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Cozy Slow Cooker Fall Harvest Vegetable Soup

cozy slow cooker fall harvest vegetable soup - featured image
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A hands-off, comforting soup made with butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and apple, simmered in a savory broth with smoked paprika and cinnamon. Perfect for meal prep and cold-weather coziness.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium butternut squash (about 3 cups cubed)
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 cups cubed)
  • 1 large Granny Smith apple (peeled and diced)
  • 1 large yellow onion (diced)
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2 large carrots (diced)
  • 2 stalks celery (diced)
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • Optional toppings: toasted pumpkin seeds, heavy cream or coconut milk, fresh parsley, olive oil

Instructions

  1. Prep the vegetables: Peel and cube butternut squash and sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Dice onion, carrots, celery, and apple. Mince garlic.
  2. Build the flavor base: Place diced onion, carrots, celery, and minced garlic in the bottom of a 5-6 quart slow cooker.
  3. Add vegetables and apple: Layer cubed squash, sweet potatoes, and diced apple on top of aromatics.
  4. Mix seasonings: In a small bowl, combine smoked paprika, cinnamon, thyme, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle over vegetables. Add tomato paste in dollops. Pour broth around edges. Add bay leaf.
  5. Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours until vegetables are fork-tender.
  6. Finish: Remove bay leaf. Stir in apple cider vinegar. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Optional blending: Use an immersion blender to partially blend soup for a creamier texture, or blend in batches in a regular blender.
  8. Serve: Ladle into bowls and garnish with desired toppings. Serve hot.

Notes

Don’t skip the apple cider vinegar at the end—it brightens the flavors. Cut vegetables uniformly for even cooking. Layer aromatics on bottom and denser vegetables on top. Toast pumpkin seeds for garnish. If soup is too sweet, add more salt or vinegar.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker, fall harvest, vegetable soup, butternut squash, sweet potato, apple, vegan, gluten-free, meal prep

Find it online: https://jollyfork.com/cozy-slow-cooker-fall-harvest-vegetable-soup-easy/