Cooking Steps

• Melt ½ tablespoon of butter in a Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat.
• Add the onions and peppers and cook for 2 minutes until they start to soften.
• Stir in the sausage and cook for about 10 minutes, breaking it up into crumbles, until browned and cooked through.
• Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper, cooking for an additional minute.
• Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage mixture from the pot and set it aside for later.
• Melt the remaining butter in the pot over medium heat.
• Add the squash and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Pour in the chicken broth and add a bay leaf.
• Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer.
• Cover and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the squash is tender, checking around the 10-minute mark.
• Remove the pot from the heat and discard the bay leaf.
• Remove a couple of handfuls of butternut squash chunks from the soup and set them aside.
• Use an immersion blender to blend the remaining soup until smooth.
• If using a traditional blender, transfer the soup in batches, blend until smooth, and return it to the stockpot.
• Return the reserved butternut squash chunks back to the pot and place it over medium heat.
• Add the beans, tomatoes, and the previously prepared sausage mixture into the soup.
• Stir everything together and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until all the ingredients are heated through.
• Taste the soup and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
• Drizzle with cream for an added richness and garnish with parsley.
• Serve hot and enjoy your hearty and comforting soup!