Healthy Soup Tuesday - Sausage, Kale and Butternut Squash

I found this recipe last week and made it for my family with rave reviews all around!  The most time consuming task is the slicing and dicing.  This could be easily done the day before to save time and refrigerated until you are ready to make your soup.  This soup is low in calories and sodium and high in fiber...It's a Win Win!  This is going in my regular meal rotation!  I served it with fresh baked corn bread (used a mix) but drizzled honey it top of it for the last minute or two of baking.  

Soup ingredients:  1-2 packages Italian turkey sausage - uncooked, 2 grated garlic cloves, 8 cups chicken broth, 3 cups butternut squash (peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes).  Buy precooked cubed butternut squash at your grocery store to save time, 4 cups chopped Kale (organic of possible), salt and pepper to taste, 2 14 ounce cans cannelini or red kidney beans, Parmigiano cheese grated, Ditali dried pasta or any small tubular dried pasta

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.  Remove sausage from casings and add to pot.  Toss casings.  Brown for 7-8 minutes using a fork to break piece apart.  Add garlic and cook 4-5 minutes.  When sausage is browned, add broth to pan using a wooden spoon to scrape up all of the brown sausage bits from the bottom of the pan. Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil.  Add butternut squash cubes and cook for 20-25 minutes or until soft.  10 minutes before serving, add dried pasta,  beans and Kale. Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Make sure pasta is finished before serving.  

Ladle into individual bowls and serve with grated Parmigiano cheese on top.  Delicious!!

Cut the warm cornbread into squares and serve with butter and honey.  Enjoy and Happy Tuesday