Soup Joumou Cooking Class

Join us for a fun time learning how to prepare a historic Creole dish, soup joumou, “the soup of freedom”.  The process is simple, register for the event and you will receive an email with the ingredient list, recipe and a private zoom link to join the event. 

Get everything ready and join us from your kitchen on the night of the event as our chef leads you step by step through the process of preparing this delicious Haitian food.

Want to join but have a conflict: Register anyway. All participants will get a link to a video of the class showing how to make the recipe.

Joumou Soup

In December of 2021, UNESCO declared soup joumou a cultural heritage of intangible cultural value to humanity. This Fat Tuesday we will gather to prepare and share this “Soup of Freedom.”

It starts with an epis and brings together classic Haitian ingredients and flavors for a rich and flavorful soup. Some preparation is required prior to the class so make sure you download and review the recipe.

The recipe that we’ll learn together is for a traditional soup Joumou using the recipe authored by Chef Nadege Fleurimond and published in Epicurious.

Freedom Soup

Haitians come together annually on January 1st around their soup Joumou to celebrate their independence day which commemorates Haiti’s liberation from French colonial rule in 1804.

The soup was originally reserved only for colonial masters and plantation owners until it became their soup of freedom. This Haitian squash/pumpkin soup consists of cabbage, carrots, squash, peppers, turnips, and beef is a reminder of their independence and freedom.

We continue their celebration of freedom this Fat Tuesday as we learn how to create and cook soup Joumou while thinking of our Haitian friends and neighbors.

Our Instructor

Cheryl is the Founder and Owner of Sugar Beet Schoolhouse and founder of the Sugar Beet Food Co-op in Oak Park, IL. The Co-op celebrates community and good food by providing a full service marketplace for local vendors and producers and greater access to local, organic food. The Sugar Beet Schoolhouse channels her passion for education and good food.

Cheryl received the Golden Beet Award from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance for Community Food Development and has twice been named to New City Chicago’s “Big Heat” list of Chicago’s “movers and shakers” in the Chicago food scene.