Antillean Eats
Pumpkin Soup / Sopi di Pampuna
Information
Pumpkin Soup, called Sopi di Pampuna in Curaçao, is a comforting island soup with pumpkin, salted beef, pork tail, and vegetables. The slow-simmered ingredients create a creamy texture and savory Antillean flavor.Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs of pumpkin
- 1/2 lb of salted beef
- 1/2 of salted pigtail,
- 10 cups of water
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 chopped carrots
- 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 whole allspice grains
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 medium potatoes
- 1Suriname Yellow pepper (Madame Jeanette)
- About 1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste
Preparation
- Soak the salted beef and pig tails overnight in plenty of water overnight.
- Drain the water and cut the beef and the tails into small pieces.
- Add about 6 cups water into a pot with the beef and tail and bring to the boil.
- With the lid on the pot boil for 30 minutes.
- Drain out the water. This will remove some more salt and will make the meat tender.
- Peel and wash the pumpkin and cut into small cubes.
- Pour 10 cups of water in a large stockpot and add salted beef, pig tail, pumpkin, onion, carrots, thyme, bay leaf, allspice grains and cinnamon sticks in it.
- Bring to the boil, put the lid on the pan and let the soup boil on a medium heat for 1 hour.
- Peel and wash the potatoes and cut into small cubes.
- Then add the potatoes and the yellow pepper on medium high heat to a boil for 30 minutes.
- Allow the soup to cool off and remove the bay leaf, the allspice grains, cinnamon sticks and Madame Jeanette.
- Remove the salted beef and pig tails out of the soup and grind the soup in a food processor.
- Pour the soup back into the pan, add the salted meat and pork pies and heat the soup on medium heat.
- Taste the soup and if necessary with salt to taste.
- This soup can served as a appetizer or a full meal when served with funchi.