Aspiring Elephant

I’ve been on a real butternut squash kick lately. Perhaps it’s the fact that they’re usually the first thing I see when I walk into my local Trader Joe’s grocery store. Or perhaps it’s their funky shape that just grabs my attention and refuses to let go until I mercilessly throw one into my cart. Their versatility is something I continue to appreciate, and their nutritious value is something my family admires. So, yes, it checks a lot of boxes. This time I have made a butternut squash, kale, and bean soup, and it’s good. Really good. Well, it should be called butternut squash, kale, bean, and sausage soup, but I felt the title was a little too long. The sausage is also very optional. I tend to prefer some type of balance to my food. If I am eating something on the healthier side, then I like to try to balance that out with something that maybe isn’t quite as healthy, like pork sausage. I don’t really care how unhealthy it is – it’s delicious. For extra credit, find a pork sausage with a little bit of spice and you have yourself one heck of meal.

If you are in the mood for other butternut squash recipes, you’re in luck. Feel free to check out my recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (this one is pureed) or my Butternut Squash Penne, both of which are quite tasty.

Ingredients

• 1 large butternut squash
• 2 shallots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 8-12 oz of uncooked sausage (optional)
• 10 oz kale
• 4 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste
• red pepper flakes

How to Make Butternut Squash Soup

The first thing that needs to be prepared is the butternut squash. Carefully slice off the top of the squash. It’s always best to be cutting large fruits or vegetables when they have a flat surface to rest on. If the bottom of the squash is a little uneven, slice the bottom to make it flat. That is going to help ensure you are able to safely cut the rest and to guarantee your cuts are going to be precise. Next, slice the squash in half horizontally, so the top and bottom are separated. Then, using your chef’s knife, start to slice the skin off. A good, sharp knife is a valuable tool to have when preparing squash or really anything that requires a lot of cutting. I love William’s Sonoma’s Shun Hikari 8” Chef’s Knife.

For the top half of the squash, you should be able to vertically cut 1/2”-1” thick slices. Start at the top, and carefully slice downward. From there you can stack the slices flat, holding the pieces together, and make 1/2”-1” cuts in the opposite direction. Finally, still holding the pieces together, slice again in the other direction to create small cubes. For the bottom portion (which contains seeds), it can be a little trickier. I like to slice the bottom in half to expose the seeds, scoop them out, then again cut 1/2”-1” slices. The seeds create an empty void which makes stacking the slices together challenging. I prefer to just slice them into cubes individually.

Place the cubed squash pieces in a large bowl then drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to combine. Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes or until they begin to darken. While that cooks, time to prepare the soup.

The Soup and Sausage

Another opportunity to use my favorite and most versatile pieces of kitchen equipment I own – my Le Creuset 2 3/4 qt. Dutch Oven. Place dutch oven over low-medium heat and add about 2 tbsp of olive oil. Finely chop 2 shallots and 3 garlic cloves. Add both to the pot along with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Taste it as you go to make sure it’s to your liking – you can always add more later.

If you do plan to introduce sausage to this dish, you can go about it in a couple of ways. I like to sear the raw sausage in a separate pan for a few minutes, just to seal in the juices and make it easier to slice. Then I take it off the heat, chop it up, and add into the dutch oven to marry with garlic and shallot. Another option is just to squeeze it out directly into the dutch oven and chop it up using a spatula – it doesn’t really matter.

Allow the sausage to nearly fully cook, then add 14oz of northern beans. Allow the beans to cook for a few minutes before adding 4 cups of chicken broth. Bring that combination to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer with the lid on for 20 minutes.

I love kale, so I may add more than what most people would prefer. Add 14oz of raw kale, directly into the pot, followed by those beautifully charred cubes of butternut squash. Give the kale a few minutes to soften and shrink down into the pot before placing the lid back and allowing it so simmer for another 10 minutes. That’s all there is to it. This soup is seriously delicious and it makes great leftovers. Hope you enjoy!