Perfected

I never knew this was unusual until recently, but I have a close group of friends dating back to high school. We meet up as often as we can, though with our lives changing by the minute it now tends to be only once or twice a month.

One of my best friends from this group (though it's truly difficult to say any one of them is more my friend than any other) recently moved to Colorado to pursue a Ph.D in Physical Therapy. Her schedule has been crazy since she left for Denver; with time only for studying and the occasional visit to a local bar or pub for much needed mental breaks.

With a love for home cooked meals but educational time constraints, she's been focusing on perfecting recipes that are quick and easy. The following is her favorite which she taught to me over her Christmas break.

Anna's Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup
Serves approximately: 6

Equipment:
Large soup pot
Skillet

Ingredients:
8 cups chicken broth
2 T. olive oil
2 packages of frozen butternut squash
2 medium sized zucchinis
2 medium sized carrots
1 small onion
3-4 pre-cooked sausages
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Pour the chicken broth into the soup pot and turn on stove to medium. Grate carrots and add directly to the chicken broth along with the two packages of butternut squash.

Dice onion and zucchini. Pour oil into the skillet and turn heat to medium. Once oil is heated, add zucchini and onions and saute until onions are translucent.

While onions and zucchini are cooking, chop up the sausage to desired bite-sized pieces. Add to the onions and zucchini to warm them up. Add onions, zucchini and sausage all at once to the soup pot. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Allow soup to simmer for 10-15 minutes and serve hot.