Sausage, Kale and Squash Soup

Winter is officially here! We received over a foot of snow over the past few days – a big thank you to storm Brutus. I love seeing the streets covered in white and enjoying the quiet peacefulness that the snow brings. While I’m not a fan of driving in the snow, it sure is pretty to look at

Due the 0F temperature outdoors over the weekend, my body has been craving anything and everything warm — soup of all kinds has been on the menu, including this rustic one-dish meal:

MMmmmm, there’s nothing like a warm bowl of soup after coming in from chilly weather!

This soup is filling and easy to make on a weeknight – hearty greens, spicy italian sausage and sweet winter squash come together for a quick and delicious meal that warms you to the core. The grated parmesan adds a delicious complexity to the soup that I highly recommend as a finishing element…everything is better with a little cheese, right? If you need to omit for allergy reasons though, this soup is still delicious!

Cuisine: Asian

Courses: sauce

Ingredients

1 Tbsp coconut oil, olive oil, butter, ghee or Earth Balance (use oil for dairy free)
1 small or 1/2 large sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 -5 oz uncooked ground italian sausage - I used chicken sausage (hot or mild)
3 -4 cups uncooked butternut, kabocha or other winter squash, peeled and cut into small 1/2 in cubes
5 -7 button or baby portabella mushrooms, sliced (optional, I could add mushrooms to almost anything)
5 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth or homemade stock
1/2 tsp sea salt (or more/less to taste)
2 -3 shakes of crushed red pepper flakes, optional (omit if you don't like any heat)
1 small bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed and torn into pieces
fresh ground black pepper for serving
grated parmesan for serving (omit for dairy free)

Instructions

1
- In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and transculent.
- Add garlic and sausage and cook until meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently and breaking up the meat into small pieces.
- Add squash and mushrooms and cook for one minute, stirring occasionally. Add salt and crushed red pepper to taste.
- Pour in broth, then bring to a boil. Add torn kale then cover, reduce heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes or until squash is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with freshly ground black pepper and parmesan and enjoy!