This easy and healthy Sausage, Kale and Butternut Squash Soup with chickpeas is a quick and cozy meal for cool fall nights. (gluten-free, dairy-free)
This sausage, kale and butternut squash soup started out a fridge clean-out kind of soup. When my husband and I make sausage, we rarely eat it all (I’m typically not a fan of sausage. The only kind I normally eat is venison sausage harvested from our winter hunts), so we had some lying in the fridge needing to be eaten, along with some leftover white beans and some kale that looked like it had seen its better days.
It was a chilly night and I wanted something cozy to eat. I also didn’t feel like cooking, so naturally soup was the first thing that came to mind. I threw our random ingredients in a pot with some fall veggies and it turned out amazing! It definitely hit the spot, and now we keep it in the rotation for winter. Now I usually make it with chickpeas because that’s what I normally have around. It’s so comforting, super easy to make, and surprisingly healthy, especially if you make it with a lean sausage like chicken, turkey or venison.
Side note: you’ll notice I never remove the stems from my kale. We waste so much food as Americans simply by throwing away parts of food that can be eaten! I try to be conscious of this and leave things like kale stalks and potato skins on my vegetables (more fiber!) as well as use bones from chicken and beef to make broth. It’s not only super easy, but sustainable too! Plus it’ll save you a bit of money. And we all like more money, right?
Be sure to share your pictures of my cozy soups and stews with @livelytable and #livelytable so I can see them!
This easy and healthy Sausage, Kale and Butternut Squash Soup with chickpeas is a quick and cozy meal for cool fall nights. (gluten-free, dairy-free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb lean sausage of choice, casing removed (if there is one)
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked white beans or chickpeas
- 1 bunch kale, chopped
- 3 cups broth, beef or vegetable
- 1 cup water
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, brown sausage. Drain and set aside.
- In same pot, without wiping out, add celery, onion, garlic, and squash. Cook until fragrant and semi-soft.
- Add broth, water, thyme, and pepper. Let simmer until squash is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Add beans or chickpeas and kale, and let simmer until beans are warmed through and kale is wilted, about 5-10 more minutes.
- Serve hot. Leftover re-heat well.
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