Oooooo….Discovered this yummy recipe through my daughter. It’s a keeper!! I am going to do my soup in the instant pot instead of the crock pot. Both are great options!! I am NOT a big fan of peeling a butternut squash and when I asked my brother to peel the last one, he cut the squash up into pieces and sliced off the peel. Hmmmm… Of course, you can always buy the super expensive, already peeled and cubed squash at the grocery and if you are in a hurry, this is a wonderful option. Bottom line: Don’t ignore butternut squash dishes because of the peeling. There are work arounds and the health benefits and delicious flavors make the extra work worth it.
3 c. vegetable broth (2 c. makes it more thick, if you prefer)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium apple, chopped with peel on
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped (I used 4 c. of squash )
1 yellow onion
2″ chunk of fresh ginger, peeled (I used the fresh ginger in a tube..1 1/2 TBL. There is a tiny amount of sugar in the tubed ginger so beware. Talk about something hard to peel: GINGER ROOT)
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (opt.)
Sea salt and pepper to taste ( In a huge pot of soup like this, I always start with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper.
1 (15 oz.) can of coconut milk
Fresh Thyme, to garnish (or a tiny sprinkle if you don’t have fresh Thyme)
INSTRUCTIONS
Add all ingredients, EXCEPT coconut milk and thyme, to the crockpot. Toss gently to combine all ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or High for 3-4 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the coconut milk. Blend the soup until smooth with an immersion blender. If you are using an instant pot, follow the instructions and then cook on high pressure for 18 minutes with slow release. I’m going to give this a 4 star rating because of the peeling issue with the squash, but, it deserves a 5 star rating due to taste. Enjoy!!!!
