DeRusha Eats: Cooking With Chef Marcus Samuelsson

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – This week in DeRusha Eats, Jason DeRusha spent some time with world famous chef Marcus Samuelsson. He's featured on the Food Network and was the chef at the Aquavit restaurant in the IDS Building in downtown Minneapolis from 1999-2003. He's now back in the Twin Cities and this week, he's "Cooking with Jason." They teamed up to make a parsnip soup with apples and walnuts.

Recipe: Parsnip Soup with Apples & Walnuts

SERVES 6

Tender parsnips, perfumed with cumin and garam masala and blended with cream, make a golden soup that's velvety soft. Topped with a garnish of apples and walnuts, it's truly luxurious and will warm you to your core. Impress your guests and serve it as a first course to lamb or roast pork.

FOR THE GARNISH

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of ½ lemon
½ tablespoon walnut oil (see Note)
1 apple, cored and finely diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SOUP
¼ cup olive oil
3 cups peeled and diced parsnips
1 cup peeled and diced Jerusalem artichokes (see Note)
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
Kosher salt
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
3 cups water
Juice of ½ lemon
Freshly ground black pepper

Notes:

Walnut oil is available in some markets, specialty stores, and online. Store in the refrigerator. Jerusalem artichokes are often called "sunchokes." If you can't find them, replace them with more parsnips.

MAKE THE GARNISH

1. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and lemon juice and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drizzle in the walnut oil and remove from the heat. Let cool to room temperature, then stir in the apple, parsley, and tarragon. Season with salt and pepper.

MAKE THE SOUP

2. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the parsnips, Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until the parsnips start to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken broth, cream, and water, bring to a simmer, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes. Working in batches, carefully puree the soup in a blender. Return to the pot and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, divide the soup among six bowls. Add a spoonful of the apple-walnut garnish to the middle of each bowl.