soup joumon from Chef Oli

90 min

A true staple of Haitian heritage, joumou soup takes you under the Caribbean sun, even in the middle of the Canadian winter. Gathering and comforting, it delights and warms the soul with tender beef, velvety squash, fresh market vegetables, and pasta bathing in a spiced broth. Follow this Chef Oli recipe for a real ti plezi from Haiti!

Ingredients Preparation

For the meat:

1.2 kg beef stew cubes
1 lime or 1 lemon (to clean the meat)
1 tbsp white vinegar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp Haitian spices (epis) (optional, but recommended)
1 bouillon cube (optional)

For the vegetables and aromatics:

1 piece of giraumon (Buttercup squash), about 1.2 kg, cut into large pieces
3 carrots, sliced into rounds
2 celery stalks
2 leeks, sliced
2 turnips, cubed
3 potatoes, cubed
1 cabbage, cut into pieces
1 whole Scotch Bonnet hot pepper (for flavor, not heat)
2 whole cloves
3 sprigs of thyme
2 whole onions studded with cloves

Other ingredients:

250 g pasta (macaroni, penne, or broken spaghetti)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp tomato paste
2.5 liters water or broth
Oil for cooking

Prepare and marinate the meat:

Wash the beef cubes with lemon and vinegar, then rinse.
Season the beef cubes with salt, pepper, garlic cloves, chopped onion, and Haitian spices.
Let the meat marinate for at least 30 minutes (or longer for even better flavor).

Cook the meat:

Heat a little oil in a large pot.
Sear the marinated meat for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add one liter of water, thyme, and the 2 onions studded with cloves.
Let simmer for about 1 hour, until the meat is very tender.

Prepare the giraumon purée:

In another pot, cook the squash in water until very tender.
Drain, then purée the squash (using a blender or masher).
Set aside.

Assemble the soup:

Pour the giraumon purée into the pot with the meat.
Add the carrots, turnips, celery, leeks, tomato paste, and butter.
Add about 1.5 liters of water to achieve a nice consistency.
Let cook for 20 minutes.