Hearty Fall Soup in the Slow Cooker

This makes 8 2-cup servings and is really nutritious. There is a lot of waiting involved. The beans need to soaked, it cooks for 10 hours on low. But it's warm, healthy, filling and there is very little hands-on time. The servings are huge and there is room for crusty bread or meat. Add whatever spices you prefer but keep in mind that the base of the soup is butternut squash. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• Butternut Squash, 2-3 lbs, skin & seeds removed, cut into 2-in cubes
• Chicken Broth, 4 cup
• Thyme, ground, 2 tbsp
• Garlic, 3 cloves, halved
• Onions, raw, 1 cup, chopped
• Turkey Bacon, 2 slices, chopped
• Kale, 2.5 cup, chopped
• Red kidney beans, dry, 2 cup, soaked overnight
• Baby Carrots, raw, 8 large, chopped
• Green Bell Pepper, 1 medium, chopped
• Yellow Sweet Corn, Frozen, 1 cup kernels
• Pepper, black, 1 tbsp

Directions

1. Soak kidney beans overnight in water (1 part bean, 2 parts water).


2. Pour broth into slow cooker.


3. Mix everything else in a bowl to distribute the flavors and then transfer to slow cooker


4. Cook on low for about 10 hours.


5. Use a potato masher to "mash" large chunks of butternut squash.


6. Serve hot.

Nutrition Info - Per Serving
Calories: 188.6 Total Fat: 1.7 g Cholesterol: 0.0 mg Sodium: 528.1 mg Total Carbs: 40.2 g Dietary Fiber: 11.7 g Protein: 8.0 g Potassium 909.3 mg Sugars 2.4 gVitamin A 396.6 % Vitamin B-6 20.1 % Vitamin C 100.2 % Vitamin D 0.0 % Vitamin E 2.7 % Calcium 14.8 % Copper 16.3 % Folate 22.7 % Iron 22.9 % Magnesium 22.5 % Manganese 42.1 % Niacin 13.9 % Pantothenic Acid 8.5 % Phosphorus 15.2 % Riboflavin 9.0 % Selenium 3.8 % Thiamin 17.3 % Zinc 6.5 %