As a child, New Year’s Eve was always something that I looked forward to. A few months before the holiday, my grandmother would go to her local farmer’s market and purchase a pumpkin that would sit on the counter for weeks. Each year on December 31st, the excitement of peeling the skin off the pumpkin never changed. After peeling the skin, my grandmother would steam the pumpkin in a pot and then she would blend it to make the soup. She would proceed to cup up carrots, celery, potatoes and a few other vegetables to add to the mix. Also, she would boil pasta (spaghetti or penne) while prepping meat that she seasoned days before to put in the soup. She liked to marinate the meat for a few days to add to the flavor of the soup. The mixing of all these ingredients is what Haitians call Soup Joumou. It is prepared on January 1 each year, marking Haiti’s independence of slave rebellion. Soup joumou was originally made for the French colonial masters on the plantations of Haiti.  So, it is more than just a soup; it is part of our history! Soup joumou is made for other occasions such as communions, baptisms, funerals, etc. Some families even have it for Sunday breakfast. As my grandmother has passed a few years ago, the tradition continues in my family. My mom has continued to prepare this soup each year. However, the way she prepares it is slightly different as she does not use red meat and it is spicier. The recipes for soup joumou vary from person to person. This soup is usually served with Haitian bread and patties. My family loves to go to a bakery right here in Queens: Le Bon Pain. If you’re in a rush to get some bread, chances are you’ll be waiting in a really long line, especially on Sunday’s. Our patties are from another restaurant not too far called Patte Plus. We like this restaurant a lot more as less dough is used to make the patties. To accompany this dish, we usually have hot chocolate made from scratch.

Image Link

Haitian Bread- Image Link

Haitian Hot Chocolate – Image Link