(vg, gf)

I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people who enjoy soup all year long. Especially this one, I make it so often! Seriously, I think make this soup at least twice a month. We’re also big fans of garlic in my house, this recipe calls for 8 cloves. Roasting the cloves with the skin on, gives them a wonderfully caramelized, sweet flavor. Just be sure to keep the cloves in the center of your sheet pans so they don’t burn. The roasted chickpeas and crispy sausage are a much more yummy and nutritious way to add texture than the standard oyster cracker. I use Beyond Meat plant based Hot Italian Sausage sautéed with just a pinch of chili flakes. The subtle touch of heat perfectly balances out the sweetness from the squash and sweet potato. The roasted chickpeas used as the garnish in this dish are one of my favorite things to make. I use them in soups, in place of croutons in salads, or just eat them by the handful!

This soup is savory and super comforting; velvety smooth and rich all on its own. Yes, that’s right, there is no cream in it! In fact, this soup is completely vegan, but I can promise you that both vegans and carnivores will go crazy for it.

Ingredients:

2  large butternut squash

8  large garlic cloves

1  large baked sweet potato

10  cups vegetable stock

4  links Hot Italian Beyond Sausage, diced

1/8  tsp chili flakes

Roasted Chickpeas (see recipe)

Olive oil

Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Remove labels from squash, wash & dry. Cut both ends of the squash off leaving a flat surface to stand them up on. Cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Slice the squash in 1- 1 1/2in pieces. Place on two sheet pans.

2. Cut each garlic clove in half, leaving the skin on – trust me. Distribute garlic cloves in the center of the two sheet pans. Drizzle the squash and garlic with olive oil and season with salt & pepper.

3. Roast at 385 degrees Fahrenheit for around 55 minutes, flipping the squash halfway through. Make sure you feel no resistance when inserting a knife into each piece. Allow squash and garlic to cool before handling.

4. Prepare the chickpeas.

5. While the chickpeas are cooking, coat the bottom of a large, nonstick skillet with olive oil. Add the diced sausage, 1/8 tsp of chili flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté over medium-high heat until browned and crispy. Drain on to a clean paper towel.

6. Cut the skin off the butternut squash and the baked sweet potato. Pop each garlic clove out of the skin by gently squeezing it.

7. In a food processor, add garlic, squash, sweet potato, and the vegetable stock in batches. Puree the mixture until smooth. I wound up using around 7 cups of stock, but it will all depend on the size of squash and potato you use. Pour each batch of pureed soup into a large pot over low heat. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To serve, ladle soup into a bowl and garnish with 3 tablespoons each of sausage crumbles and chickpeas.