Butternut Squash Soup

In North America, Fall is the season for locally grown pumpkins and winter squash. Fall colors, Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie and the excitement of Halloween all add to the treasures of this season.
With the cold weather creeping in it is also the perfect time for soups.
The Butternut Squash is a favorite in my household because of its sweet and buttery flavor.  By adding a dose of pumpkin pie spice to the ingredients and kicking up the flavor with  red chilies and coconut milk you get a creamy, smooth meat alternative that is not only pleasing to the vegan palate but will satisfy all tastes.
This is a filling first course that is loaded with both Vitamin A and Vitamin C

Ingredients

3 cups of butternut squash peeled and roughly cubed
about 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and crushed gently ( or 1/2 teaspoon ground)
2-3 cloves garlic crushed
1 full teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 whole red chili for an extra kick (can be omitted)
1/2 onion sliced or roughly cubed
salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups of clear vegetable broth (chicken or beef can be used)
1 cup of coconut milk ( or more to taste)

Method

Put all the ingredients except the coconut milk in a slow cooker pot.

Cook on high for 2 hours until the squash is soft and cooked.

Now add the coconut milk and bring to a boil..

Using a hand held blender puree the soup so it is smooth. Add more broth or coconut milk if too thick till it reaches your desired consistency.

Taste and adjust for pepper or salt.

Serve hot.

Approximate nutritional value for 6 servings
Calories 88.5/ Total fat 4.1 g/ Total carbohydrates 14.3 g, Protein 1.6 g