Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

For a while now my hubby has been asking me to make a “brothy” soup. My most recent soups have been thick and rich like my Carrot soup and my Leek and Potato soup.

Vegetable soup seemed a simple choice but I wanted to make a soup that reminded me of the fall weather and colorful changing leaves. I love to see the trees speckled with orange, red and green leaves. That was the inspiration for the butternut squash and mixed baby kale soup. The soup is full of fall colors from the orange of the butternut squash, the red of the tomatoes and the bright green leaves of the mixed baby kale.

I know. Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup is a long name. But, it would have been even longer if I added the names of some of the other ingredients that make this soup so delicious. I added Daddy’s to the title because my hubby claimed it to be his soup once he tasted it.

Butternut squash is quickly becoming one of my favorite vegetables. It is great all by itself or tastes even better when paired with vegetables like sweet potatoes or in this case mixed baby kale. The sweetness of the butternut squash along with the slightly bitter kale and spicy Italian sausage created a wonderful combination of flavors that swirl in your mouth.

It’s the little things in life that often inspire us whether it is leaves changing colors in the fall or a nice pot of hearty soup.

Daddy’s Butternut Squash and Mixed Baby Kale Soup

Ingredients:
1 lb Italian hot sausage
2 14oz cans of cannellini beans rinsed
1 14 oz fire roasted tomatoes
2 bags mixed baby kale
5 cups chicken broth
1 cup water
1 lb butternut squash peeled and cubed
1 medium red onion diced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp thyme
3 lemon slices
In a dutch oven or large pot brown sausage then drain on a paper towel. Set aside. Pour off grease from the sausage and add olive oil to the pot. Add onions and Add broth, water, seasonings and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium heat. Add beans, tomatoes, sausage, butternut squash and lemon slices. Stir and cook for 25 minutes. Add baby kale and cook an additional 10 minutes then turn off heat. Serve with a sprinkle of shaved parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese.