Butternut Zuppa Toscana

Ya’ll, this recipe is SO good — the perfect winter comfort food. A modern twist on an Italian classic, this soup is everything you’d want on a cold, gray night: creamy, nourishing and so flavorful. This dish came together in 30 minutes and made enough to have leftovers the next day (or to store in the freezer for the next snow storm).

Butternut Zuppa Toscana

Serve 4 hearty bowls

Ingredients

• 1 butternut squash, diced (about 4 cups)

• 1/2 yellow onion, diced

• 4 tablespoons minced garlic

• 4 sausage links (you can buy it ground or buy links and remove the casing; I used mild Italian chicken sausage links)

• 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• ½ teaspoon dried oregano

• 4 cups stock (I used chicken stock)

• 3 cups swiss chard, chopped

• 1/4 cup full fat coconut milk (from a can, you want the creamy kind)

• Avocado oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high heat; add the chicken sausage and stir until browned, about 5 minutes. Once browned, remove.

• Heat another tablespoon of oil in the pot; add the onions and saute until translucent; add the garlic, nutritional yeast, and spices to the pot and stir until fragrant; add the sundried tomatoes

• Add the butternut squash and stock; stir everything and then put a lid on the pot with a small vent; bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until the squash is tender, about 15 minutes.

• Once the squash is tender, remove about two cups of the squash and blend until smooth; add it back to the pot with the coconut milk and stir until well combined; stir in the swiss chard, the sausage and season with salt and pepper; adjust seasoning as needed

• Serve hot topped with parsley, more nutritional yeast (for a cheesy like flavor) or real parmesan