Thai Butternut Squash Soup

Fall is almost here! This time of year calls for fresh, seasonal vegetables like butternut squash and sweet potato. You will also notice at this time of year, that these vegetables are a lot cheaper. This is because they are easily received local instead of being transported from somewhere else. I cooked this up yesterday in the crockpot. I'm sure you could try this in a pot, and if you do, please let me know how it goes! I find that the flavors developed beautifully in the crockpot. I'm usually not a soup person, and not to toot my own horn (okay, I'm totally tooting my own horn), this was the most delicious soup I've ever had. Please try this one out and let me know what you think in the comments section below! If you aren't a huge fan of spice, feel free to adjust the amount of curry paste you add to your soup. Have fun and Happy Fall! :)

(paleo, vegan option, gluten-free)

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cups organic vegetable stock (or chicken stock if you aren't vegan)
• 1 cup full fat coconut milk (set aside for later)
• 1, 1-inch nob of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 
• 1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons red curry paste
• 1/4 teaspoon fish sauce(omit if vegan) and add extra 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lime wedges and chili pepper, to garnish

Process:
1. Heat a large crock pot to high.
2. Add squash, stock, ginger, onion, curry paste, fish sauce(optional), tamarind, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. **Remember, you can add more salt at the end.
3. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours until butternut squash is soft and falls apart.
4. Transfer to a blender, and blend on high speed for 1-2 minute until soup is completely smooth. **Be sure to let the steam escape from the blender before blending!
5. Add reserved coconut milk to blended soup. If the texture of the soup is too thick, add a bit more coconut milk.
6. Serve hot with lime wedges and fresh chili pepper. Enjoy!