Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2001

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: Hearty Soups

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (42)

RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(42)

Cook Time:
45 min
Level:
Intermediate
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Times:

Prep: 35 min
Inactive Prep: --
Cook: 45 min
Total:: 1 hr 20 min

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Ingredients

1 large butternut squash, about 3 pounds, halved, seeds removed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage, plus 12 whole leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram
6 cups light chicken stock or broth
1 teaspoon cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream, or more to taste
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Lightly coat the squash halves with 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil. Season the inside with salt and pepper and place cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until very tender, about 45 minutes. When the squash is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and reserve. Discard the peel.

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the remaining vegetable oil and, when hot but not smoking, add the sausage. Cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until the onions wilted and starting to caramelize, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, sage and marjoram, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cooked squash and chicken stock, stir well to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

With a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor or blender, puree the soup. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean saucepan. Add the cider vinegar and stir to combine. Add the cream and adjust seasoning, to taste.

In a small saute pan, cook the butter over medium-high heat until it begins to turn brown around the edges. Add the whole sage leaves and cook until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the leaves to paper towels to drain.

Serve the soup in bowls, garnished with the crispy sage leaves.

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Comments & Reviews

recipe Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
john amarillo, TX 10-28-2009
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This is my 'go to" Autumn recipe.
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

One way to enhance this is by using eggnog instead of cream!
recipe Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
Jennifer Saint Paul, MN 10-21-2009
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Fall Yumminess!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

We like spicier food and so we used andouille sausage instead of italian but overall a fantastic and easy soup to make. I... don't even usually like butternut squash soup (or creamy soups in general) because I find it bland and hate the texture. We didn't strain it so there was some chunkiness to it. And this had LOTS of flavor -- loved it!Read more
recipe Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
Katie Olympia, WA 02-16-2009
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The squash hater loved it!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

My husband is completely anti-squash and he loved this soup. I made it for someone who is ill and needs to eat smooth soups... so I pureed it with a hand blender until it was completely smooth. My husband tasted it and asked if we could keep some for ourselves to have for dinner. I roasted the squash, peeled and cubed it and roasted it again for a few more minutes - I think this is the key to deeper flavors. Next time I might try spicier sausage, though even the mild sausage gave it more kick than I expected. I skipped the fresh sage garnish just to save time.Read more
recipe Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
REBECCA Corona del Mar, CA 12-12-2008
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Didn't love this
Rated: 3 stars out of 5

I thought this was pretty average. In spite of all the ingredients, it didn't have a lot of depth of flavor and was really... more a "Sausage Soup," with an unappeallig texture of little bits of grainy sausage floating through which totally overwhelmed the butternut sqaush. I am typing it as I am sitting eating the leftovers (one plus - it makes a LOT), but it's just kind of OK and certainly not the usual Emeril greatness. Read more
recipe Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
PAUL Potomac, MD 11-26-2008
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UNBELIEVABLE!
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

This recipe is ridiculously good and super easy to make. I used dried spices instead of fresh.
recipe Butternut Squash and Italian Sausage Soup
Brenda Heber Springs, AR 11-19-2008
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Comfort food at it's best
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

I wanted a savory dish for my butternut squash and this looked promising. I knew my day would be busy so I wanted something... quick and simple for dinner. Consequently, I did not expect much from the recipe but I was plesantly surprised. The flavors work well together and I would not change a thing. This is comfort food at it's best. Read more