Kielbasa & Wild Rice Soup with Butternut Squash

• 14 oz Kielbasa, split lengthwise, then sliced
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced red 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 dry sherry
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups diced butternut squash (1 1/4 lb)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste

Cook kielbasa in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat until beginning to brown, 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 leaf; 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.

Using a fine-mesh strainer, remove most of the solids from the pot and set aside. Add squash, cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 10 minutes more. Once the squash is cooked, use a blender to puree the mixture, then add back in the solids. Bring back to a simmer and cook until the rice is done.

Stir in cream, then season soup with salt, black pepper, and hot sauce.

Makes 6 servings, 13 WW PointsPlus each.