10/08/2026
Million Dollar Soup 🥣
Ingredients
2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
1 (11-oz.) pkg. chicken sausage, sliced
2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1 1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper, divided
10 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
5 slices center cut bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small white onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 cup dry white w**e
5 cups chicken stock
2 (15.5-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 lemon, zested
1 bunch dinosaur kale, ribs removed and roughly torn (about 2 cups)
Directions
Prepare oven and baking sheet:
Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Roast squash and sausage:
In a medium bowl, toss together squash, sausage, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 2 sprigs of thyme. Spread onto prepared baking sheet.
· Roast until squash is softened and sausage has begun to brown, 25 minutes.
· Cook bacon:
Meanwhile, add cut bacon to the bottom of a cold Dutch oven or large 4 quart soup pot. Heat to medium and cook bacon until crisp, 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
· Remove bacon from pan:
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving fat in pan.
· Cook garlic, onion, and celery:
Add butter to pot, swirling to combine. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
· Make roux:
Add flour to create a light roux, stirring constantly. When mixture has thickened, add white w**e, stir and cook for 1 minute.
· Add stock:
Add stock, remaining salt and pepper, thyme sprigs and beans. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
· Blend some of the soup mixture:
Remove 3 cups from mixture and transfer to a blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Blend until smooth and stir blended mixture back into soup pot. Return to a simmer. Stir in heavy cream and lemon zest.
· Stir in squash and kale:
Add cooked butternut squash mixture and torn kale to pot, and cook until kale is bright green and lightly wilted, 3-5 minutes.
· Garnish and serve:
Top individual servings with extra thyme leaves and bacon.🥓 😋
