Slow Cooker Thai-Inspired Butternut Squash and Peanut Vegan Soup

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. peeled and cubed butternut squash
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. minced ginger root
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 can coconut milk
• 2 T Thai Red Curry Paste
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, without added sugar
• 1 sweetener of your choice
• 2 tsp. Fish Sauce
• 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro
• Extra chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts for serving, optional
• Sriracha Rooster Sauce for serving, optional

Directions

1. If you’re using a whole butternut squash, remove the peel and cut the flesh into cubes. Add the squash and vegetable stock to the slow cooker, then season the squash generously with salt and fresh-ground black pepper. Cook on high for 2 hours, until the squash is tender enough to mash without any effort.
2. Puree the hot squash carefully with a food processor, blender, or immersion blender. Warm the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, then add the onion and cook until deeply browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, minced ginger, and diced red bell pepper, and cook for about a minute longer.
3. Pour in the coconut milk, then add the Thai Red Curry Paste and peanut butter. Warm the mixture just until the curry paste and peanut butter loosen and blend into the coconut milk. Stir in the sweetener and fish sauce.
4. Add the coconut milk mixture to the pureed squash and stir to combine. Set the slow cooker to low and let the soup cook for 1 hour more. Mix in the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice, then continue cooking for about 15 minutes.
5. Serve the soup hot, with extra chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts on top if you’d like. For more heat, add a little Sriracha Sauce.