Ingredients
1½ pounds leeks
1 fennel bulb
1½ pounds kabocha squash
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced thin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon table salt
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs fresh thyme
6 cups chicken broth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Directions
1
Trim root end of 1½ pounds leeks and remove tough dark-green ends. Halve lengthwise and cut into ½-inch pieces. Wash and drain thoroughly. Transfer to bowl and set aside.
2
Remove stalks and fronds from 1 fennel bulb. Halve bulb, remove core, and cut into ¼-inch pieces. Add to bowl with leeks.
3
Halve 1½ pounds kabocha squash. Scrape out seeds, then peel and cut squash into 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
4
Cook 1 pound hot Italian sausage in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until browned, 5 to 7 minutes, breaking up meat with wooden spoon.
5
Use slotted spoon to transfer sausage to plate, leaving fat behind in pot; set sausage aside.
6
Add leeks, fennel, 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, ¼ teaspoon table salt, 1 bay leaf, and 4 thyme sprigs to pot. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown, about 7 minutes.
7
Stir in squash; 6 cups chicken broth; 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed; and sausage, scraping up any browned bits. Cover pot, increase heat to high, and bring soup to vigorous simmer.
8
Reduce heat to medium and simmer vigorously until squash is tender, 20 to 25 minutes, adjusting heat as needed.
9
Remove pot from heat, discard bay leaf and thyme sprigs, and stir in ½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.