Butternut Squash Soup With Italian Sausage

My friend Sally gave me a butternut squash from her garden. I love butternut squash soup. Chris likes it, but is not as much of a fan as I am. I knew I needed a recipe that would add extra flavor.

I found the recipe for Butternut Squash Soup with Italian Sausage on the 
Easy Weeknight Recipe site.

This was a hit! I made a couple of edits to the recipe. The original recipe called for garlic and beans. I opted to omit those. I did add some frozen chopped spinach for color. 

We both went back for seconds, and I have enough left over to freeze for another meal.

I roasted the squash along with eggplant from my sister's garden for baba ghanoush.

Ingredients-
2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 pound ground Italian Sausage, 
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped into 1-inch cubes, and roasted
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/2 can (7.25 ounces) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

1/2 cup chopped frozen spinach
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method-
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 the sausage and cook for 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through, breaking up the sausage into crumbles as it cooks.

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 the remaining butter in the pot set over medium heat; add squash to the pot and cook for 2 minutes. 

Then, stir in the chicken broth; add bay leaf, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. 

Reduce the heat to a steady simmer and continue to simmer, covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until the 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 the bay leaf. 

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. 

You can also blend the soup in a traditional blender and return it to the stockpot.

Set the pot over medium heat. 

To the soup, add the tomatoes, spinach, and previously prepared sausage mixture; cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until heated through.

Taste for salt and pepper, and adjust accordingly.