Slow cooker squash soup

I wasn't in the market for another squash soup recipe, but this one flashed past on my Pinterest feed, and since it had the magic words "slow cooker," I stopped for a second look and then pinned it for later consumption in my "Make that slow cooker do something" board. The timing works out so that if you do all the chopping the day before, you can assemble it in the slow cooker first thing in the morning and then it's ready at lunch time. Magic.

Slow cooker butternut squash soup

Source: GimmeSomeOven.com

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped small

1 white onion, chopped small

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Granny Smith or tart cooking apple, peeled, cored and chopped small

2 sprigs fresh sage, plus more for optional garnish

2 cups vegetable broth

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

½ cup coconut milk

Method

Combine everything except for coconut milk and sage garnish in a slow cooker. Cook for 6 to 8 hours on low or 3 to 4 on high. Stir in coconut milk. Remove sage sprigs. Whirr with a stick blender until smooth, or transfer to a food processor or blender. Adjust seasonings as desired. Serve topped with additional sage and a sprinkling of cayenne if desired.

Rating: I’ve got a lot of squash soup recipes, many of which I adore, so the bar is pretty high to admit a new recipe into the ranks of the keepers. But this one made the cut, partly because, hello, it comes out of a slow cooker like it was magic, and because it’s very creamy and tasty. Nice balance of a bit of heat to go with the sweet.