Marcus Samuelsson’s Thanksgiving Recipes

“I love that root vegetables are so rustic,” says Samuelsson about this earthy, Indian-spiced soup. “I add pear and walnuts for sophistication and crunch.” He says that if you can’t find sunchokes (also called Jerusalem artichokes), simply use all parsnips instead.

This creamy, complex-tasting dish relies on assertive African flavors like berbere (an Ethiopian spice mix) and coconut milk. Don’t leave out the habanero—it’s not too hot because it’s seeded, and it adds a fruity, tropical flavor.

This refreshing, superhealthy salad is one of Samuelsson’s favorite ways to showcase kale; massaging the leaves with vinegar, salt and olive oil makes them tender and sweet.

Samuelsson puts an Ethiopian twist on spiced pecans, which he tosses with sweet roasted butternut squash in an orange dressing.

This supereasy turkey is flavored with ras el hanout, a North African spice blend. The pan juices, flavored by the citrus-spice mixture that bastes the bird as it roasts, double as a sauce.

For this version of Swedish mulled wine, Samuelsson spikes white wine and rosé with vodka infused with cardamom and ginger. The drink is boozy, aromatic and delicious.

Samuelsson updates the apple pie–cheddar combo by hiding the cheese in the flaky crust. The filling is tangy and assertively spiced; Samuelsson includes cardamom, a common sweet seasoning in his native Sweden.

This is Samuelsson’s take on a classic Southern black-bottom pie. He added a peanut-caramel layer on top as an ode to his favorite candy bar, Snickers. “When I was a kid, I would treat myself to a Snickers bar on the way to soccer practice,” he writes in his cookbook Marcus Off Duty. “I don’t eat many candy bars these days, but I still love that combination of flavors.”