Spiced Butternut Squash Soup

Serves 4 to 6

If you ask me, everyone needs a go-to autumn soup in their lives. Mine is this creamy, lightly spiced butternut squash soup, which is warm and filling and perfect for the moment the weather gets chilly. Fresh ginger and coconut milk give this a pop of sweetness that complements the natural sweetness of the squash. I love sage and use it here to add an almost minty, wintry note to the soup. If you’d like, you can fry up some of the sage for a tasty edible garnish (see Tip), or you can top the soup with coconut milk and/or toasted pumpkin seeds for a little crunch. Try this paired with the Garlic-Bread Grilled Cheese (page 91) for a perfect cold-weather lunch.

• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
• 1 large carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Fine sea salt and black pepper
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch piece)
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1½ teaspoons onion powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
• Cornstarch slurry: 1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with
• ¼ cup water (optional)
• Toasted pumpkin seeds, for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large bowl, combine the squash and carrot. Drizzle in some oil, season with salt and black pepper, and toss to coat. Spread out on a sheet pan and transfer to the oven.

Roast until golden and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. In a large pot, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, sage leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, turmeric, and white pepper and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the roasted squash and carrot and the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. If you don’t want too much of a sage-y flavor, remove the leaves now. (If you want, you can turn them into a garnish; see Tip.) If you love sage, continue on with the next step!

Use an immersion blender (or transfer the mixture to a regular blender) to puree the soup until smooth. Set aside about ¼ cup of the coconut milk for the garnish, then stir the remaining coconut milk into the soup. If you prefer an even thicker consistency (I do!), whisk the cornstarch slurry to loosen it up and add it to the pot.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and black pepper, if desired, then ladle into bowls. Garnish each bowl with a drizzle of coconut milk, then use a toothpick, if you’d like, to swirl it into an attractive pattern. Top with the pumpkin seeds or crispy sage leaves, if desired.

Tip: Crispy sage-leaf garnish: If you decide not to blend the sage leaves into the soup, you can still add a lovely sage garnish. Just melt a little butter in a small saucepan or skillet, then fry a few fresh sage leaves until the edges start to brown and crisp up, no more than 30 seconds. Remove the sage from the pan and season with a bit of salt.

Lamb Shoulder with Labneh and Fennel Orange Glaze

Serves 6 to 8

Lamb is a staple protein in Palestinian culture but for some people, certain cuts of lamb have an assertive, gamey flavor that they can’t move past. I wanted to develop a recipe that even lamb skeptics could get behind; that is why I paired lamb shoulder with orange and fennel. The orange in the marinade and glaze contributes acid; both the orange and the fennel contribute sweetness; and the fennel adds a subtle anise-y note. I coat this shoulder with turmeric because once the shoulder is roasted, it creates a lovely crust.

I highly recommend marinating overnight for the best result; this will also make the following day much easier for you, since you’ll only have to pop the dish in the oven. (If time is short, four hours of marinating will do.) Because it is a make-ahead dish, I think this is perfect for big gatherings, dinner parties, or for when you want a high-key meal that’s stress free.

Marinated Lamb

• ½ cup labneh
• 8 garlic cloves, finely grated (preferably on a Microplane)
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
• 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
• 1½ teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 bone-in lamb shoulder (5½ to 6½ pounds)

Fennel-Orange Glaze

• Grated zest of 1 orange
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1½ tablespoons fennel seeds
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Fine sea salt and black pepper

Charred Orange and Fennel

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for the pan and for the orange and fennel
• 2 large oranges, cut into ½-inch slices, seeds removed
• 2 large fennel bulbs, cut into quarters
• Kosher salt and black pepper

For Serving

• Fresh herbs (such as parsley or fennel fronds)
• Toasted pine nuts (optional)

Marinate the lamb: In a medium bowl, combine the labneh, garlic, orange juice, turmeric, black pepper, fine salt, cumin, coriander, and smoked paprika. Mix until well combined.

Pat the lamb shoulder dry with paper towels. Rub the marinade all over the lamb, making sure it is evenly coated on all sides. Place the lamb in a roasting pan, cover with aluminum foil, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.

