Honeynut Squash Soup with Italian Sausage

5 from 1 vote

Honeynut Squash Soup with Italian Sausage is a creamy, vibrant soup with sweet roasted honeynut squash, Italian sausage, garlic, and sage.

Prep Time20

Cook Time45

Total Time1 5

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 1124kcal

Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cut off the tops of the honeynut squash. Then slice in half vertically. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon.
Place the halved honeynut squashes on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
Roast at 400°F for 25 minutes or until soft and very fork tender. Remove and set aside to let cool to make them easier to work with.
Once cool, scoop out the flesh and place it in a large blender. Pour 2-4 cups of chicken stock over the honeynut squash in the blender and let sit to soften while you work on the rest of the dish.
Bring a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the sausage, removed from its casing. Use a firm spatula to break up the sausage in the pan. Cook until the sausage is not only cooked through, but slightly crispy from the rendered fat at the edges, about 10 minutes.
Reduce the heat slightly, add the shallot, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and sage and cook for 1 minute.
Meanwhile, blend the honeynut squash in the blender with the chicken stock. Add it to the pot with the sausage. Add the remaining chicken stock and ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste. Bring to a simmer. Add the cauliflower and cook for 3-5 minutes at a simmer until fork tender.
Add the heavy cream, stir, and allow to warm through.
Serve over the prepared ditalini, macaroni, or other pasta.

Honeynut Squash
- Removing the tops of the honeynut squash makes it easier to slice them in half vertically.
- Honeynut squash 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.
Italian Sausage: I use sweet Italian sausage, but it would be great with spicy Italian sausage if you want a spicier soup.
Heavy Cream: Just a ¼ cup. It adds subtle richness, but I’ve made this without adding heavy 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.
- Macaroni or another small pasta works well, too, or even farro or barley.
- Cook the pasta to al dente or even a minute less, since it will sit in the soup and soften even further.