Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup / $7

Freezer club hints: I tripled the recipe for 6 families.This was "intermediate" level and time-consuming, but a very healthy and hearty soup. Use your largest pot when preparing this, as it barely fit in one of mine, I made three different batches.

Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup 

source: slightly altered from Emeril Lagasse on food network (My friend Hannah Ford shared this with me!)

Ingredients

• 2 medium butternut squash, about 3 to 4 pounds, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 12 cups chicken stock
• 2 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup wild rice blend
• 3/4 pound smoked turkey sausage, such as kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch
• 2 cups frozen corn kernels
• 1 1/2 cups  2% milk
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Remove from the oven and cool completely. In a blender or food processor, puree the squash with 2 cups of the chicken stock. Puree until smooth and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the stock and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions to a simmer. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a fork. Remove the rice from the pan and cool. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of onions and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of stock and squash puree. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the half-and-half and reason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve. Makes 10 servings.