Harvest Squash Soup with Chicken Sausage

Ingredients

2 packages of al fresco Roasted Pepper & Asiago Chicken Sausage

6-7 cups butternut squash

3 cups baby kale

6 cloves garlic

1 small onion

4 carrots

1 tbs olive oil

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp itallian seasoning

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

• 1Peel and cute 1 large butternut squash into cubes.
• 2Mince 6 cloves garlic
• 3Dice 8 chicken sausage links
• 4Roughly chop 3-4 cups of baby kale
• 5Dice 2 cups carrots
• 6Heat 1 TBS oilive oil in a frying pan and fry sausage until glazed or golden brown. Stirring often for approx 4-5 minutes. Once sausage are done, remove from pan and set aside.
• 7Add more olive oil to pan if needed and add onion and garlic. Saute and stir often until fragrant.
• 8Add the butternut squash along with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Saute for 8 minutes or so. Add a little chicken stock if the squash starts to stick to the pan.
• 9Add the butternut squash, onion, garlic, and sausage to a heated crock pot. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth, 1 tsp. of smoked paprika, 1 tsp. itallian seasoning, and another pinch of salt and pepper.
• 10Stir all ingredients together and place lid on the crock pot to cook for 4 hours on high.
• 11Around the 3 1/2 hour mark, add the chopped kale and red wine vinegar stir to combine. Return lid to the crock pot for flavors to come together and kale to cook down. Approx. 20 minutes or so.
• 12Adjust salt and pepper plus spice levels to your liking.
• 13Serve with parmesan cheese (optional).
• 14Enjoy!