Butternut Squash Bisque

This soup is so delicious and comforting and perfect for a chilly night.  It takes a little while to caramelize the onions and roast the squash, but other than that, it's really simple.  It stores well and is a great thing to make over the weekend and store for a quick and easy weeknight meal. 

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
4 medium yellow onions sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (plus more for garnish)
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 links of chicken sausage (I used maple, apple flavor) sliced
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
5 cups chicken stock
Lots of fresh cracked pepper
Goat cheese
Salt to taste

Pre-heat an oven to 400 degrees.  In a large pot (preferably a dutch oven), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  When oil is ready, add the sliced chicken sausage (the kind I used was pre-cooked so it was just a matter of browning it and reheating it) and saute for 10 minutes. Remove sausage with a slotted spoon leaving behind any grease.  Add the onions and butter and sage and stir to combine, scraping up any bits from the pot.  Turn heat down to medium low and let caramelize for at least 45 minutes.  When onions are caramelized, add the maple syrup.  Meanwhile, add the peeled and cubed (be sure to remove seeds too) butternut squash to a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for at least 30 minutes, or until completely cooked and light brown.  Add the squash to the pot with the caramelized onions along with 1 cup of the stock.  Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender) puree until mixture is smooth.  Add the remainder of the stock and check if it needs more salt (depends how salty your stock is) and lots of pepper to counter the sweetness of the dish (you could use a dash of cayenne if you prefer too).  When ready to serve, add soup to a bowl and garnish with a few slices of the chicken sausage, goat cheese crumbles, and sage.