My First Attempt At Making Haitian Joumou Soup (Recipe Inside)

My husband and I moved away from my family in South Florida this past summer and I’m still adjusting to the changes of being away from family.  One of the hardest things I’ve been learning to adjust to is not having my family near during the holidays and It didn’t hit me until New Years eve that I was actually going to  spend my new year without my mother’s Haitian ( Independence day)  Joumou soup.

Eating soup Joumou which is highlighted in this post, is one of my families oldest traditions and I was not going to spend the new year without it.  So whats a new wife and lonely daughter to do? Call mommy and grandma, print the recipe on-line and go to work! I remember watching my mother prep this soup as a little girl thinking oh my goodness, this looks so complicated, but I was so surprise at how easy it  was to prepare as long as I followed the instructions and made small revisions like what noodles, meat or vegetables I use, but only small revisions.

Here are a few links for recipes I’ve used:

Recipe Link 1:  

Recipe Link 2: 

Recipe Link 3: 

Recipe Link 4:

First step was shopping, I went to a grocery store called Fiesta in my neighborhood and found all the different vegetables and ingredients needed for my soup.

Ingredients I use: 

• – 1 lb beef neck or oxtail
• – 1/2 lemon
• – fine sea salt
• – crushed black pepper
• – water (enough to cover meat; more water may be added later to adjust consistency)
• – 2 lbs pumpkin, peeled & cubbed (alternately, use canned pumpkin)
• – 1 small onion, diced
• – 2 scallion stems, chopped
• – 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• – 1 leek, chopped
• – a small bunch fresh flat leaf parsley (about 3 sprigs), minced
• – a small bunch fresh thyme (about 3 sprigs), minced
• – a hearty bushel of spinach
• – 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• – 3 celery stalks, chopped
• – 1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped
• – 6 small potatoes, peeled & cubed
• – 3 large carrots, chopped
• – 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• – 1 tsp hot pepper
• – 1/4 lb vermicelli pasta or macaroni
• – domnbwey (soup dumplings)

 

 Below are a few pictures of what we picked up.

Although I was looking at Pumpkin in this picture please be aware that Joumou is Squash not American pumpkin. I bought the pumpkin to help give the soup color which was my mother’s idea. I’m happy I used both but the squash was the main ingredient 🙂

Voila!!!!!!!!!!! Need more work next year but its not that bad. 

My husband who is also Haitian was so happy I took the time out to actually keep our families traditional alive in our home. I am so very proud of my soup. I will definitely make it again next year and every year after that. It was actually easier than I expected. Hope you had a great New Years day with your family!!!

Happy New Year Again.

To read more about why we eat Soup Joumou on the first go here.

Click on link below to read and see my second attemp the following year.

Happy Haitian Independence & Soup Joumou Day!