Haitian Recipes
Use these recipes below for an authentic Haitian meal as you share with others your passion for sending hope to Haiti through solar radios. Check out our Fundraising Dinner outline to prepare your gathering.
Soupe Joumou – Haitian Pumpkin Soup
Soupe Joumou is Haiti’s celebration dish, served every year on 1 January, Haiti’s Independence Day. Traditionally, people go visiting from house to house, enjoying variations of Soupe Joumou, as each cook makes her own version.
| Marinade for meat:4 garlic cloves crushed 1 teaspoon thyme 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 scallions sliced 2 teaspoons of salt 1-pound beef stew meat, cubed Lime/lemon juice to clean meat |
10 cups water (add more later if necessary) 2 pounds cooked pumpkin (or pumpkin puree, not pie mix) 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 carrots peeled and sliced 2 stalks celery sliced lengthwise and cut into pieces 1 large onion cubed 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed 1 pound cabbage sliced fine and chopped Handful uncooked spaghetti, broken into shorter lengths Two handfuls of uncooked penne or rigatoni pasta 2-3 beef bouillon cubes (or more, to taste) hot sauce, (like Tabasco) to taste |
- Clean meat with lime/lemon juice, rinse with hot water and drain. Marinate the meat overnight: put meat cubes in a Ziploc bag, rub with marinade ingredients (garlic, thyme, black pepper, salt, scallions).
- Add oil to stockpot, add the meat and tomato paste and brown by adding small amounts of water to caramelize the meat. Cook covered over medium heat for 20 minutes. Add 3 cups water, bouillon cubes and pureed pumpkin and bring to a boil.
- Add the cabbage, celery, carrots, onion, potato to the soup, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add spaghetti and penne pasta and cook until soft and tender.
- Add salt, black pepper and/or hot pepper sauce to taste.
- Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit until ready to serve.
Works well if made ahead, warm gently to serve. Serves 10
Dessert:
Gato Ranvèse – Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
| 1/4 cup butter or margarine | 2/3 cup packed brown sugar |
| 9 slices pineapple (14-oz can), drained | 9 maraschino cherries without stems, if desired |
| 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour | 1 cup granulated sugar |
| 1/3 cup shortening | 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt | 3/4 cup milk |
| 1 egg |
Serves 9 |
- Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.
- In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.
- Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. With care, immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm.
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