Ingredients:

2 cups vegetable stock

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced

1 medium (uncooked) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced

1 sprig fresh sage

1 white onion, diced

1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or more to taste

1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste

pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg

1/2 cup canned coconut milk

Directions:

1. 1. Add vegetable stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to a slow cooker. Toss to combine.
2. 2. 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. Stir in the coconut milk.
3. 3. 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 very careful when working with the hot liquid.) Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne if needed.

Bon Appetit!