Easy Weeknight Dinner Butternut Squash Curry Soup

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again the best thing about having seasons in Michigan is an excuse to change up your cuisine based on weather. The spring has fresh peas and sprouts, the summer is bursting with fresh vegetables and quick pasts and fall is all about soup and warmth. Apples, pumpkins, butternut squash and more. Each season has their specialty. I’ve been trying to be extremely intentional about booking out my time this fall. The summer was insanely busy and i’m determined to keep my fall peaceful..ish.

So what does that mean? Minimal travel commitments, slow dinners together at home and cozy nights at the cottage. I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew and it’s easy for me to over commit. To me, nothing is more cozy than soup. Joe and I had a craving for butternut squash soup and since that is basically what I eat from now until Thanksgiving I thought I would change it up a bit.

My sister-in-law and I usually meet once a month at this fantastic Indian restaurant in Grand Rapids called Curry Leaf and I’ve been craving it and we’ve missed a month or so….. I thought why not mix the curry i’ve been craving with a cozy hot soup with some homemade bread. This soup was whipped up in my crockpot. You could most likely do it over the stove or even roast the squash for a faster cooking time but I tossed the cubed squash into the pot with some seasonings and broth and let it cook on high about two hours while I fed otto, cleaned up the house and tossed in a load of laundry. By 8pm the soup needed it’s final ingredients and we were ready to eat. I had made the bread the day before (a Sunday afternoon) so it was a perfect weeknight meal.

Here is what you need. 
1 4lb butternut squash. Pealed, cubed and tossed into the slow cooker.
4 cloves of minced garlic
2 tsp of grated ginger
4 tbsp of red curry paste (more or less pending how you like it. I prefer mine a bit on the heavy side)
4 cups of chicken broth
1 can of lite coconut milk
Salt and Pepper
diced green onions for topping

Here is what you do.
Toss the squash, garlic, ginger, curry paste, broth, salt and pepper into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2.5-3hours.
Once the squash is fork tender add in the coconut milk and blend until smooth either with an immersion blender or in a regular blender if you don’t have an immersion (But full disclosure having one will change your soup life.) Season with a little more salt and pepper if you need it and top with green onions to serve.

What are some of your favorite fall and winter soup dinners?