Pearl Barley Soup With Butternut Squash & Sausage

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 red onion, grated
• 2 pounds or 6 cups of butternut squash, cubed
• 1 pound pork sausage, casings removed
• 6 ounces baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup pearl barley
• 10 cups chicken stock
• Kosher salt and fresh-cracked pepper, to taste
• freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for serving

1. In a large soup pot, cook the chopped garlic and olive oil on medium-low heat for one minute, or until the garlic just starts to become fragrant. Add a small pinch of salt as the garlic is cooking. Add the grated onion and the sage leaves. Add a pinch of salt. Saute until the onion resembles translucent pulp, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the sausage and turn up the heat to medium-high. You want to start hearing a gently sizzle. With a potato masher, break up the sausage so that it looks like ground meat. Add a small pinch of salt. When the sausage is gray, indicating that it is thoroughly cooked, add the barley and saute for a minute. Add the butternut squash, a little salt and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Depending on how salty the stock you're using is, add a little salt (or not). Season with pepper. Once the soup starts boiling, lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 40 minutes. Taste the barley to make sure it is fully cooked. Remove the sage leaves. Add the baby spinach leaves and give the pot a good stir. Check for seasoning and ladle soup in bowls with a generous sprinkle of freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

olive oil, garlic, red onion, butternut squash, pork sausage, baby spinach, pearl barley, chicken, kosher salt, freshlygrated parmigianoreggiano

Taken from food52.com/recipes/32831-pearl-barley-soup-with-butternut-squash-sausage (may not work)