SERVES TWO (420 calories per serving)

2 T coconut oil

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 to 2 tsp mild gluten-free curry powder, or to taste

1 leek

4 large organic carrots

1 sweet potato

Half a banana squash {or butternut squash}

Fresh water, as needed

Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

Plug in your (medium size) slow cooker and turn it on to high. Pour a drizzle of coconut oil into the bottom. Add in the chopped garlic and curry powder. Stir and cover. Let the curry infuse the oil as you chop the vegetables.

Wash the leek, trim and slice the white section. Peel, trim and chop the carrots. Peel the sweet potato. Chop chop.

Peel the squash. Chop some more.

Toss all the chopped veggies into the warm crock and stir. Add just enough fresh water to cover them. Season with sea salt to taste. Cover.

Now go to work. Or not. Maybe go do something fun. Take photographs. Paint. Read a gardening book. Walk the dog. Color with your kids.

About temps- High vs Low::

If you keep the soup on high it will cook faster- say, four hours or so, depending upon your make and model (some crocks are bigger than others, I’m happy to tell you). If you need to stretch out the cooking time, turn the slow cooker on to low. It will be ready in perhaps, six hours. If you need to stretch it a bit longer I don’t think it would hurt- as long as you’ve put enough water in the crock.

The soup is ready when the carrots are tender and split easily using a fork.

Now the fun part. Power tools.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender until the soup is silky smooth. Taste test. If it cooked down too much and is a tad thick, add some liquid  {for extra creaminess use a dash of coconut milk- although- I didn’t add any extra “milk” and we loved the fresh, clean taste} and gently heat through for another ten minutes.