Sausage & Orzo Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients (~6 large servings)

• 1 large sweet yellow onion, finely diced
• 1.5 lbs loose sweet Italian sausage
• 2 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 tsp paprika
• 6 cups (48-oz) low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
• ~7-8 cups butternut squash, peeled & diced
• 1/2 cup orzo
• 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream

Brown Sausage and Sauté

Add the onion, sausage, and salt to a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat.

Cook for ~10-15 minutes, stirring often and breaking up the sausage, until the sausage is cooked through and the onion is translucent.

Add the dried parsley, dry mustard, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, and paprika. Cook for ~2 minutes, stirring constantly until fragrant.

Simmer the Soup

Add the chicken broth, honey, whole grain mustard, and diced butternut squash. Stir to combine and bring the soup to a rolling boil.

When it boils, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pot. Cook for ~10 minutes.

Cook Orzo and Finish

Add the uncooked orzo to the pot. Stir, cover again, and cook for another ~10-15 minutes, or until the orzo and squash are both tender.

Gently stir in the heavy whipping cream. Cook for another ~2-3 minutes to heat it through, but do not let the soup come back to a boil.

Sausage & Orzo Butternut Squash Soup

prep time:20 minutes mins

cook time:35 minutes mins

total time:55 minutes mins

This is a hearty, one-pot, chunky soup. It’s built on a base of browned sweet Italian sausage, spices, and chicken broth. Diced butternut squash, whole grain mustard, and a bit of honey are added for a sweet and tangy flavor. The soup is finished with orzo pasta, which cooks directly in the pot, and a generous amount of heavy cream.

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Ingredients

Ingredients (~6 large servings)

• ▢ 1 large sweet yellow onion finely diced
• ▢ 1.5 lbs loose sweet Italian sausage
• ▢ 2 1/4 tsp sea salt
• ▢ 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• ▢ 1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• ▢ 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ▢ 3/4 tsp black pepper
• ▢ 3/4 tsp paprika
• ▢ 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 48-oz
• ▢ 3 Tbsp honey
• ▢ 1 1/2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
• ▢ ~7-8 cups butternut squash peeled & diced
• ▢ 1/2 cup orzo
• ▢ 1.5 cups heavy whipping cream

Instructions

• Brown sausage and onions in Dutch oven over medium heat for 10-15 minutes.
• Add spices and cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Pour in broth, honey, mustard, and squash. Bring to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
• Add orzo, cover, and cook 10-15 minutes until tender.
• Stir in cream and heat 2-3 minutes without boiling.

Notes

Do not let soup boil after adding cream.