Million Dollar Soup

I don’t know about you, but January can be a depressing month. Most holidays are over, and there is really nothing to look forward to… particularly in my hometown of Seattle with blistering wind, chilling rains and NO SUN as part of my daily agenda. Our friends at Southern Living sent me this cheerful recipe and as I made a batch it certainly brightened my day.

This Million Dollar Soup recipe was developed by Mary Claire Britton.

While soup is an all-seasons dish, winter is when it typically shines. The Southern Living Test Kitchen has developed many soup recipes to beat the winter blues, but this one has emerged as a fan favorite. If there’s one new soup recipe you try this year, we suggest this rich and flavorful crowd-pleaser.

Why This Is A Fan-Favorite Recipe

• It’s not too complicated: Easy is always a plus on hectic winter weeknights. Southern Living readers applaud this recipe for its simple, easy-to-find ingredients (most should be in your pantry), and the 30 minutes of hands-on time that is required to pull this together.
• It highlights seasonal ingredients: We love it when we can use fresh, in-season produce during the winter months, and this recipe leans on some of those seasonal stars that are available at the grocery store.
• It allows for simple swaps: we enjoy being able to use seasonal ingredients, but this recipe also allows for substitutions. If you don’t have squash, substitute with sweet potatoes. If your family doesn’t like sausage, opt for chorizo or even rotisserie chicken. And spinach or collards are perfect substitutions for dinosaur kale.

How can any soup be worthy of the title Million Dollar Soup? Well, it has to be a darn good soup, and this one certainly is. This will quickly become your go-to soup recipe. It highlights seasonal produce and is just the coziest cuppa to cuddle up with on chilly nights. It’s also the kind of soup that takes well to riffing. No thyme? Sub out rosemary, and you have a whole new flavor profile. Sub Conecuh sausage for chicken sausage, and you get something even spicier and more savory. This million dollar soup holds the balance between simplicity and luxury beautifully.

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 1 (11-oz.) pkg. chicken sausage, sliced
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 1 1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper, divided
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme, divided
• 5 slices center cut bacon, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 small white onion, chopped
• 3 ribs celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 2 (15.5-oz.) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 bunch dinosaur kale, ribs removed and roughly torn (about 2 cups)

Directions

• Prepare oven and baking sheet:
  • Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Roast squash and sausage:
  • In a medium bowl, toss together squash, sausage, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 2 sprigs of thyme. Spread onto prepared baking sheet.
  • Roast until squash is softened and sausage has begun to brown, 25 minutes.
• Cook bacon:
  • Meanwhile, add cut bacon to the bottom of a cold Dutch oven or large 4 quart soup pot. Heat to medium and cook bacon until crisp, 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Remove bacon from pan:
  • Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, reserving fat in pan.
• Cook garlic, onion, and celery:
  • Add butter to pot, swirling to combine. Add onion, garlic, and celery and cook 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
• Make roux:
  • Add flour to create a light roux, stirring constantly. When mixture has thickened, add white wine, stir and cook for 1 minute.
• Add stock:
  • Add stock, remaining salt and pepper, thyme sprigs and beans. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes.
• Blend some of the soup mixture:
  • Remove 3 cups from mixture and transfer to a blender. Secure lid on blender, and remove center piece to allow steam to escape. Blend until smooth and stir blended mixture back into soup pot. Return to a simmer. Stir in heavy cream and lemon zest.
• Stir in squash and kale:
  • Add cooked butternut squash mixture and torn kale to pot, and cook until kale is bright green and lightly wilted, 3-5 minutes.
• Garnish and serve:
  • Top individual servings with extra thyme leaves and bacon.