How2Coupon: Recipe: Pumpkin Sausage Soup!

{Pin It!}

I love pumpkin pretty-much-anything. Pumpkin is pretty versatile, I've learned, and it's totally kid-friendly.

Pumpkin pie is clearly a standard of Fall, but I've been experimenting with some pretty fantastic recipes this year and want to share them with you! A whole week's worth of recipes, in fact.

To kick off the pumpkin fest, I bring you the most delicious soup, perfect for chilly evenings and so much easier than you'd think. It's a winner, I promise you. If you bring this one to a party or potluck, do yourself a favor and print a few copies of this recipe, because you will be asked to share!

{This soup is dairy-free, unless you opt for a garnish of cream, as shown in the picture above.}

Pumpkin & Sausage Soup

{adapted from this recipe}

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. andouille sausage, diced

1/4 cup olive oil (or butter)

1 1/4 cups chopped onion

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 1/2 lbs. pumpkin puree

1/2 cup maple syrup

7 cups chicken stock

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

optional: sour cream, heavy cream or plain coconut yogurt for topping

Directions:

::Saute diced sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat in 2 Tbls. olive oil until cooked through.

::Add onion and cook until soft.

::Pour in chicken broth to deglaze the pan, then add in thyme, pumpkin puree, syrup and brown sugar and simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

::Working in batches, puree soup in a blender and return to pan on stove. Add remaining 2 Tbls. oil and warm on stove, but don't bring it to a boil. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream, a swirl of heavy cream or as is.

Tips:

::The andouille sausage gives a nice kick of heat to the soup and does the seasoning work for you, but any sausage would work. You could go with hot sausage for more spice, or a simple breakfast sausage for no heat at all. You could also choose to leave some sausage crumbled and incorporate it after you've pureed the soup.

::I used olive oil, but you could also go with coconut oil or butter. I recommend Nature's Way or Nutiva brand coconut oils.

::The original recipe called for praline liqueur, but I opted for maple syrup. Costco sells a 1 liter organic maple syrup for $13!

::For pureeing the soup, you could use an immersion blender, or a food processor. I own a Blendtec and it is truly amazing. Borderline magical.

::You can use canned pumpkin puree, or make your own. I used both for this soup!