Fall Vegetable Soup
A glorious aroma fills your kitchen. Peaking inside the pan you’ll find so many layers of color and flavor simmering in a rich stock. It’s a spectacular soup of butternut squash, Swiss chard, red bell pepper, sweet onion, garlic, and rosemary along with layers of bacon and chicken sausage plus navy and cannellini beans. Bring on the cooler weather!
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or stockpot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 1-½ to 2 pounds chicken sausage, casings removed about 6 to 8 links
- 1 large sweet onion, diced, about 1-¾ to 2 cups
- 1 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped, about 1 to 1-½ cups
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves coarsely chopped, about 8 to 10 cups
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed
- 8 cups chicken stock, divided
- 2 packages cubed frozen butternut squash*, 10 ounces each, divided
- 1 can cannellini beans, 15-ounces, drained
- 1 can navy beans, 15-ounces, drained
- 1 large piece of Parmesan rind
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon concentrated chicken base
- ¼ cup ¼ cup flour
- Grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the bacon, chicken sausage, onion, and bell pepper. Break up the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally until the sausage is no longer pink and the vegetables are tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional five minutes.
- Stir in the Swiss chard, kosher salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and rosemary. Don’t be alarmed at the amount of Swiss chard in the soup, it will cook down. Continue cooking over medium heat until the Swiss chard has wilted.
- Add 6 cups of the chicken stock, one package of the butternut squash, the cannellini beans, navy beans, Parmesan rind, bay leaves, and the concentrated chicken stock. Partially cover the stockpot and cook for 30 minutes.
- Combine ¼ cup flour with the remaining 2 cups chicken stock, mixing to dissolve any lumps. Slowly pour into soup and simmer on medium-low for an additional 20 to 30 minutes.
- Add the remaining butternut squash and cook until warmed through.
- Ladle up and serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Before chopping the Swiss chard, thoroughly wash the leave, then using a sharp knife cut out the thick stem that runs the length of the leaf.
Parmesan rinds can be found in the cheese and deli section of most food markets and keep well in the freezer.
You can also use fresh butternut squash. You'll need about 4 cups cubed.