You may have noticed an orange theme this month in my recipes. I love all kinds of winter squash. delicata, butternut, acorn, pumpkin, and all the rest – they are not only tasty, but full of good vitamins and minerals for you too!
All winter squashes pair well with something a little sweet. I like mixing them with fresh pears and apples in the winter to liven up a soup or casserole. It’s unexpected, but a nice change of pace, during the winter months. One of my favorite combos is pear and delicata squash. However, use anything you happen to have on hand to create your own one of a kind soup.
Slow Cooker Winter Squash and Fruit Soup
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time8 hrs
Total Time8 hrs 15 mins
Calories: 416kcal
Ingredients
- 2 - 3 cups winter squash peeled and cubed (or you can buy it pre-cut - frozen works fine too)
- 2 pieces of fruit pears, apples, asian pear, etc., peeled and cored then cubed
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- 4 - 6 cups vegetable stock or filtered water with Vegetarian Better Than Bouillon no-chicken - my favorite
- 1 Tb Port or red wine * if you are gluten-free make sure you are using a brand that does not use flour to seal the barrels
- sprigs of fresh thyme rosemary, sage or a combination
- pepper
- taste before adding salt the veggie broth will already have some (possibly a lot)
Instructions
- The night before:
- Chop veggies and prepare winter squash. If you bought a whole winter squash, cut it in half, scrape the seeds out, and then use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. You can cut the fruit now, but you will need to toss it with lemon juice to prevent browning.
- In the morning:
- Throw everything into the slow cooker and cook on low 6 – 8 hours.
- Remove the thyme spring or rosemary sprig. Use a hand blender to purée everything together. Add extra water or broth if needed.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Top with finely chopped pistachios or a fresh sage leaf.
Nutrition
Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4436mg | Fiber: 23g | Sugar: 47g
Leave a Reply