Impress your guests with this heavenly Haitian pumpkin soup recipe
Haitian pumpkin soup, or soup joumou, is a flavorful dish with deep roots in Haitian culture. It's traditionally served on New Year's Day to celebrate Haiti's independence. This version, free of meat, eggs, and alcohol, keeps the original recipe's spirit alive. It combines pumpkin, vegetables, and spices for a rich culinary experience. Ready to cook this meaningful dish? Let's go!
Gather the following ingredients
For this soup, gather one medium pumpkin (peeled, cubed), two large sliced carrots, three cubed medium potatoes, one chopped large onion, four minced garlic cloves, one chopped bell pepper, half a cup of chopped celery, eight cups vegetable broth, one teaspoon thyme, one teaspoon salt (to taste), half a teaspoon black pepper, and two tablespoons olive oil.
Preparing the vegetables
Begin by preparing your vegetables. Start with the pumpkin, peeling and cubing it into bite-sized pieces. Next, prepare the carrots by slicing them into rounds, and cube the potatoes. Finely chop your onion, along with the bell pepper and celery. Lastly, mince your garlic cloves. This preparation work is essential for a smooth cooking process later on.
Sauteing vegetables
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions and minced garlic, sauteing them until they turn translucent, which should take about three minutes. Next, incorporate the bell peppers and celery into the pot. Continue to saute these vegetables for an additional few minutes, just until they begin to soften slightly.
Adding broth and simmering
To your sauteed vegetables in the pot, add eight cups of vegetable broth followed by all your prepared pumpkin cubes along with sliced carrots and cubed potatoes. Stir in thyme along with salt and black pepper for seasoning. Bring everything to a boil then reduce heat to low allowing it to simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
Blending and serving
Once all ingredients are tenderly cooked through after simmering for about 25 minutes or so - carefully blend part or all (depending on preference) using an immersion blender directly in the pot. You can also do the same by transferring portions into a blender until desired consistency is achieved creamy with bits. You can also opt for completely smooth soup texture based on personal preference.
