Recipe: Kielbasa & Wild Rice Soup with Butternut Squash

When I got back from Kollision Con on Sunday, I was too tired to take any kind of pictures…however, I needed to make some dinner. Below is the recipe and instructions for making my new favorite soup:

INGREDIENTS:
14 oz kielbasa, half-moon sliced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced bell pepper
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1 cup dry wild rice
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sherry
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups diced butternut squash (1 1/4 lbs)
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt, pepper, and tabasco sauce to taste (but I didn’t need any)

INSTRUCTIONS:
-Cook kielbasa in a dutch oven or large pot over medium-high 5-6 minutes. Transfer kielbasa to a paper-towel lined plate.

-Melt butter in same pot, then stir in onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, cayenne, thyme, and bay lead; saute until onion is translucent, 4-5 minutes. Stir in rice, then stir in flour to coat

-Deglaze pot with sherry, scraping up browned bits; cook until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add broth and kielbasa, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot and simmer soup until rice is nearly cooked, about 1 hour.

-Add squash, cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 10 minutes more. Stir in cream, then season soup with salt, black pepper, and tabasco