It’s rainy here today, with fall in the air, and we’ve had a couple of upset tummies this week at our house. It’s official, it’s fall and back to school. Time to break out my secret weapon:  butternut squash soup in the crock-pot.

I love this soup because it starts by dealing with the hard part of the squash…the rind.  To start, wash the outside if the squash well, then slice the butternut squash lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and place the halves, cut side down, in about a half cup of water.  Turn the crock pot on high and cook about 2 hours. At that point, you’ll be able to scoop all the good stuff right out of the squash skin, no problem. Careful taking the halves out of the pot. They’ll be HOT! Dump the smushed squash back in with the water that they cooked in.

Then add the apples. Tart granny smith apples are good in this recipe, but even these puckered apples – very much past their prime – work well. I wouldn’t be able to serve these as a snack, but they’ll do great in this recipe. Pears are another alternative.

Peel, slice, and then chop.

Add the chopped apple with one chopped onion to the squash mixture. Then add spices, about a half teaspoon of rubbed sage and about a teaspoon of ground ginger.

Add about a half box of fat-free chicken stock (that’s about 16 oz), and stir well.

Cook on high for another two hours or so.  Then use an immersion blender like the one shown above to purée the chunks. You can end up with a texture that is either completely smooth or a bit chunky, whatever you prefer. If you’d like, you can add a bit of milk or cream just before serving to give it a smoother texture, but I like the lighter, fresh taste with just the broth.

This is one of my favorite fall soups, thrifty, and dead easy to make.  I hope you enjoy!

If you need more inspiration, check out my friend Carrie’s recent fall comfort food article.