Make the fennel-orange glaze: In a small bowl, com-bine the orange zest, orange juice, honey, vinegar, and ¼ cup water. Stir to mix and set aside.

In a small stainless steel skillet, toast the fennel seeds over medium heat until they are fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn them.

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the toasted fennel seeds and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes to infuse the oil with their flavor; again, keep your eye on them so they don’t burn. Stir in the orange juice–honey mixture and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and let the glaze simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until it thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. It should have a slightly thicker consistency, not jamlike. Season with fine salt and black pepper.

Strain the glaze through a fine-mesh sieve, discarding the solids. You can prepare this a day ahead—let it cool to room temperature, then store it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.

When ready to cook, remove the lamb from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Make sure the roasting pan with the lamb is tightly covered with foil, then roast the lamb until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone, about 4 hours.

Make the charred orange and fennel: Preheat a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the orange slices and the fennel quarters with oil and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook the fennel until nicely charred on each cut side and until caramelized but still slightly crisp, 3 to 4 min-utes per side. Remove the fennel from the skillet and set aside. Add the orange slices to the skillet and cook until nicely charred and caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the orange slices from the skillet and set aside.

3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the fennel from the skillet and set aside. Add the orange slices to the skillet and cook until nicely charred and caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the orange slices from the skillet and set aside.

Once the lamb has cooked for 4 hours, increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Remove the foil from the pan and generously brush the lamb with the fennel-orange glaze. If you have a needle injector, you can inject some of the glaze into the lamb for extra flavor (but if you don’t have one, don’t worry; this is optional). Roast the lamb for an additional 25 minutes, bast-ing with the glaze every 10 minutes, until the lamb is golden brown and caramelized.

Allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving and transferring to a serving dish.

To serve: Serve the lamb with a drizzle of the remain-ing glaze, along with the charred orange slices and charred fennel quarters. Garnish with the herbs and pine nuts, if desired.

Tip: Try this marinade with other cuts of lamb, too.

Fattoush Fried Bread Salad

Serves 4 to 6

Any time you get invited to an Arab’s house for dinner, you’re going to see either tabbouleh or fattoush on the table—or sometimes both (we do love to be extra). Both salads are so classic, and fattoush in particular pairs beautifully with so many things. Who doesn’t love a fresh, citrusy salad with a crunchy bread topping? Fattoush is a perfect side for any of the main dishes in this book or really for any main dish in your existing repertoire. You can even turn it into a main by topping it with chicken or beef shawarma.

There is one thing that separates amazing fattoush from so-so fattoush: You must wait to add the dressing and fried pita until RIGHT before you are about to serve. If you toss it together too far in advance, the pita gets soggy and the veggies don’t taste as fresh.

• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 pita breads, cut into bite-sized squares
• 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup coarsely chopped fresh mint
• 1 large cucumber, diced
• 2 large tomatoes, diced 6 radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 3 green onions, finely chopped

Dressing:

• 3 garlic cloves, finely grated (preferably on a Microplane)
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sumac, plus more for garnish
• 1 teaspoon pomegranate molasses
• ½ teaspoon za’atar
• ½ teaspoon dried mint
• Fine sea salt and black pepper Pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)

Line a plate with paper towels and set near the stove. Pour 2 to 3 inches vegetable oil into a deep heavy-bottomed pot and heat over medium heat until the temperature reads 350°F on an instant-read thermometer. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pot, fry the pitas until golden and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to transfer to the paper towels to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the romaine, parsley, mint, cucumber, tomatoes, radishes, red onion, bell pepper, and green onion. Toss gently to combine.

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, sumac, molasses, za’atar, mint, and salt and black pepper to taste. Adjust the seasonings to taste.

Just before serving, pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat all the ingredients. Add the fried pita pieces and give the salad one final, gentle toss to combine.

Transfer the fattoush to a large serving bowl or individual plates. Sprinkle some sumac over the top for color. If desired, garnish with pomegranate seeds.