Smoked Sausage, Butternut Squash and Wild Rice Soup

Source: Food Network, Emeril Lagasse

1 butternut squash, about 2 pounds, peeled and diced (I found two recipes online that conflict on this amount. One says 3-4 pounds of squash, the other says 1 1/2-2 pounds. I used just over 2 pounds and it worked just fine.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
12 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup wild rice
3/4 pound smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch (I used a lower-fat turkey kielbasa)
2 cups fresh corn kernels (I used frozen since fresh corn isn't as readily available now, but fresh is always better)
1 1/2 cups half-and-half (if you up the squash for a little more substance in the broth, I think you could use a lower-fat milk here)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Season the squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until tender. Remove from the oven and cool completely. In a blender or food processor, puree the squash with 2 cups of the chicken stock. Puree until smooth and set aside.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, bring 4 cups of the stock and 1/2 cup of the chopped onions to a simmer. Stir in the rice and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally with a fork. Remove the rice from the pan and cool.

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, add the remaining tablespoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 2 cups of onions and corn. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the remaining 6 cups of stock and squash puree. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the half-and-half and reason with salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve.

I talked about this recipe HERE.