Food coverage is supported by a generous donation from Susan and Moses Libitzky.
Early in our relationship, my husband and I bonded over our favorite food group: soup! Since then, I have used soup as a way to not only show my love (food is my love language), but as a way to reduce food waste in the kitchen, finding odds and ends in the back of the vegetable drawer and repurposing them into either soup or vegetable stock. If you were to peek into my freezer, you’d see containers of frozen-solid soup with masking tape notes like “add fresh herbs” or “add lemon juice” scribbled on top.
I first fell in love with hawaij after trying it in a tahini sauce in Tel Aviv. It brought warmth and depth to my brunch dish of charred eggplant and eggs. It’s safe to say that any trip to Israel ignites my mind when it comes to food.
The food scene in Israel is diverse and electric and tells the story of its people — those who were persecuted and sought refuge, bringing their family stories and recipes, and those who had to evolve and adapt to create new and novel dishes to fit within the desert landscape. This March, I’m hosting a volunteer trip to Israel in partnership with Yael Adventures and Taglit Birthright, where we will volunteer, nosh, cook, learn and share in the land of milk and honey. For more information, visit goyael.com/foodies-in-israel.
Hawaij is a Yemeni spice blend with countless variations. It can be found in sweet and savory dishes, and every blend is slightly different. Savory hawaij is traditionally a blend of turmeric, coriander, cumin, black pepper and cardamom. Sweet or baking hawaij is a blend of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
If you don’t have or can’t find a savory blend, make your own by combining 1 tsp. turmeric, 2 tsp. coriander, 2 tsp. cumin, ½ tsp. black pepper and ½ tsp. cardamom. Baking or sweet hawaij is a great substitute for pumpkin pie spice, or sprinkled in coffee. I use it in ginger cookies and add a pinch to my go-to banana bread.
As a vegetarian, I try to incorporate simple proteins into my soups for an easy one-dish meal. I could have added a can of chickpeas to this soup for protein, but I wanted something a little more comforting, and there’s nothing more comforting than dumplings (matzah balls included!). Instead of a classic soup dumpling, I opted for chickpea flour.
Chickpea flour is a staple ingredient in my house for its versatility and ability to add plant protein to almost any dish. It can be used in savory applications like fritters or flatbreads, and works as an egg substitute in vegan baking as well. Naturally gluten-free, chickpea flour is a must-have in any vegetarian or gluten-free kitchen. Because of the flour’s binding power, these dumplings are egg-free and come together with a little olive oil and yogurt (use coconut yogurt for a vegan version). So dig in, because in my house, soup season is all year long.
Yemeni-Inspired Vegetable Soup with Chickpea Flour Dumplings
Serves 4 to 6
Total time 1 hour
For the soup:
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 Tbs. tomato paste
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch rounds
- 2 celery stalks, sliced into ¼-inch pieces
- 1 fennel head, diced
- 2 cups butternut squash, chopped into ½ inch pieces
- 2 Tbs. hawaij seasoning
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
- 10 cups vegetable broth
For the dumplings:
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 2 Tbs. fresh chopped cilantro
- 2 Tbs. fresh chopped dill
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. turmeric
- ⅓ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup olive oil
To serve:
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup fresh dill, chopped
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
For the soup: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the onion, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the tomato paste begins to darken.
Add the carrots, celery, fennel and butternut squash. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables begin to soften slightly. Add the hawaij seasoning, stirring to coat. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer, covered for 15 to 20 minutes.
For the dumplings: In a medium bowl, combine the chickpea flour, cilantro, dill, baking powder, salt and turmeric, stirring to combine. Add the yogurt and olive oil, mixing until a sticky dough forms.
Use a tablespoon to scoop and roll 10 ping-pong-size balls. Set aside.
Once the vegetables in the soup are tender, add the chickpea dumplings to the pot and cover, cooking for 15 minutes.
Add the lemon juice, parsley, dill and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste.