Haitians often commemorate Independence Day on January 1 by eating soup joumou. While rebellion was ongoing throughout slavery, the Revolution began in 1791 and by 1804, Haitians had wrested control from the French. Black people in Haiti had been forbidden from eating soup joumou during enslavement, as the dish was a delicacy. Upon independence, the dish became a symbol for Black Haitians' freedom. This is my take on it.
This recipe was excerpted from ‘The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food.’
Editor’s note: We’ve updated the name and byline of this dish, and changed the headnote to match the excerpted recipe, which is chef Marcus Samuelsson's take on Haitian soup joumou, from Samuelsson’s cookbook ‘The Rise.’ We apologize for misrepresenting this recipe.
Recipe information
Yield
8 Servings
Ingredients
Candied Spiced Nuts
1½
3
1
1
½
Chile-Nutmeg Oil
1
1
½
Soup and assembly
8
2
1
1
¼
1
8
1
3
3
special equipment
Preparation
Candied spiced nuts
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°. Toss almonds with maple syrup, oil, berbere, and salt in a medium bowl until nuts are evenly coated. Scrape onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast, tossing occasionally, until nuts are toasted and maple syrup is caramelized, 20–25 minutes.
Step 2
Transfer to a sheet of parchment and spread out in an even layer to prevent clusters from forming. Let cool, then coarsely chop and set aside.
Chile-nutmeg oil
Step 3
Place red pepper flakes and nutmeg in a small heatproof bowl. Heat oil in a small saucepan over high until you see the first wisp of smoke. Gently pour oil over spices and let cool, about 1 hour.
Soup and assembly
Step 4
Place thyme, cinnamon sticks, allspice, and cloves in center of cheesecloth; bring up edges together and tie closed with kitchen twine. Set aside.
Step 5
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high. Cook onion, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 7–9 minutes. Add garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until garlic is softened, 3–5 minutes. Add squash and cook, stirring, just until coated in onion mixture, about 1 minute. Add bundle and pour in stock; season with a bit more salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is tender, 20–25 minutes.
Step 6
Remove bundle and add coconut milk. Bring to a simmer; cook 5 minutes to let flavors meld. Purée soup with an immersion blender until smooth. (Or, purée in batches in a regular blender.) Season with more salt if needed.
Step 7
To serve, divide soup among bowls. Top with candied spiced nuts and drizzle with chile-nutmeg oil.
Leave a Review
Reviews (766)
Back to TopThis squash soup is delicious. It was worth the effort and I would make it again.
Anonymous
Detroit MI
12/19/2021
Quest-ce que c'est?? How is the editor changing the recipe for this soupe de potiron & noix?
Anonymous
guess?
11/6/2021
Bro this is by far the wildest review section I’ve ever seen for a recipe. I accidentally bought 20 small pumpkins today though so I’ll be trying out this soup soon.
Tremulo
Houston, Tx
10/19/2021
Sak sa?? You should never change the recipe to accommodate white people this is a disgrace THIS IS NOT SOUP JOUMOU
Anonymous
Montreal
9/17/2021
Excellent (and thank you). I really loved this recipe, and will make it again. Also, I had never heard of Soup Joumou nor knew anything about its origin. After reading the article and making the soup, I looked it up because I wanted to know more. So, for everyone out there who is upset, there are a lot of positives here. Because of the recipe, I (a white man) learned more about the Haitian culture and history. I would encourage everyone to look at the positives and realize there are many variations to “traditional dishes.”
Ryan
Atlanta, GA
1/17/2021
Well well Marcus... how does it feel when the mob comes for you? Forget about all these racist commenters who thought you were a. white and b. born in the US. Forget that you were invited into a Haitians home who literally told you that everyone has their own take on this recipe. Forget you are an accomplished chef and have to listen to 200+ hacks pretend they know anything about cooking. If this was an SNL skit it would be hysterical. Haitians arguing about a soup the way New Yorkers argue about pizza. I hope no Haitian ever tries to pass of a classic French dish as their own. Can you imagine the outrage if they made a croque monsieur with cheddar instead of gruyere? Admit it now, that stuff with Rappaport was always just about caving to cancel and faux rage culture and you and everyone that survived the purge at BA thought you were immune. Nope. Remember it’s easier to tear something down than to actually build something up. Kudos to the handful of thoughtful commenters who even though disliked the recipe avoided the racist and rage trap. Not a good look for the Haitian community on here to be honest.
Fake rage is about power
1/15/2021
This is a disgrace! Not an accurate representation of our culture and is disrespectful. This recipe is white-washed and should be removed!
Miranda L
NJ
12/31/2020