What a fun weekend! This past weekend I drove down to San Antonio again for the day to 1) see my parent's new pups again, they are SO adorable. It makes me want another puppy. And 2) to see my friend Sarah's new house and hang with some of my girlfriends from high school! It was so fun getting away for a bit and seeing old friends. We played jackbox games and drank wine and ate chocolate. We may be basic but it was fun nonetheless.
Saturday night Kyle and I went to Emmer & Rye for date night and wow was it GOOD. I have been wanting to go here since I read about it online a few months ago but we kept putting it off because we knew it was kind of expensive. It was so worth it! We made a last minute reservation and had one of the best dinners we've had in a long time. The service was great, the food was worth the hype (our favorites were the eggplant panzanella and the carnitas) and the cocktails were refreshing. We then walked around Rainey Street which was way too hip for us homebodies but we pretended like we fit in and nobody noticed I think.
I teamed up with Sahadi's this week to share this super flavorful vegetable hawaij soup! Hawaij is a Yemen spice blend that is often used to season soups, meat, and vegetables. Some of the spices that make up the mix include black pepper, cumin, garlic, cardamom, and turmeric. There is also a sweeter version of it that is used for coffee, but today we are using it in the more savory version!
I had this soup everyday for lunch last week and it is so healthy and filling and veggie-packed. While soup may not be something you want to make in the heat of summer, when you are inside in cold A/C you will gladly welcome a small bowl of vegetable soup. What really makes it stand out is the hawaij seasoning. I could really taste the turmeric and it just gave it such a unique flavor overall. I also added chickpeas, basmati rice, chopped tomatoes, dried parsley and olive oil all provided by Sahadi's online store. Hawaij should definitely be on your list of things to try this year!
Hawaij Vegetable Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbl. olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 can 15 oz chickpeas, or 2 cups dried chickpeas that have been soaked overnight
- 26 oz chopped tomatoes
- 32 oz vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp Hawaij seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1/2 cup cooked basmati rice
Directions
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the olive oil and then the chopped onion. Sauté for a few minutes until clear, then add in the carrots. Continue to cook, an additional 3-4 minutes. Add in the garlic and zucchini and sauté for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Add the chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, and hawaij seasoning. Pour in the vegetable broth and water, and stir to combine. Cover the pot and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with the fresh cilantro and parsley.
Serve with basmati rice. Enjoy!
This post was sponsored by Sahadi's, a really cool Brooklyn grocery and bulk bin store. You can order most of their products through their online store! For a limited time, you can get free shipping by entering code Summer17 at checkout. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that keep my blog up and running!