Squash and Apple Soup Recipe
From Issue #3, Nov 2020
Squash and Apple Soup with Cranberry Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
From “The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen” (University of Minnesota Press, 2017) by Sean Sherman and Beth Dooley.
For cranberry sauce:
• 1 1/2 c. cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 c. apple cider
• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• Salt to taste
• Crushed juniper, to taste
For soup:
• 2 tbsp. sunflower oil
• 1/4 c. chopped shallot
• 2 lb. winter squash, seeded, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes
• 1 tart apple, cored and chopped
• 1 c. cider
• 3 c. vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup, or more to taste
• Salt, to taste
• Sumac, to taste
Directions:
To prepare cranberry sauce: In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cranberries, apple cider, maple syrup, salt and juniper. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and cook until the cranberries have popped and the mixture is thick. Remove from heat, transfer mixture to a fine-mesh sieve, press the mixture lightly with the back of a spoon to remove excess liquid, then transfer mixture to a bowl. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve warm or cold.
To prepare soup: In a deep, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the sunflower oil and sauté the shallots, squash and apple until the shallot is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cider and stock, increase the heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the squash is very tender, about 20 minutes. With an immersion blender (or, working in batches, with a blender) purée the soup and return to the pot to warm. Season to taste with maple syrup, salt and sumac. Serve with a dollop of cranberry sauce.