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1
Make the epis. Combine the parsley, thyme, scotch bonnet, garlic, and oil in a blender. Process to a smooth, intensely green paste. The finished epis should be cohesive and fragrant, with no large unblended pieces visible.
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2
Marinate the beef. Place the beef pieces in a non-reactive bowl. Add the sour orange juice, lime juice, and a generous measure of epis. Turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. The meat is ready when the surface has taken on a pale, slightly tightened appearance where the citrus has begun its work.
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3
Cook the joumou for the broth. Place the pumpkin chunks in a large pot with enough water or stock to cover. Simmer over medium heat until the flesh is completely tender and collapses when pressed — approximately 25 minutes. Reserve roughly one-quarter of the cooked pumpkin separately. Blend the remainder with its cooking liquid until entirely smooth and velvety; no fibrous texture should remain.
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4
Brown and build the broth. Drain the marinated beef, reserving the marinade. In the same large pot over medium-high heat, sear the beef until deeply coloured on all sides. Add the remaining epis generously and stir, cooking for 2 minutes until the paste is fragrant and slightly darkened. Pour in the blended pumpkin purée, the reserved marinade, and enough additional water or stock to give a loose, broth-like consistency. Bring to a simmer. This is where the dish lives or dies: the epis must be added generously and cooked into the fat before the liquid arrives — no other seasoning system replicates the Haitian flavour profile, and a timid hand here produces a soup without identity.
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5
Add the dense root vegetables. Once the broth is at a steady simmer and the beef has begun to soften — after approximately 30 minutes — add the malanga and yam. Cook for 15 minutes before adding the turnip. The malanga and yam are ready to proceed when they yield to the point of a knife but retain their shape.
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6
Add the pasta. When all root vegetables are just tender, add the pasta directly to the broth. Cook uncovered at a steady simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente — it will continue to absorb the pumpkin stock. Remove from heat the moment it offers slight resistance to the bite; do not allow it to soften further.
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7
Finish with reserved pumpkin. Blend the reserved cooked pumpkin to a smooth purée and stir it through the soup in the final 10 minutes of cooking. The soup should brighten visibly in colour and aroma, a freshness distinct from the deeper-cooked base. Adjust seasoning with salt. Serve immediately in deep bowls.