beef and vegetable soup joumou is synonymous with Haitian independence. Some may put potatoes in it, some may prefer calabaza squash or butternut squash as a base or make other ingredient tweaks, but for over 200 years it’s remained the dish Haitians all over the world celebrate Haiti’s freedom from French colonial rule with. It was on January 1st, 1804, after a 13-year revolution led by the likes of Toussaint L’Ouverture, Jean Jacques Dessalines and Henri Christophe that Haiti won independence. Squash, a popular crop and a symbol of status, was cultivated during the 17th and 18th century by enslaved Haitians who themselves were forbidden to consume it. What better way to celebrate the first free Black republic than by eating a bowl of squash-rich joumou on New Year’s Day? This famously hearty, spicy soup gets intense flavor from a combination of beef, marrow bones, squash and other vegetables, and gets a fiery kick from Scotch bonnet peppers. Epis, Haiti’s foundational herb-and-seasoning blend, is easy to make in the blender and acts as a marinade for the beef. Freedom, flavor and tradition in one bowl.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 6 hr |
| Active: | 1 hr 50 min |
| Yield: | 10 to 12 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped onion
- 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, roughly chopped
- 1/2 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1/2 shallot, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 1/2 cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves and tender stems
- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh culantro leaves and tender stems
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- One 3-pound piece chuck beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
- One 6-inch piece bone marrow, cut into 1-inch lengths
- 1 lemon, halved, seeded
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 medium kabocha squash, peeled and cut into cubes (about 12 ounces total)
- One 12-ounce box frozen cooked squash, thawed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 3 quarts (12 cups) vegetable broth
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup roughly chopped onion
- 1/2 small green cabbage, cut into 1/2-inch strips, strips separated
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley sprigs, tied with kitchen twine
- 1/4 cup celery leaves
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper
- 6 whole cloves
- 6 1/2 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 2 very large carrots (about 1 pound total), peeled and sliced on the bias into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large turnip (about 12 ounces), peeled and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- For the epis: Combine the vinegar, onion, thyme, garlic, celery, scallions, red bell pepper, green bell pepper and shallot in a blender. Blend on high until finely chopped, about 30 seconds. Add the cilantro, parsley, culantro and Scotch bonnet pepper and pulse until finely chopped. Add the olive oil and process until smooth and bright green, about 1 minute. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of the epis, transfer to an airtight container and reserve in the refrigerator. Reserve the remaining sauce for another use, refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days or frozen for up to a month.
- For the soup: Place the chuck beef and marrow bone in a large bowl or deep baking dish and squeeze the lemon over them. Massage each piece with both sides of the lemon. Pour the vinegar over the beef and marrow. Cover the meat with cool water and let sit for 10 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.
- Sprinkle the cayenne, all-purpose seasoning, black pepper and 2 1/2 teaspoons salt all over the meat and bones. Rub the reserved 1 1/2 cups of epis over the meat and bones. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight (see Cook’s Note).
- Combine the kabocha squash, frozen squash, thyme sprigs, bay leaf and 1 quart of the vegetable broth in a medium stockpot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, lower the heat and simmer until the squash cubes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 1 minute. Add the cabbage in batches while stirring, adding more as it wilts. Once you’ve added all the cabbage, continue to cook and stir until the cabbage is softened but still has some crunch to it, about 4 more minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl and set aside (see Cook’s Note).
- Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef and bone marrow until most sides of the beef chunks are caramelized and the insides of the marrow bones glisten, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mix until well combined. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.
- Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf from the squash mixture. Use an immersion blender to blend the squash mixture until smooth. Add a second quart of the vegetable broth to the squash mixture. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the pot the beef browned in. Add the parsley sprigs, celery leaves and cubed beef and bones to the squash mixture. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Poke the Scotch bonnet with the 6 whole cloves and add it to the pot. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer with a lid partially covering the top and stirring occasionally until the meat is very tender and the broth has thickened slightly, about 3 hours.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water generously. Add the rigatoni and cook until still slightly firm, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spider or slotted spoon, transfer the pasta into the soup. Add the carrots, turnip, cooked cabbage, remaining 1 quart of vegetable broth and the garlic. Simmer until the pasta is tender and the vegetables are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Remove the parsley bundle and clove-studded Scotch bonnet. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.