I am so pleased to share this gorgeous autumnal soup from Of Mint and Rosewater with you! I recently connected with Zeinab and Reem, the sisters behind Of Mint and Rosewater over on Instagram – you could say we both fell head over heels for each other’s content and clicked instantly!

What really stood out to me about Zeinab and Reem is that they create recipes with complex flavours, but introduce them to their audience in a way that is simple, fresh, and modern. Their recipes are approachable enough for beginner chefs, and quick enough that you can get them on the table on an average weeknight. I call that a huge win!

Their goal is to bring the Lebanese and Middle-Eastern classic dishes they grew up with into the next generation of home cooks, and to grow a happy and supportive community of young women living their best healthy lives. You can see why I admire these girls!

When I reached out to them to see if they’d be interested in collaborating on a fall blog post with me, I was overjoyed when they quickly responded with a great big ‘yes!’! They suggested we share a ‘pumpkin soup’ recipe together, and I couldn’t have been happier – what could be more fall than this richly coloured, pumpkin, squash and sweet potato soup?

Seriously, just look at it! Silky, velvety, vegan goodness. Plus, I love the use of Middle-Eastern spices to give this soup an earthy depth that will have your home fragrant and cozy in no time. Just what you want for the fall season.

Read on, for the full recipe by Of Mint and Rosewater:

Is there anything better than a warm and hearty soup on a fall or winter day? Soup is the best! You can make a big batch on your meal prep day and enjoy it all week, or store in the freezer and enjoy at a later time. This Cozy Autumn Harvest Soup is the perfect soup to enjoy all fall long. Your home will smell amazing while you are making this soup. The great thing is that this soup is extremely creamy and smooth without the use of dairy. 

WHAT IS THIS COZY AUTUMN HARVEST SOUP?

This soup is warm and cozy and perfect for a fall rainy day. It is made up of autumn gourds and Middle Eastern spices, this combination blends together so perfectly. This soup is made up of roasted sugar-pumpkins, butternut squash, sweet potato and onion coated in warm Middle Eastern spices. 

For the pumpkin and squash in this recipe you can truly use any kind of pumpkin or squash that you would like. These are the ones we like best but if you would prefer to use different kinds go right ahead! You can even make this soup using pumpkin puree, just use one full can.

For spices, we used Lebanese 7 spices in this recipe. You can use Middle Eastern Baharat spice mix if you have that instead. If you have neither no worries at all, these spice mixes are very simple to make(1). We also used the famous Middle Eastern Sumac spice to add in a nice kick of flavour. 

The veggies in this soup are blended together in a veggie broth but if you prefer to add chicken or beef broth you can do that as well. We enjoyed our soup with a topping of Za’atar roasted pumpkin seeds straight from the pumpkin with a side of pita chips. This soup can be enjoyed with a loaf of bread, it is also really great with saltine crackers too.

That is the beauty of soups, you really can’t do wrong, use what you have in your pantry and it will turn out amazing!

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 1 hour, 15 mins

INGREDIENTS:

Soup Base

• 1 1L Carton of Vegetable Stock
• 1 Sweet Potato
• ½ Sugar Pumpkin ¹
• ½ Butternut Squash
• ½ Onion
• Olive Oil extra virgin

Spices

• 1 ½ tsp Lebanese 7 spices OR Middle Eastern Baharat mix ²
• ½ tsp Cinnamon
• ⅓ tsp of Sumac
• ¼ tsp Ground Ginger
• ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
• Salt to taste

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven at 425 degrees.
• Rinse all of the veggies. Begin by cutting the pumpkin, butternut squash, and sweet potato into 1-2 inch cubes.
• On a pre-lined baking sheet, lay the cubes of pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potato, and onion.

• Evenly drizzle the veggies with olive oil and coat them with half of the spice mix. Transfer them into the oven for about 25 to 35 minutes ³. Keep an eye on them and flip them over at the halfway mark.

• Once they are fully cooked, remove from the oven and let them cool.

• Once cool, peel the skin and place in a large pot. Add in about half of the carton of vegetable stock and the remainder of the spice mix along with salt.

• Over medium-high heat let everything cook together for a few minutes and remove from the heat.
• Start to puree your soup using an immersion blender(or a regular blender) to blend everything until it is a nice and smooth consistency. Add in more liquid to reach your desired consistency.
• Once smooth, place back on your oven on medium-high heat to bring up to a boil and remove from heat.
• Serve the soup with a garnish of some za’atar roasted pumpkin seeds and a side of crunchy pita chips.

SPECIAL NOTE:

1. You can use 1 can of pumpkin puree instead if you do not have fresh pumpkins.

2. Spice mixes –

To make Lebanese 7 spice mix:

Mix together 4 parts sweet ground black pepper, 4 parts paprika, 2 part coriander, 2 part ground cloves, 1 part ground nutmeg, 1 ground cinnamon and 1/2 ground cardamom. You can also find pre-made Lebanese 7 Spice at the grocery store!

To make a Middle Eastern Baharat spice mix:

Mix together 6 parts paprika, 4 parts black pepper, 4 parts cumin seeds, 3 parts coriander seeds, 3 parts cinnamon, 3 parts cloves, 3 parts nutmeg and 1 part cardamom pods.

To make za’atar seasoning:

Mix 1/4tsp sumac, 1/2tsp thyme, 1/4tsp toasted sesame seeds, and a pinch of sea salt.

3. If you do not have an oven or want to skip the roasting step, you can make this soup by first sautéeing the onions in a large pot over medium high heat. Then add in your chopped veggies along with the spices and let everything mix together for a few minutes. Then add in the veggie stock and bring up the heat to high and let everything come to a boil. Once it is boiling, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for about 15 mins. Let the soup cool before blending it up. Add in more liquid to bring it to the desired consistency. Back onto the stove it goes for a few minutes before serving.

SERVE IT UP AND ENJOY!

Once everything has cooked through, serve your soup with a garnish of pumpkin seeds and a side of pita chips, crackers or a loaf of bread.

If you try this recipe, let us know! We’d love to hear what you think! Visit me here, and visit Zeinab and Reem here.

xo, Jamie, Zeinab & Reem