I think there are a lot of us out there who get irrationally excited about soup season. There are endless ways to make soup, they’re typically a good budget-friendly meal, and soups are a great way to sneak in extra fiber and protein with a can of beans or extra veggies. Served with homemade sourdough, you better believe we are eating soup once a week here. This fall harvest soup is a new favorite of mine because I do prefer a creamy soup to a brothy one, and this one is so creamy and delicious without any cream added. I don’t have anything against dairy, but somethings you just need something lighter. We are using sausage in this soup but to keep it vegetarian, you can double the beans instead. And thanks to both kale and butternut squash, we’ve got a great dose of veggies in here.
Ingredients for Fall Harvest Soup
- Olive oil
- Mirepoix: onions, carrots, celery
- Garlic
- Sausage
- Butternut squash
- Kale
- Raw cashews
- Chicken broth
- Seasonings: salt, pepper, thyme, sage, smoked paprika, allspice
- Cannellini or great northern beans
- Cornstarch
How to Make Fall Harvest Soup
- First thing you’re going to want to do is place the raw cashews in a bowl or liquid measuring cup and cover with boiling water. This allows the cashews to soften while we prepare the rest of the soup.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the sausage, breaking into pieces as it browns. Then add in chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and cook to soften them a bit. While this is happening, you can peel and chop your butternut squash.
- Pour the chicken broth into the pot and add the butternut squash. Add salt, pepper, thyme, sage, smoked paprika, and allspice. Bring to a simmer to allow the butternut squash to soften. Add in the beans and kale and stir to wilt the kale.
- Add the cashews and water to a high-speed blender along with a little cornstarch and blend until very smooth. Add to the soup and bring to a simmer again to allow the soup to thicken. Taste and add salt and other seasonings as needed.
FAQs
- What to do with leftovers? Because this soup doesn’t have dairy in it, it will freeze. I love making a big batch of soup at the start of the week to reheat for lunches, especially a soup like this one that’s high in protein and fiber and has veggies and healthy fats thanks to the cashews.
- Can I make this in advance? If you like to make freezer meals, you could brown the sausage and add to freezer bag with all the chopped veggies and the blended cashew mixture. When ready to cook, pour the whole bag into a pot and add the chicken broth and the can of beans. You could also have all the simmering happen in a slow cooker!
- 1¼ cups raw cashews
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 lb. sausage (I used ground mild Italian sausage)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-4 cups chopped butternut squash
- 6-8 cups chicken broth
- 1-2 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. thyme
- 1 tsp. sage
- ½ tsp. smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp. allspice
- 1 15 oz. can cannellini or great northern beans
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed, chopped
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- Place the cashews in a bowl or liquid measuring cup and cover with boiling water. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pot. Add the sausage and brown, breaking into pieces as it cooks.
- Add the chopped onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and sauté with the sausage, letting the vegetables soften for about 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped squash, chicken broth, salt, pepper, thyme, sage, smoked paprika, and allspice. Bring to a simmer and allow the vegetables to soften.
- Add the beans and kale, stirring to allow the kale to wilt.
- Add the soaked cashews and water along with the cornstarch to a high-speed blender and blend until very smooth. Add to the rest of the soup and bring to a simmer, allowing it to thicken. Taste and add more salt and seasonings as needed.
- Serve with crusty bread and enjoy!
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