Feed The Resistance: Independence Soup

As Black History Month comes to an end, I wanted to cook up something from Chef Marcus Samuelsson’s “The Rise” cookbook.  The Rise traces the rise of black chefs in America.  What I made for today is what he calls “Independence Soup” or Soup Joumou.  The story that he tells in the book is about black people in Haiti being forbidden from eating this soup during enslavement, because the soup was considered a delicacy.  So, when they gained their independence, Soup Joumou became a symbol of that independence, and is now served on Haitian Independence Day.

The soup is pumpkin based, with lots of good spices, including allspice, cloves, thyme and nutmeg.  Toasted chestnuts and chili-nutmeg oil is served over the top of the soup.

To pair with the soup – Dee brought in “To Those Who Wait,” a Czech-style pilsner from Working Draft here in Madison.