Italian Sausage and Squash Soup

Italian Sausage and Squash Soup.

adapted from the editors of Cusine at home's Soups, Stews and Chilies.

Nothing says fall like a good squash. Even if you don't care for squash to eat, how can you not just love the pumpkins and squashes and gourds that line produce aisles at the markets this time of year.
They look so....autumny. I know, I know...it's not really a word, but what best describes it, besides autumny.

In a few short weeks, they will be replaced by poinsettia's and pinecones, so for now, just enjoy it. And the weather has definitely turned. it is breezy and damp and it just feels like a good soup! Soup and autumn kind of go together, right? So, here we go, my attempt at a good "autumnal" (is that a better word than autumny?) soup.... Butternut squash soup.
Now, you might go.....ewww gross! But try it... you just might like it. To be fair, my husband didn't, but I did. It's a 50-50 chance you're taking, right? (ya gotta like squash, and if you do...it's a hit!)

Here we go...

first you need to
brown in 1T. olive oil
1 lb bulk Italian Sausage

Sweat in 1T. olive oil
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
2 T. minced garlic
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1" chunks
1/4 red pepper flakes

Stir in:
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cold water
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 t. ground dried sage
1 t. sugar
2 cups packed baby spinach
3 T. brandy
salt and pepper to taste

Brown sausage in olive oil over med-high heat until cooked through. Drain on a paper towel lined plate; set aside.
Sweat onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat about 5 minutes. Increase heat to med-high; add squash and pepper flakes, and sauté for about 5 more minutes.
Stir in broth and water, bring to a boil and simmer until squash is very soft--about 15 minutes. Puree soup with hand blender, then add cream, bell pepper, sage and sugar; simmer until pepper is tender. Stir in spinach, brandy and sausage, and simmer until spinach is wilted and sausage is heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

sausage tip:
Don't stir the sausage too often during browning. The less it's stirred, the crispier the edges will become. (too bad no one told me this before....cuz that sausage is not looking too crispy in the later photos)





and then the chopping....




onion....okay, it's a cinch. I do it all the time. I can cut an onion and mince some garlic




the squash...
It's big. It's tuff..... I need a hatchet. Or meat cleaver (hint, hint...Christmas idea!)













This picture has nothing to do with the soup, in the middle of making it I got hungry and decided to have an apple with peanut butter...have you ever tried it? It's good.





sauté .... ( I just used the same pot that I browned the sausage in. I figured a good sausage flavor was, well, good!)


add the broth....


puree


add cream and red pepper and seasonings ---no pic of cream and seasonings, the pepper is just so pretty!


and Brandy. I've had this brandy for quite some time. It had dust on it. Seriously I had to dust the bottle. It smelled really, really good when I opened the bottle. I should have tested it, but I didn't. What was wrong with me?!




add the sausage back in


and add the spinach

wah-LA---soup.

and sandwiches.