Soup Joumou or Calabaza Squash Soup with Beef
Another delicious way to make the famous Haitian soup joumou. Calabaza Squash Soup with Beef and Veggies, full of flavor, yummy vegetables, and protein, is a complete meal. This soup is usually served on January 1st in the Haitian community to start the new year.
With this squash, you are getting a complete meal that is hearty and delicious. The new year always brings love, laughter, and happiness to the dinner table in many Haitian households. Family members bond, reflect on goals accomplished the prior year and create new goals for the new year. Although Squash soup, soup joumou, or soup de giraumon is a national dish served every January 1st, it is also considered a breakfast/brunch meal on Sundays.
What is Calabaza Squash
Calabaza squash is popular in the Caribbean, South America, and Central America. The squash size varies from the size of an acorn squash to a large watermelon. It can also grow to be as large as a pumpkin.
The Calabaza squash skin is tough and lined with vertical ridges when matured. Its color also varies from green to the shade of orange. Calabaza has been said to have similar flavors as butternut or acorn squash with its yellow to orange-like flesh color.
Tips for making Calabaza Squash Soup
- Use fresh ingredients if you can.
- Use any pasta noodles you want
- Add chicken or beef. Cook meat or poultry first before adding to the soup. Use the cooking liquid to season the soup.
- Sautee onion and leeks with fresh herbs and spices first.
- Keep the vegetables in water so they don’t turn brown.
- Need a good stockpot
- You can freeze fresh squash for at least 1 – 3 months.
Variations for Calabaza Squash Soup
This soup can be prepared in many different ways. Most Calabaza soup recipes contain meat or poultry and rarely seafood. The most common seafood is shrimp.
- Seafood: season the shrimp with Noubess Seafood Seasoning, olive oil and lemon juice and marinate for at least fifteen minutes before adding it to the squash mixture.
- Beef: season the beef with Noubess Steak Seasoning, olive oil, lemon, thyme, parsley, and onion and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Cook meat until fully cooked. Use meat cooking liquid to season the soup.
- Poultry: season the chicken pieces with Noubess Poultry Seasoning, with thyme, lemon, parsley, onion, salt, and pepper. Marinate for at least 60 minutes overnight. Cook poultry separately from veggies and soup for 30 – 40 minutes before adding the pieces. You can also bake or roast the chicken before placing it in the stock up with the veggies and the squash mixture.
- Vegetarian/Vegan: Cook the squash as you normally would. Sautee the vegetables with oil, onion, Noubess Original Hot and Spicy Condiments with Herbs. Use fresh a mixture of fresh herbs and spices to season the broth.
Here’s the recipe for this delicious soup. Make your version of soup joumou today and let us know what you think/
How to make Calabaza Squash Soup with Beef with Noubess seasonings
Ingredients
- 4 pounds beef stew
- 2 tbsp Noubess Steak Seasoning
- 1 large onion sliced or 2 medium
- 2 – 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 – 3 sprigs parsley
- 2 to matoes chopped
- 5 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Calabaza squash about 3 pounds, or butternut squash
- 4 gloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 leeks sliced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 large carrots sliced
- 2 medium turnips sliced
- 3 – 4 potatoes sliced or cut in large cubes
- 2 rib celery sliced
- 1 green bell pepper sliced
- 1 1/2 cup cabbage chopped
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup pasta noodles or spaghetti noodles
- 1 1/2 tbsp white wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- After cleaning meat, place in large pot, add lemon juice, Noubess Steak Seasoning, 3 tbsp olive oil, onion, thyme, parsley, and tomatoes. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. Cook meat until fully cooked on medium high. Add warm water only if necessary.
- Wash the squash, remove the skin with a sharp knife, and remove seeds. Cut the squash in cubes and place in a large pot, enough water to cover. Boil for 20 – 25 minutes until fully cooked. Turn off heat and let cool.
- When completely cool, puree squash with a little bit of cooking water. You may have to puree the squash pieces in batches. Set aside.
- In a large stockpot, add the remaining olive oil, leeks, celery, and onion. Sautee for about 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add squash puree, remaining ingredients but not the noodles or the meat. Add meat cooking water and chicken stock only and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 – 15 minutes. Add meat and pasta noodles. Continue to cook until noodles are fully cooked. Season to taste. If additional liquid is needed, only add hot water.
- Serve with bread, preferably.
Notes
Nutrition
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.
Nutrition info is automatically generated and provided as a courtesy and as an estimate only.
