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 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour15 minutesminutes
Servings 6to 8 servings
Calories 616kcal
Author Lauren
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Soup
2poundsbutternut squashpeeled and cubed
2leekschopped
3tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
2sprigs thyme
3large sage leaves
¼cupdry white wine
6cupslow-sodium chicken stock
1teaspoonkosher salt
½teaspoonground black pepper
Sautéed Sausage and Apple
1tablespoonextra virgin olive oil
1yellow oniondiced
1poundground Italian sausage
1large applehoneycrisp, gala, fuji, etc. peeled and diced
2tablespoonsmarsala or white cooking wine
salt and pepper to taste
Crispy Kale Crouton
10kale leaveslarge steam removed
3 to 4tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
¼teaspoonkosher 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.