Pumpkin Soup with Hawaiij

Pumpkin soup is naturally sweet and earthy, which makes it a perfect backdrop for warm spices. Instead of leaning into the spices we typically associate with pumpkin, this version uses hawaiij, a deeply aromatic spice blend traditionally used in Yemeni cooking.

Hawaiij can refer to different spice mixtures, but this savory version combines black pepper, cumin, cardamom, coriander, and turmeric. It's fragrant and earthy, with enough pepper and cumin to keep the sweetness of the pumpkin in check.

I especially recommend starting with whole spices and grinding them yourself. Toasting and grinding whole peppercorns, cumin, cardamom, and coriander gives the blend an intensity and freshness that's difficult to get from spices that have been sitting pre-ground in the pantry. That said, pre-ground spices will absolutely work in a pinch.

You'll make much more hawaij than you need for one pot of soup, and that's intentional. Keep the rest in a glass jar and reach for it throughout the cooler months. It's fantastic stirred into chicken soup, added to chicken or pork marinades, or used when braising rich cuts of beef.

For the soup itself, I like to add the hawaiij and cinnamon directly to the butter-softened vegetables. Giving the spices a moment in the hot fat before adding any liquid wakes them up and allows their flavors to bloom throughout the finished soup.

Ingredients

Hawaiij

¼ cup black peppercorns

¼ cup cumin seeds

2 tablespoons cardamom seeds

2 tablespoons coriander seeds

3 tablespoons ground turmeric

Pumpkin Soup

4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter

1 medium onion (about 1 cup / 150 g), diced

2 medium carrots (about 1 cup / 130 g), peeled and diced

1 teaspoon hawaiij

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups (about 490 g) pumpkin purée (alternatively, add 3 cups of peeled and diced pumpkin or squash if you don’t have puree)

3 cups (720 g) chicken broth

3 tablespoons (60 g) date syrup, or to taste

¼ cup heavy cream

Kosher salt, to taste

Brown sugar, sorghum syrup, or honey can be substituted for the date syrup.

Pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

Method

Make the Hawaiij

Combine the black peppercorns, cumin seeds, cardamom seeds, and coriander seeds in a dry skillet. Place over medium-low heat and toast briefly, stirring or shaking the pan frequently, until the spices become noticeably fragrant. You aren't trying to deeply toast or darken them; a little heat is enough to release their aromatic oils.

Immediately transfer the spices out of the hot pan and let them cool completely.

Grind the cooled spices in a spice grinder until finely ground. Add the turmeric and pulse or stir until thoroughly combined.

Measure 1 teaspoon for the soup and transfer the remaining hawaij to a clean glass jar. Store tightly sealed in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.

Make the Pumpkin Soup

Melt the butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and carrots with a small pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the carrots have begun to soften.

Add the hawaij and cinnamon directly to the vegetables and butter. Cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices become intensely fragrant.

Add the pumpkin purée and chicken broth, stirring well and scraping the bottom of the pot to incorporate the toasted spices. Bring to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat, and cook for about 20–25 minutes, or until the carrots are completely tender.

Remove from the heat and purée with an immersion blender until completely smooth and velvety.

Taste the soup before adding the date syrup. The amount you need will depend on your pumpkin. A naturally sweet pumpkin or winter squash may need very little additional sweetness, while a more savory or less flavorful squash can benefit from the full 3 tablespoons.

Stir in up to 3 tablespoons (60 g) date syrup, tasting as you go, until the natural sweetness of the pumpkin comes forward and the spices taste balanced. The soup shouldn't taste overtly sweet; the sweetener is there to round out the squash and balance the peppery, earthy hawaij. Brown sugar, sorghum syrup, or honey all work well in its place.

Season with kosher salt to taste. If necessary, loosen the soup with a little additional chicken broth before serving.

Cook's Note: Taste Your Pumpkin

Not all pumpkins are equally sweet. The variety, growing conditions, and ripeness can all affect the flavor, and homemade pumpkin purée can vary much more than canned.

Think of the 3 tablespoons of date syrup as a guideline rather than a requirement. Taste the finished soup first, then add enough to bring out the pumpkin's natural sweetness. Date syrup is particularly nice here because its dark, caramel-like flavor complements the cumin, cardamom, coriander, and turmeric in the hawaij, but brown sugar, sorghum syrup, or honey are all good substitutes.