Thanksgiving Sides

An occasion to celebrate. This year, we are letting our amazing team at the Sacajawea Hotel cook for us. However, I love this time of year to create in the kitchen and experiment for next Thanksgiving I host. I’ve been making our favorite Thanksgiving sides, including butternut squash soup, cauliflower mashed potatoes, and pumpkin brussel sprout salad.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 1 large yellow onion, chopped

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• 1 (3-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

• ½ tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

• 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth

• Freshly ground black pepper

For serving

• Chopped parsley

• Toasted pepitas

• Crusty bread

Method

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper and sauté until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the squash and cook until it begins to soften, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes.

• Add the garlic, sage, rosemary, and ginger. Stir and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant, then add 3 cups of the broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

• Let cool slightly and pour the soup into a blender, working in batches if necessary, and blend until smooth. If your soup is too thick, add up to 1 cup more broth and blend. Season to taste and serve with parsley, pepitas, and crusty bread.

Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3-4 cloves of roasted garlic (or infuse the garlic with rosemary and olive oil. Raw garlic will not taste great in this dish)

• 1 (1-pound) cauliflower head, broken into a few large pieces

• 1 tablespoon minced rosemary

• 4-6 tablespoons olive oil (or butter/vegan butter)

• Salt & pepper

Method

1. Roast a whole garlic bulb for 1 hour using or drizzle individual cloves with olive oil and salt and bake at 350 until soft (about 15 minutes).

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and boil until knife-tender (until you can poke with a knife and it easily slides out). My cauliflower took about 15 minutes.

3. In a food processor, puree the cauliflower with roasted garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, rosemary, and a few generous pinches of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings. (Tip: this mixture can be over-flavored because it'll get mixed with the potatoes later).

4. Transfer back to the warm pot on the stove.

5. Serve hot with extra pepper and rosemary.

Butternut Squash and Brussel Sprout Salad

Ingredients

12 ounces butternut squash (I used Root Cellars precut butternut squash)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1 bunch of kale, cut into small pieces
Salt and freshly cracked pepper
1 pound (455 g) Brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 small lemon, zested
1 small handful fresh parsley, minced
Flaky sea salt, for finishing

Dress: olive oil, dijon, garlic, salt, pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220˚C). Spread the squash on baking sheet. Drizzle them with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

2. Peel the outer leaves of the sprouts until you get to the small, white inner leaves, trimming the sprout’s bottom to help release more leaves. Place the leaves on a baking sheet, reserving the centers of the sprouts for another use. Toss the leaves with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. (pro tip: I placed the brussels in my food processor, quick and easy)

3. Remove the pumpkin from the oven. Toss and return them to the oven along with the sprout leaves. Roast until the vegetables are golden and tender and the leaves are crispy, 6 to 8 minutes.

4. While the vegetables are finishing in the oven, fill a medium saucepan halfway with water. Add the vinegar and bring it to a gentle simmer. You should see small bubbles around the bottom and edges of the pan, but do not let the water boil.

5. Crack an egg into a ramekin. Using a spoon, stir the water in circles to make a gentle whirlpool. Gently pour the egg into the water. Simmer for 2 minutes, undisturbed, then remove it with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined plate. Repeat with the remaining egg.

6. Massage kale with olive oil, toss the roasted vegetables together with the kale and drizzle with dressing. Divide them between two plates and top each with a poached egg. Sprinkle with the lemon zest, parsley, and flaky sea salt.