Butternut Squash Soup

Yum!!  I tried a new recipe the weekend and I feel it is my duty to share.  

Some side notes in making this recipe:
1) WHY is butternut squash so hard to cut? I was sweating by the time I got all done. 
2) PJ will not touch this soup-- he thinks it looks like baby food.
3) Besides cutting the squash, it was so easy to make! I decided to freeze half the batch for future meal prep too. 

My version of the recipe was inspired by:  Goodful.

INGREDIENTS
For the soup:
1 Butternut squash, peeled, deseeded, and roughly chopped
1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled
Drizzle olive oil
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne (can leave it, this give it a bit of a kick!)
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon thyme
¼ cup of milk (I used almond milk)
For the optional garnish:
Chives, chopped
Pumpkin seeds

PREPARATION
​1. Place squash pieces, onion, and garlic into a slow cooker.
2. Drizzle with olive oil and add vegetable or chicken broth.
3. Sprinkle over ginger, coriander, cayenne, sea salt, and pepper.
4. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high heat for 4 hours.
5. Using a hand blender, blend the ingredients until smooth (if you do not have a hand blender, you can transfer the ingredients to a regular blender (I used the Ninja) or food processor, just be careful when blending hot liquids!).
6. Add thyme and coconut milk and blend for a few more seconds until incorporated.
7. Garnish with chives and pumpkin seeds (optional).
8. Enjoy!