Autumn Squash Soup

"A soup that is similar to Panera's recipe"
Serves 6 | Prep Time 10 minutes | Cook Time 5 hoursWhy I Love This Recipe
An at home twist on Panera's recipe
Ingredients You'll Need
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 small yellow onion chopped
2-3 garlic cloves
1 medium-large butternut squash peeled and cubed
2-3 carrots peeled and chopped (or a little over 1 cup)
1/2 15 oz. can organic pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch of cayenne *optional
pumpkin seeds for topping *optional
Directions
1) Peel squash and cut into 1-2 inch cubes. Cut heads of carrots off and slice into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Peel onion and slice into pieces.
2) Add all of ingredients (except almond milk) to slow cooker/crock pot – vegetable broth, onion, squash, carrots, pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, pinch of cayenne, and salt & pepper. Mix ingredients together. Set slow cooker time for 5 hours on LOW or 3 hours on HIGH
3) After soup has cooked, use a hand-immersion blender or high-powered blender to blend soup until creamy and smooth
4) Before serving soup, taste it and adjust with salt & back pepper or additional spice if desired. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut milk and then serve with pumpkin seeds, cracked black pepper, and a sprinkle of coconut sugar if desired