Chef Dan Obusan created these hearty winter soups for his cooking demonstration at Wave Hill on Saturday, January 23rd. Try them at home on a cold winter night!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
olive oil
2 butternut squash (@ 2lbs)
butter
1 cup onions
1/2 cup carrots
1 cinnamon stick
1 nutmeg
2 quart water
1/2 cup creme fraiche (or sour cream)
1 cup pumpkin seeds toasted (optional)
Cut the butternut squash lengthwise. Clean the seeds out, then toss in the olive oil and roast the squash at 350 for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, peel skin off and dice squash into cubes.
Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add the onions, carrots, and cinnamon stick and cook until the onions are translucent. Add in the squash and water, and simmer until the squash and carrots become tender. Remove the cinnamon stick
Blend the mixture with an immersion blender, and adjust the consistency with creme fraiche and sour creme to your preference. Slowly zest in the nutmeg and adjust the flavor with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.
Yield: 1 quart
Cream of Apple Soup and Duck Confit
1 cup apple cider
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup sugar
2 cup water
ground cloves
ground allspice
6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and quartered
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup duck confit (shredded)
Combine all remaining ingredients except for the last two in a pot (apple cide through cinnamon). Bring the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or until the apples are very tender. Remove cinnamon stick with a slotted spoon and discard. When the apples are soft, blend the mixture with an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender in small batches.
Stir the half-and-half into the pureed mixture. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Garnish with shredded duck confit meat.
Yield 1 quart