Slow Cooker Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Shannon — Tue, 01 Oct 2013 22:01:40 +0000

It’s officially fall and I have been using my slow cooker all week and loving it! A little prep work in the morning leads to a wonderful smelling house all day and some time left over at the end of the day for myself. Soups are one of my favorite meals to make in the slow cooker. Soups are also a great way make sure you are getting in your vegetables.

This Butternut Squash & Apple soup looks and tastes like Fall! Make sure to use fresh squash and apples for an amazing, flavorful healthy bowl of soup that will warm you and your family on a crisp fall evening. Because this soup is pretty much squash based, sometimes my older children aren’t exactly thrilled when they see this on our dinner menu. I solved that problem by offering warm homemade bread along side this soup and they just love it. This recipes makes a lot of soup, so it’s perfect for larger families or gatherings. It can also be frozen, which I like to do to be prepared for a night I may not have a lot of time on my hands. Garnish this fall soup with freshly grated Gruyere cheese or croutons for a beautiful touch. What soups do you like to make in your slow cooker when the weather turns cold?

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs. fresh butternut squash, peeled and chopped into cubes
4 cups Cortland apples, peeled and chopped
2 large onions, chopped
3 Tbsp. butter
3 - 4 cups good vegetable broth (I use homemade)
1 cup fresh apple cider, unsweetened
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 fresh sage leaves
2 fresh sprigs of thyme

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and 3 cups (reserving 1 cup for later if you decide to add it at the end) of the vegetable broth in your slow cooker.
Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Remove the sage and thyme.
With an immersion blender, blend the soup to your desired texture.
If the soup is too thick, you can add a little more vegetable broth.
Serve hot with fresh bread.
You may like to garnish this soup with freshly grated Gruyere cheese or croutons.
Serves 6-8.
* To freeze, cool completely and store flat in a plastic freezer bag or freezer safe container.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/slow-cooker-butternut-squash-apple-soup/

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Double Noodle Chicken Vegetable Soup

Shannon — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 11:31:13 +0000

Last week my children had their first week back to school. It was so nice for everyone to get back into a regular routine. Along with back to school and the changing of seasons, comes allergies:( Last week my allergies were horrible and I needed a little relief. I did end up taking an allergy pill, but when I feel congested I want soup. When the air is crisp and you don’t feel 100%, soup always makes you feel warm and cozy.

I am the kind of mother who only makes 1 dinner, so the soup I was going to make, had to be one that everyone would like. Chicken Noodle Soup is always our “go to” soup, but with a garden full of vegetables, I wanted to load up whatever soup I made with those fresh grown goodies! I don’t know about your children, but mine just love noodles in soup. It’s their favorite part! This Double Noodle Chicken Vegetable Soup has the best of both worlds. It has the comforting Chicken Soup taste, but also has extra noodles, and is still bursting with vegetable flavor from the garden. I knew my whole family would eat this soup with no problem if I cut the vegetables very small, doubled the noodles and of course added chicken. This recipe makes a lot of soup, but I love to freeze the leftovers. It’s always nice to have some extra homemade soup in the freezer when someone comes down with a cold. Nothing is more comforting to a sick family member than a hot bowl of homemade soup!

Double Noodle Chicken Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 Rotisserie Chicken
2 large onions,chopped fine
3 ribs of celery, with leaves, chopped fine
4 large carrots, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced small
1/2 head fresh broccoli, chopped small
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 red or green pepper, chopped small
1/2 cup peas, frozen
1 good handful fresh parsley, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, smashed
16 cups water
2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2-3 bay leaves
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 (12 oz.) package of fine egg noodles, cooked and rinsed with hot water

Instructions

Take a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin and shred the chicken with a fork or your fingers and store in the refrigerator for later.
Set the large chicken bones aside- they will be used in the broth.
In a large stock pot, heat 2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil, add the chicken bones and heat for a few minutes.
Add the chopped onion, celery, carrots, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, green or red pepper and smashed garlic and parsley, stir and saute about 5 minutes or until fragrant.
Add 16 cups of water.
Stir and add salt, pepper and bay leaves.
Stir well and cover.
Bring to a slow boil and then simmer for about an hour and a half.
Remove all of the chicken bones with a slotted spoon- I like to go over the soup a few times to make sure they are all removed.
Remove the smashed garlic and bay leaves.
Add the shredded chicken, frozen peas, and cooked noodles to the pot and cover until ready to serve.
Serve with fresh bread or a sandwich.
*To freeze, let soup cool to room temperature, then place in a freezer safe, air tight container and freeze.

https://www.cozycountryliving.com/double-noodle-chicken-vegetable-soup/

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freezer friendly soups Archives - Cozy Country Living

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Double Noodle Chicken Vegetable Soup