Butternut Bisque with Sausage and Spinach

Directions

1. Wash hands with soap and running water.
2. Gently RUB onion and garlic, rinse sage and spinach (unless already pre-washed) and scrub butternut squash and sweet potato with a clean vegetable brush under running water before prepping.
3. In a large Dutch oven or soup pot warmed on medium-high heat, MELT 3 tablespoons butter or HEAT olive oil. SAUTÉ onion and garlic until almost translucent.
4. SPRINKLE with cayenne pepper,salt and 1 teaspoon sage. SAUTÉ about 5 minutes.
5. ADD squash, sweet potato, broth, water and coconut milk. Bring to a boil. COVER and lower to simmer about 15 minutes, or until squash and sweet potato are soft.
6. PURÉE soup until smooth with an immersion blender (or in batches in a food processor). Bring to a simmer.
7. On a separate cutting board, REMOVE sausage out of casing (if in links). WASH hands with soap and running water before moving on from handling sausage.
8. In a medium saute pan, BROWN sausage, breaking into crumbles, until it reaches a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit as verified by an instant-read food thermometer.
9. ADD fully cooked sausage to soup, reserving pan for sage.
10. STIR spinach into soup.
11. BROWN remaining sage in sausage saute pan with remaining butter or olive oil. FRY until crispy and add to soup.
12. SEASON with black pepper and enjoy!
Big Y's recipes reflect the guidance of the Partnership for Food Safety Education. To learn more, visit fightbac.org!