The weather may still be 89 degrees here in South Florida, but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying the flavors of fall. I’ve been craving all the delicious orange fall veggies (sweet potato, butternut squash, pumpkin), so I’ve been trying to work them into meals whenever I get the chance.

This soup is super easy to make, and it doesn’t take long either. The best part is, my 18-month-old enjoys it too! We just strain his so he can eat it with his hands.

You can eat it with crackers, crusty bread, or just on its own. Be creative with it. If you have leftover mushrooms, throw those in. If you have some quinoa or leftover rice you want to use up, add that. In case you don’t already know, I’m a big fan of using what you have on hand and not letting any leftover items go to waste!

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw chicken sausage
• 1 large OR 2 small sweet potato(es), chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 smaller sweet/vidalia onion, chopped
• 2-4 cups of chopped kale, depending on how “kale-y” you like your soup
• 2 cans white beans with their liquids
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 2 TB lemon juice
• 1 TB butter or oil

Method

1. Chop onion. Add to large pot with garlic and 1 TB butter or oil. Cook over medium heat until soft and translucent.
2. Remove sausage from casing and add to pan. Chop sausage in pan constantly with your cooking spoon until it is well crumbled. Continue to stir often until sausage is cooked through.
3. Add rest of ingredients to pot. Bring to simmer, reduce heat, and cover until sweet potato is cooked through, about 20 minutes or so.
4. Divvy up, serve with your favorite bread or crackers (or not), and enjoy.

Fall is in the air… put it in your mouth too, the healthy way!