What is pumpkin puree?
This recipe calls for 1 cup of pure pumpkin puree. Pumpkin puree is cooked pumpkin (or butternut squash) that has been blended in a food processor until velvety and smooth. You can buy this in a can, or make it yourself. 1 very small “sugar pumpkin” or butternut squash will make about 1 + 1/2 cups of puree. To make pumpkin puree: simply cut your pumpkin or butternut squash in half, remove the seeds, rub with oil, and roast at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until tender. Process in food processor until smooth.
Use store bought ground sausage, or make your own.
The link of nitrates/ nitrites and colon cancer is now clear. Many store bought sausage is cured with this ingredient and in addition, has other junky ingredients that your body doesn’t want. Some sausage you can find out there is clean, I like Pederson’s Farms. However, making your own sausage is SO easy. Check out my maple sausage recipe here. You need 1/2 pound of ground sausage for this recipe.
How to thicken soup without using flour or cornstarch.
This trick is my FAVORITE. And it is SO needed when you are gluten free, and don’t want to use flour or cornstarch to thicken your soup. All it takes is some steamed cauliflower. Simply steam cauliflower, and puree with a little chicken broth. For this recipe, to impart more flavor into the pumpkin sausage soup, I have instructed you to saute onions, carrots, and garlic and then blend these vegetables along with the cauliflower. The softer your vegetables the better they will puree, and the smoother your soup will be once everything is all mixed in.
What about the kale?
Kale is a POWERHOUSE of nutrients. If you don’t want kale in your dinner, feel free to leave it out. But it really adds a nice texture and flavor to the soup. If you can find it, dino kale is a great choice. It has little bumps and grooves all over it (sort of like pebbles), different from curly kale, whose leaves are smoother. Dino kale is slightly sweet and has a nutty flavor. Curly kale can be a bit bitter. But if you can’t find dino kale, curly kale will work just fine! Do you think they call it ‘dino kale’ because the leaves look like a dinosaur’s skin??? LMK in the comments.
Creamy Sausage & Pumpkin Soup
Description
Pumpkin puree is blended with cauliflower to create a creamy thick base for this soup, without having to use flour! Ground sausage, kale and leeks give this soup a wonderful fall flavor.
You Need
For the soup
To thicken the soup
Method
Make the soup base (to thicken)
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A wonderful way to thicken soup without flour or cornstarch!
- Saute the onion, carrot and garlic in a small amount of oil until very soft.
- Over low-medium heat this will take about 10 minutes.
- Let cool slightly.
- Add 1/4 cup chicken broth into food processor along with the softened vegetables & cauliflower. Process until completely smooth.
- Add more chicken broth as needed to blend well.
- Set aside along with pumpkin puree to add to soup later to thicken it.
Prepare the soup filling
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Cook the sausage
- In a large dutch oven heat 1/4 teaspoon of oil over medium heat.
- Cook ground sausage for 5 minutes.
- Add leeks and saute along with the sausage.
- Add the salt and pepper. Add the sage and thyme.
- Turn down the heat.
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Add the kale
- Add the kale and saute for 2 minutes.
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Thicken the soup
- To thicken the soup add the pumpkin puree (or butternut squash puree, if using) and the pureed cauliflower and vegetables.
- Slowly add the chicken broth as needed to thin. Add this a little at a time, and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer for a few minutes until the kale is tender.
- Serve in soup bowls, and adjust to taste with a sprinkling of salt.
Add more or less chicken broth as needed to thin the soup. Add chicken broth slowly so you do not thin the soup out too much!
