Every 1st of January, Haitians around the world celebrate our Independence Day and give thanks to our ancestors who fought hard, shed blood, and died for our liberation. But on this same day, we also do one more thing: eat!
It’s a tradition for us Haitians to cook and eat the most delicious pumpkin/squash soup ever known to man as a symbol of our freedom: Soup Joumou. This soup is sooooo important because it is what our ancestors made on this very day to celebrate their victory.
During the time of imperial rule on the island of Haiti, Soup Joumou was a popular meal among the slave masters and general white folk because of its hearty contents and rich flavors. They would have their slaves prepare this meal for them but would never allow them to partake in eating it. In a way, it was one of the many things that was used to make the slaves feel lesser than. So on the 1st of January in 1804, the Haitian people gathered and feasted and the main course was Soup Joumou. It was a way of displaying their defiance! So to this day, we honor them by continuing this delicious tradition!
This was my second year making the soup and I was veryyyy pleased by how it turned out! Because I’m a vegetarian, I did not add any meat to my version although the traditional recipe calls for it. But it was still delicious and tasted just how it did growing up. I’m 100% here for this vegetarian style soup joumou recipe! I’m trying my hardest to not eat the whole pot in one night! Check out some of my progress pics below.
the herbs above were used from my garden!
Helena's Haven 