Sausage Apple Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Kale

Overhead view of classic butternut squash soup with crispy kale

Sausage Apple Butternut Squash Soup with Crispy Kale

Sweet and savory sautéed sausage and apples over creamy puréed butternut squash soup with crispy kale crouton.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword butternut squash soups, Classic fall soups, soups for entertaining, sweet and savory soups

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 15

Servings to 8 servings

Calories 616kcal

Author Lauren

Ingredients

Butternut Squash Soup

2 pounds butternut squash peeled and cubed
2 leeks chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs thyme
3 large sage leaves
¼ cup dry white wine
6 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Sautéed Sausage and Apple

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion diced
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 large apple honeycrisp, gala, fuji, etc. peeled and diced
2 tablespoons marsala or white cooking wine
salt and pepper to taste

Crispy Kale Crouton

10 kale leaves large steam removed
3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Instant Pot Directions:

Sauté: Heat olive oil on sauté setting until shimmering. Add leeks and cook stirring continuously for 1 minute before adding butternut squash, thyme, and sage. Stir occasionally while cooking for 5 minutes. Pour in white wine and let simmer for 30 seconds before adding chicken stock, salt and pepper.
Cook: Seal the instant pot and cook on soup/high pressure for 30 minutes. Let naturally release for 10 minutes before venting.
Purée: Remove the thyme springs and purée the soup using a hand blender or transfer to a blender to puree.
Serve: Top each bowl with a healthy scoop (about ½ cup) of sautéed sausage, apples and a crispy kale leaf.

Stove Top Directions:

Sauté: Heat olive oil in a stock pot over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add leeks and cook stirring continuously for 1 minute before adding butternut squash, thyme, and sage. Stir occasionally while cooking for 5 minutes. Pour in white wine and let simmer for 30 seconds before adding chicken stock, salt and pepper.
Cook: Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and then partially cover. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes or until butternut squash is soft enough to smash with a fork.
Purée: Remove the thyme springs and purée the soup using a hand blender or transfer to a blender to puree.
Serve: Top each bowl with a healthy scoop (about ½ cup) of sautéed sausage, apples and a crispy kale leaf.

Sautéed Sausage and Apple

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until translucent. Using a wooden spoon or spatula cook the ground sausage while breaking into smaller pieces. When sausage is about ¾ of the way cooked, add the apple to the pan. Sauté together for 2 minutes, then add in wine while scraping any stuck bits off the bottom of the pan.

Crispy Kale Croutons

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the large part of the stem from the kale leaves. In a large bowl drizzle the olive oil and salt over the leaves and toss to coat completely.
Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 8 minutes until crispy - like a chip.
Garnish over sautéed sausage and apple.

Notes

When prepping the leeks, use the stem of the leek - removing the leafy green top and the bottom root. Discard the outer layer of the leeks and rinse well.

For faster cooking on the stove top, cut the butternut squash in smaller cubes.

Nutrition