Sausage & Squash Soup
Creamy with a hint of spice from crumbled chicken sausage, this soup is a perfect way to warm up when the temperatures drop!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground sausage chicken or pork
- 1 cup finely diced onion
- 1 red bell pepper (or 1 roasted red pepper) diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced or grated
- 3 cups squash peeled, seeded & diced {I used acorn squash}
- ½ teaspoon ground sage or 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup half and half or heavy cream
- 2 cups spinach
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil; add the ground sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
- Cook the sausage until it is mostly browned, about 7-10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pot and place on a separate plate; set aside. (You may need to drain some of the grease if you use pork sausage, which contains more fat.)
- Add onion and red bell pepper to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they are softened and fragrant. Add the minced garlic and cook for one more minute.
- Stir in the diced squash, ground (or fresh) sage and red pepper flakes; cook for another 5 minutes or so, just to combine the flavors and begin to soften the squash.
- Pour in chicken broth and water and give everything a stir. Bring the mixture to a boil and allow it to simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until the squash is very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
- Using an immersion blender, puree the mixture until completely smooth. (Or leave some larger pieces if desired.)
- If you don't have an immersion blender, you can pour the mixture into a blender and blend in batches -- just be careful as blending hot liquids can cause the lid to pop right off!
- Stir in the half and half or cream, cooked sausage and spinach. Heat until the spinach is just wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Be cautious as sausage is often salty.)
Notes
This recipe was adapted from the Cuisine at Home Magazine: Soups, Stews & Chilis.
Variations
- Add a can of white beans such as cannellini or chickpeas for extra protein.
- Switch up your greens by using kale or swiss chard.
- Make a stick-to-your-ribs version by adding your favorite cooked pasta for a noodly version.
- Dairy-Free: Substitute the half and half with a plant-based "heavy cream."
- Vegan: Use a plant based ground sausage in place of regular sausage, and swap chicken broth for vegetable broth. Use a plant-based "heavy cream."