Have I talked about how much I love my slow cooker?  I love my slow cooker.  I throw ingredients in it in the morning, or even the night before, turn it on and walk out the door!  When I come home from work, I only have to assemble a side dish or sometimes nothing at all.  I have all the time in the world to take care of the other things that are important to me- like working out, walking and playing with the dog, or working on my blog!!  If you don’t have a slow cooker, I would definitely invest in one.  They’re not expensive anymore and they really come in handy.

This is one of my favorite soups in the fall and winter.  Since the weather has been so horribly cold this week, husband and I decided to make it for lunches.  It’s actually still in the slow cooker, so I don’t yet have a finished product, but it won’t look that different from what’s pictured above.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:

• 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 onion
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 3-4 carrots, chopped
• 32 ounces chicken stock or broth
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Peel the butternut squash, and cut it in half lengthwise.  Scoop the seeds, cube the squash, and add it to the slow cooker.  (Or get the butternut squash that has already been cubed.)
• Chop the onions, celery, and carrots, and add them to the slow cooker.  I also add a dash of red pepper flakes to give it a little kick.
• Add the chicken broth, cover, and cook on low for six to eight hours.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Luckily, I had my little helper to clean up anything I dropped on the floor!

This recipe is so simple and you can kind of set it and forget it.  I’m actually planning on puree-ing it in the blender because I really like the smooth/chunky texture you get with that.  I recommend adding a dollop of cream cheese or plain yogurt to your finished soup!

This recipe is from “Paleo Slow Cooker”- another great cookbook I use on a weekly basis.