Pumpkin, Sausage, and Escarole Soup with Sage Brown Butter
By Annie PetitoPublished on February 25, 2026
Time
45 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Bulk sausage crumbles easily into fine pieces, but if unavailable, use Italian sausage links and remove the casings before cooking; the pieces will be a bit chunkier. Serve with crusty bread.
Instructions
- Melt 1 teaspoon unsalted butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage and cook, breaking up meat into fine crumbles, until sausage is no longer pink, 6 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to bowl.
- Add 1 minced large shallot, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon minced thyme, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and pinch cayenne to fat in pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in 1 can unsweetened pumpkin puree, then spread into even layer and cook, stirring every minute or so, until puree has thickened and begins sticking to bottom of pot, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 4 cups chicken broth, 5 cups chopped escarole (½-inch pieces), and sausage and increase heat to high to bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Adjust heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes to meld flavors. Stir in 2 teaspoons cider vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, and extra vinegar to taste.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add ¼ cup walnuts, chopped; 12 sage leaves; and remaining pinch salt and cook until sage is crispy and butter and walnuts are browned and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to heatproof bowl. Serve soup, garnishing with sage and walnut butter.
Time
45 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Canned pumpkin is the star of this fall-inspired soup that’s elevated by a drizzle of sage-infused brown butter and chopped walnuts. We start by browning bulk Italian sausage in a Dutch oven and then softening aromatics in the rendered fat. A bit of flour added to the pan acts as a thickener and keeps the fat from separating out of the soup. Spreading pumpkin puree across the pot bottom allows much of its moisture to evaporate quickly, concentrating flavor. We add back the sausage to the pot as well as broth and chopped escarole and simmer it briefly before stirring in cider vinegar for brightness. While the soup bubbles, we create an elegant finishing touch by cooking sage leaves and walnuts in butter, which browns as the walnuts toast and the sage leaves crisp.
Before You Begin
Bulk sausage crumbles easily into fine pieces, but if unavailable, use Italian sausage links and remove the casings before cooking; the pieces will be a bit chunkier. Serve with crusty bread.
Instructions
- Melt 1 teaspoon unsalted butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage and cook, breaking up meat into fine crumbles, until sausage is no longer pink, 6 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to bowl.
- Add 1 minced large shallot, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 teaspoon minced thyme, ½ teaspoon table salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and pinch cayenne to fat in pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in 1 can unsweetened pumpkin puree, then spread into even layer and cook, stirring every minute or so, until puree has thickened and begins sticking to bottom of pot, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 4 cups chicken broth, 5 cups chopped escarole (½-inch pieces), and sausage and increase heat to high to bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Adjust heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes to meld flavors. Stir in 2 teaspoons cider vinegar. Season with salt, pepper, and extra vinegar to taste.
- Meanwhile, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add ¼ cup walnuts, chopped; 12 sage leaves; and remaining pinch salt and cook until sage is crispy and butter and walnuts are browned and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to heatproof bowl. Serve soup, garnishing with sage and walnut butter.
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