Soup Joumou

Soup Joumou is a mildly spicy soup native to Haitian cuisine, although variations of it can be found throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.

The soup is based on winter squash, . The squash slices are simmered in a saucepan along with pieces of beef, potato, and vegetables such as parsley, carrots, and onions. The ingredients are puréed, usually in a food processor, with water and the purée is returned to the saucepan, where salt and seasoning along with garlic and other herbs and spices are added. Thin pasta such as vermicelli and macaroni and a small amount of milk and butter are sometimes also put in. The soup is always served hot and is usually accompanied with rice or sliced bread with which to dip in the soup.

Soup Joumou is traditionally consumed on New Year's Day (January 1), as a historical tribute to Haitian independence in 1804 where newly freed slaves consumed the soup, a meal forbidden them by their French masters.