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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Haitian-Style Pumpkin and Beef Soup (Soup Joumou)

8 Servings

3½ hours

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Our version of Haiti's pumpkin and beef soup, joumou, is rich yet light, with a flavorful pumpkin-based broth and tender pieces of beef, butternut squash and potato. Two Scotch bonnet peppers give this soup a spicy backdrop; we studded ours with cloves, a tip we took from Haiti-born cook Sophia Sanon who now resides in Montreal. If you can't find Scotch bonnets, habaneros work well, too. You should end up with about 2 pounds of meat after trimming a 3-pound boneless beef chuck roast; trim as much visible fat as possible. The beef for the soup can be cooked up to 24 hours ahead of time; cover and refrigerate for up to three days.

8

Servings

Tip

Don't use pre-cubed meat sold as “beef for stew;” there's no way to know the cut of meat. And be sure to use canned pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.

3½ hours

Ingredients

  • 8

    whole cloves

  • 2

    Scotch bonnet or habanero chilies

Directions

Reviews
Ludovic L.

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Kerri H.

This recipe is delicious! I was running short of time, so I sort of combined steps 3 and 4. I added the potatoes and squash to the broth mixture with the pumpkin puree still in, and did not strain the soup. I was really good! I can't wait to make it for a family dinner!

Sally O.

While shopping at H‑E‑B in San Antonio I found a bag of scotch bonnet peppers. I have been looking for them for several year to make a Trinidad stir-fry. I found this recipe when looking for what else I could make with my peppers. This soup is wonderful and well worth the effort. The meat is so delicious, it could be served on a pile of buttered noodles. I also made the slaw to accompany the soup. Thank you.


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