Honeynut Squash Soup with Italian Sausage

Honeynut Squash Soup with Italian Sausage is a creamy, vibrant soup with sweet roasted honeynut squash, Italian sausage, garlic, shallot, sage, and cauliflower, perfect for cooler fall days.

Honeynut squash is similar to butternut squash, but it tends to be quite a bit sweeter with a slightly deeper orange color, and it is smaller in size.

Because honeynut squash is so sweet and flavorful, this soup does not need a whole lot of extra flavor. I’ve layered in Italian flavors with garlic, shallot, and sage along with sweet Italian sausage. I’ve also included cauliflower, which is the perfect vegetable to complement, rather than take away from, the flavor of the honeynut squash.

Lastly, I made this over ditalini, a small cylinder-shaped pasta, almost like a piece of macaroni cut in half, perfect for soup. The last several times I made this, I also served it with a small, crusty baguette sliced diagonally for dipping, or for lathering with butter.

This soup is designed to be a full meal, with protein, vegetables, aromatics, and pasta to ensure it is filling.

🛒 Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make Honeynut Squash Soup with Italian Sausage.

• Olive Oil: Use a simple extra virgin olive oil if possible. The olive oil is only used for roasting the honeynut squash.
• Honeynut Squash: This can be found at grocery stores like Whole Foods in the late summer and early fall months, or at some farmers’ markets. It is comparable to a butternut squash, but it is sweeter, typically much smaller, and darker orange in color. For butternut squash recipes, try Maple Roasted Butternut Squash.
• Italian Sausage: I use sweet Italian sausage, but it would be great with spicy Italian sausage if you want a spicier soup.
• Shallot, Garlic, Sage: Aromatics to add flavor to the soup.
• Chicken Stock: Use low-sodium chicken stock.
• Cauliflower: Dice into small pieces so that they are easy to fit onto a spoon when scooping the soup.
• Salt: Just a ¼ teaspoon to add flavor, or add more according to taste.
• Heavy Cream: Just a ¼ cup. It adds subtle richness, but I’ve made this without adding cream, and I love it that way too.
• Ditalini or Macaroni: Ditalini is a small cylinder-shaped pasta (like a half a piece of macaroni), and it's perfect for soups. I’ve found it at an Italian grocery store in NY, but stores like Whole Foods might have it as well. Otherwise, macaroni or another small pasta works great too. Cook it to al dente or even a minute less, since it will sit in the soup and soften even further. Ditalini is also great in Pasta Fagioli Kale Soup.
• Crusty Baguette: For serving (optional).

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

💡Recipe Testing and Variations

I've made this recipe a half dozen times while recipe testing. Below are a few more notes on variations that work well.

• Protein: In one round of testing, I’ve made this with a small amount of pancetta instead of sausage, and I loved that too.
• Vegetables: Feel free to add peeled and diced red potatoes for extra heft, which I’ve done occasionally if I have them on hand.
• Grains: Pasta can be substituted for farro or pearl barley.
• Red Pepper Flakes: For a spicier soup, add red pepper flakes to individual bowls according to taste.
• Heavy Cream: I've made this soup both with and without heavy cream, and it is great both ways. Adding a little heavy cream makes the soup just a little bit richer and creamier. I have also made this with coconut milk, but the flavor was too strong. It overpowered the honeynut squash and was too rich.

📝 How to Make Honeynut Squash Soup with Italian Sausage

Below are the step-by-step instructions for how to make Honeynut Squash Soup with Italian Sausage.

Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F

Step 1. Roast the Honeynut Squash: Cut off the tops of the honeynut squash, then slice them in half. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt. Bake for 25 minutes or until soft, slightly caramelized on top, and fork tender.

Scoop out the inside of the honeynut squash with a spoon and place it in a blender. Add enough chicken stock to cover the squash in the blender and set aside while you work on the rest of the soup. This helps to soften the chicken stock.

Step 2. Cook the Sausage: Bring a large Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the sausage (removed from casings) and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is cooked through and starts to get crispy at the edges from the fat rendering.

Step 3. Cook the Shallot, Garlic, and Sage: Reduce the heat slightly and add the shallot. Cook, stirring occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and cook for 1 more minute.

Step 4. Add the Pureed Honeynut Squash: While the garlic and sage are cooking, blend the honeynut squash and chicken stock. Add it to the pot along with any remaining chicken stock and salt. Bring to a simmer. Add the cauliflower and cook for 3-5 minutes or until it is fork tender. Add the heavy cream and stir.

Step 5. Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls over prepared Ditalini or macaroni and serve with slices of crusty bread to soak up any soup.

🥄 How to Serve and Store

• To Serve: Serve warm over al dente pasta. Warm up some bread, such as sourdough, Italian bread, or a crusty baguette, and serve it alongside the soup, either to dip or spread with butter.
• To Store: Store the soup and the pasta separately in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
• Salad: If you'd like to pair this soup with a salad, try Roasted Beets With Goat Cheese and Balsamic for a similar fall vibe.

💖 For More Soup Recipes You May Love:

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