Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup with Spinach

A nutritious comfort food, Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup with Spinach and Orzo is a great recipe to make on a chilly winter night. It takes only 30 minutes and is made entirely in one pot. Perfect for busy weeknights when you're craving some comforting yet nutritious food but don't have too much time to spend in the kitchen. It has everything you need in a complete meal: protein (Italian sausage), veggies and fiber (butternut squash and spinach), and pasta (orzo).

The soup was paired with a grilled cheese sandwich and a new cookie recipe, a marble chocolate chip.

The recipe was adapted from juliassalbum.com. It serves 4-6, depending on the size of the bowls. 
Extra Cook's Notes: 

• Reduce calories by using chopped cauliflower or cauliflower rice instead of orzo. Also, use half-and-half instead of cream.
• Save time by using pre-cut butternut squash sold in some grocery stores.
• Toppings. When serving creamy butternut squash and sausage soup, you can add grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano or Asiago), red pepper flakes, fresh herbs, or cracked black pepper.

Ingredients: 

• 1lb. spicy or regular Italian sausage crumbled 
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence (I used Italian seasoning)
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (no sprigs, just leaves) or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3/4 cup diced sweet onions
• Red pepper flakes to taste (I used 1/4 teaspoon-start small)
• 1 cup orzo uncooked
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 5 cups chicken broth low sodium or chicken stock
• 2 cups bite-sized pieces of butternut squash peeled and cubed
• 3 cups fresh spinach leaves, stems removed
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, or half and half
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese shaved, shredded, or grated

Directions:

• Add crumbled Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, a generous amount of fresh thyme (no sprigs, just leaves), chopped onions, and red pepper flakes to the soup pot.
• Cook on medium heat, regularly stirring to break the sausage. Once the sausage releases juices and is half cooked, drain in a colander and pat grease from the meat with a paper towel. Return meat and onions back to the soup pot. This pastry tool works great for crumbling meat.
• Add 1 cup of uncooked orzo and minced garlic, and cook, constantly stirring, for about 2 minutes on medium heat to brown the orzo.
• Add 5 cups of chicken stock and cubed butternut squash, stir everything well, cover with the lid, bring to a boil, reduce to a visible simmer, and cook for about 5 or 10 minutes until the orzo and butternut squash are cooked.
• Add spinach to the soup, cover it with the lid, and let it wilt on low heat, occasionally stirring.
• Once the spinach has wilted, remove the soup from the heat and add heavy cream. Stir everything and season with salt and pepper if needed. Add more chicken stock (or water) if the soup is too dense.
• Top with Parmesan cheese (shaved, shredded, or grated) and fresh thyme.

Look for the cookie recipe on Monday.