ITALIAN SAUSAGE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
A rich and comforting soup with spicy and bold Italian sausage, tender white beans, tangy diced tomatoes, and a base of pureed butternut squash.
Servings: 10
Calories: 322kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 small red bell pepper, diced
- 1 pound ground Italian Sausage, (I use Hot Italian Sausage in casings)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2.5 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 6 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) great northern beans, well rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Heavy cream, for garnish, optional
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a dutch oven or stockpot set over medium heat. Add onions and peppers; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in sausage and cook for 10 minutes, or until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage into crumbles as it cooks.
- Add garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage mixture from the pot and set aside.
- Melt remaining butter in the pot set over medium heat; add squash to the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Then stir in chicken broth; add bay leaf, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a steady simmer and continue to simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until butternut squash is tender. Start checking around the 10-minute mark. Note: The larger the chunks of butternut squash, the longer it will take for them to soften.
- Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. Remove couple handfuls of butternut squash chunks from the soup and set aside. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. You can also blend the soup in a blender. Return soup back to the stockpot.
- Return the butternut squash chunks back to the pot. Set stockpot over medium heat. To the soup, add beans, tomatoes, and previously prepared sausage mixture; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until heated through.
- Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly. Drizzle with cream. Garnish with parsley. Serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 455mg | Potassium: 778mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 10303IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 3mg