Hearty Kale, Sausage and Butternut Squash Soup

In California, Fall has finally arrived.  I am more than ready to welcome the chilly evenings and nights that call for flannel pjs!  What better way to welcome the colder weather, than with a hearty soup chock full of Falls bounty.

With so many varieties of squash available this time of year, it might seem a daunting task to choose just one of them, let alone figure out how to cook it.  That’s why I am including this awesome Winter Squash Guide that I found to make it super easy to decide. Plus, BONUS!, squash is a really excellent source of immune supportive Vitamin A, Vitamin C and fiber.  If you haven’t done much cooking with kale, your children will be so happy to know that you can’t even taste it in the soup! 😉  You can easily substitute spinach, and the kiddos  won’t taste that either!!  Hope you enjoy this combination of sweet from the squash with savory from the sausage…it’s a killer combination!

Hearty Kale, Sausage and Butternut Squash SoupCut squash in half and remove seeds.

Hearty Kale, Sausage and Butternut Squash SoupThe quickest and easiest way to peel them is with a vegetable peeler.

Hearty Kale, Sausage and Butternut Squash SoupCut squash into large yet bite size cubes.

This is the chicken bouillon that I use. It is so easy to work with.

This is the chicken bouillon that I use. It is so easy to work with.

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Hearty Kale, Sausage and Butternut Squash Soup
Author: 
Recipe type: Soup
Cuisine: Cold Weather
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-5 servings
 
Ingredients
  • ½ pound Italian Sausage (sweet or spicy, bulk crumbled or sausages cut into slices)
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • ½ large butternut squash
  • 2 cups loose packed baby kale or spinach, coarsely chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 thyme sprigs or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 4 cups chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less if you want to reduce or add heat)
  • ½ cup pasta of your choice (smaller works better)
  • 2 tablespoons chicken bouillon (a critical flavor component so don't skip)
  • grated parmesan cheese to top
Instructions
  1. Heat a large dutch oven on medium heat.
  2. Add sausage. If bulk, break it up into smaller pieces and allow to brown. If using sausages, place in pan whole and brown on both sides, then remove and cut into slices. Place slices back into pan to brown.
Making sure that the sausage is nicely browned will add extra flavor to the finished soup.
  1. Add diced onion and allow to soften while stirring occasionally.
  2. Once sausage is nicely browned, add garlic, stir and cook for another minute before adding stock.
  3. Along with stock, add bay leaf, thyme, tomato paste, chicken bouillon and crushed red pepper flakes.
  4. Stir to blend ingredients and loosen any browned bits of goodness from the bottom of the pot.
  5. Add pasta and butternut squash, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
If a creamier soup is desired, strain about a cup of the squash from the soup at this time and add to a blender with enough chicken stock or broth from the pot to keep it fluid. Return blended squash back to the pot and stir to combine.
  1. Add kale and simmer for another 10 minutes.
If your pasta has sucked up too much of the liquid from the soup, (as it did in mine!) you can always add a little more stock.
  1. Remove bay leaf and stems from thyme if you used fresh.
  2. Season with salt and pepper if necessary, garnish with some grated parmesan and enjoy!