"Tipa Tipa" how to make haitian soup joumou (beef & pumpkin soup)

Velvety Heat & Independence Stew: Silky Haitian Pumpkin Soup with Bold Spices and Tender Beef

You got it, flavor fam—buckle up for a warm, soulful ride through Haitian heritage with a bowl of Soup Joumou, the freedom fighter’s pumpkin soup, narrated by none other than your favorite flavor guy. This recipe has many ingredients, but it's one pot and simple to make. Follow the detailed recipe with photos in the recipe card.

This here ain’t your average soup—nah baby, this one got body, bounce, and bite. We’re talkin’ velvety pumpkin base, tender beef chuck slow-simmered till it melts like vinyl in the sun, and that scotch bonnet heat sneakin’ up on you like the bassline in Boukman Eksperyans’ song "Tipa Tipa"—steady, soulful, and full of revolution.

The rigatoni gives it that chewy, hearty hug, while Haitian epis seasoning and fresh thyme turn the flavor dial up to celebration levels. About two and a half hours on the stove, and you got yourself a beautiful bowl, born from resistance and bursting with resilience.

Beats and Eats (music to pair with Haitian pumpkin soup)

Tipa Tipa pairs with this dish like leeks and beef—it builds layer by layer, groove by groove, just like the flavors in that pot. It’s textured, bright, a little funky—exactly what Soup Joumou delivers.

I made a few iterations of this soup before landing on this recipe. My recipe testing and taste tests revealed the importance of a few key ingredients. Fresh thyme brings earthy depth that anchors the soup’s sweet-savory rhythm.

Epis seasoned meat, (holy trinity of Haitian flavor), lays the aromatic foundation—garlic, green bell pepper, and herbs all dancing in unity.

The scotch bonnet pepper adds heat and character with a Caribbean kick, while rigatoni soaks up all that pumpkin-spiced goodness like a sponge made for flavor.

No leeks? Sub in green onions or celery for that green veggie backbone. I didn't have traditional Caribbean style pumpkin so I used butternut squash. Kabocha squash also works.

Finish off with a spritz of lime juice. Season to taste perhaps with some freshly ground black pepper.

Serve with crusty bread, side of coconut rice, and fried plantains for balance, and sip something citrusy on the side to cut through the richness.

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Haitian Soup Joumou

Soup joumou a rich, aromatic and delicious beef and pumpkin soup that symbolizes Haiti's independence and resiliency.

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Haitian

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 387kcal

Author: Marwin Brown

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 ½ pounds beef chuck cut into ½-inch pieces
• ▢ 2 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
• ▢ 1 cup leeks (whites only) finely chopped
• ▢ 1 large scallion diced
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves crushed
• ▢ 1 celery stalk finely chopped
• ▢ 2 sprigs fresh thyme washed and tied with twine
• ▢ 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley washed and tied with twine
• ▢ 3 cups butternut squash peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ▢ 2 medium carrots cut into small pieces
• ▢ 5 cups low-sodium beef broth vegetable or chicken stock can be substituted
• ▢ 1 Scotch bonnet pepper whole with small slits along each side
• ▢ ½ tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• ▢ 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ½ tablespoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ▢ 2 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 cup epis seasoning
• ▢ 2 medium potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
• ▢ 2 small malanga root peeled and cut into ½ inch pieces
• ▢ 1 small green cabbage thinly sliced
• ▢ 1 cup rigatoni pasta
• ▢ 1 medium lime juiced
• ▢ Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Epis:

• Make the epis by pureeing all the ingredients until smooth
  

Soup Joumou

• Wash beef with water and then rub with lime juice and set aside in a large bowl.
• Add ½ cup of epis to the bowl and marinate the meat in the refrigerator and overnight or for at least 1 hour.
  
• Remove meat from refrigerator and let come to room temperature
• In a large pot, heat oil on high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add the meat and brown thoroughly on all sides, approximately 5-10 minutes.
  
• Remove the meat from the pot, and set aside. Leave the oil in the pot.
• Add the onions, leeks and scallions to the pot. Cook on medium high heat 5-10 minutes until they are translucent reaching a golden brown.
  
• Add the garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, celery, remaining epis, and half the spices and cook, stirring frequently, for about a minute more.
  
• Add the thyme, squash, carrots and broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook until squash and carrots are fork tender around 30-40 minutes
  
• Turn off the heat, remove the thyme and pepper, and puree the soup using a hand mixer until it is a smooth texture. If you prefer a thinner consistency add more broth or water. If you don't have a hand mixer use a blender or food processor.
  
• Add the thyme back to the soup and add the beef, bay leaves, parsley, and remaining spices.
  
• Bring the soup to a simmer on medium-low heat covered and cook for an additional 45 minutes
• Add the pasta, potatoes and malanga root and continue to simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes and malanga are cooked through.
  
• Add cabbage and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  
• Remove the herbs and discard. Add seasoning as needed and serve with fresh lime juice and chopped parsley.
  

Notes

• Turnips, rutabagas are good substitutes for malanga root.
• I used butternut squash in place of pumpkin as I didn't find pumpkin to my liking.
• Feel free to add another ½ cup of the epis to the soup right after pureeing.

• Cutting beef into chunks is easier if the meat is partially frozen. Aldo dry the beef with paper towels for easier handling.
• Marinate the beef in Haitian epis marinade.
• Cut small slits into the scotch bonnets to leverage their fragrance while keeping that crazy heat level in check.
• Puree the squash and carrots for optimal consistency, color, and balanced flavor
• Use local, fresh ingredients. If you don't have pumpkin around, forget using the canned stuff and just use your favorite winter squash that's available.
• For thinner consistency add vegetable stock or water
• Add a dose of lime juice just before serving.
• Keep your favorite bread on hand for steady soppin
• For a vegan version just eliminate the beef and pasta. There are more than enough vegetables present for this dish to remain filling.
• Don't forget about the scotch bonnet simmering in your pot. You leave it simmering too long, it will break down, releasing those fiery seeds into your soup.
• With the mixture of herbs, peppers, meat, and multiple vegetables, you don't have to get crazy with the spices. Spices will play the role of unifying the variety of flavors.

Nutrition

Calories: 387kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 835mg | Potassium: 1559mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 10093IU | Vitamin C: 108mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 6mg

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