Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
2 cups vegetable stock
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and roughly chopped
1 medium (about 3–4 lbs) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 white onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 sprig fresh sage, or a pinch of dried
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1/2 cup canned (unsweetened) coconut milk
Add vegetable stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to slow cooker.Toss to combine. Cook for 6-8 hours on low, or 3-4 hours on high, or until the squash is completely tender and mashes easily with a fork. Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender and puree until smooth, being extremely careful not to fill the blender too full with a hot liquid.) Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne as needed. Serve warm, topped with your desired garnishes.