Sausage, Kale and Butternut Squash Soup

When I am at the gym in the early morning hours, I spend about 15 mins on the bike, warming up.  I take that few minutes to leaf through whatever new magazines are out.  So many good recipes right now because of the holidays, this one looked really good, with one minor substitution.

It was super easy to make and was on the table in about 30 minutes.  Lot’’s of healthy ingredients, but not too heavy.  If you haven”t spent some time understanding the benefits of kale, you should.  We have been adding kale to many recipes to get that extra boost of antioxidants and nutritional benefit.

I served this soup with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese on top and some Parmesan toast.  Don”t leave out the red pepper, it gives the soup a little kick.  A great way to warm up on a cool evening.

Adapted from Woman’’s Day November 2010

Super healthy and hearty!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz fully-cooked smoked turkey sausage, sliced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1⁄2-in. chunks – This is the substitution from the original recipe.
• 12 oz fresh kale, stems removed and leaves chopped (8 cups)
• Crushed red pepper (optional)

What To Do:

1. Heat a 5-qt pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté 5 minutes or until browned.
2. Add onion and sauté 3 minutes or until onion starts to soften. Add broth and bring to a boil.
3. Stir in squash and kale. Simmer, partially covered, 10 to 12 minutes or until squash and kale are tender. Serve with crushed red pepper, if desired.

Serves 4

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Protein 18g
Carbs 28g
Fat 6g
Trans Fat 0g
Saturated Fat 2g
Fiber 5g
Sodium 1403mg
Sugar 6g
Calories 224

What do you look for in a good recipe?  Do you typically make meals to the recipe or do you adapt them?

Tagged as: butternut squash, healthy, hearty, kale, quick & easy, soup, turkey sausage