Italian Sausage Butternut Squash Soup

I live for soup season and enjoy trying many different recipes. This Italian Sausage Butternut Squash Soup sounded like the comfort food I needed. It was very good but next time I will blend all of the squash to make the base even silkier.

Italian Sausage Butternut Squash Soup

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

DIRECTIONS:

• 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 (next time I would blend all of the squash). 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.

Recipe from Eastweeknightrecipes