Ingredients
- 5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (or veggie broth)
- 2 cups butternut squash cut into 3/4 inch cubes (about 1/2 a small squash)
- 2 ribs of celery sliced
- 2 cups cauliflower cut into florets
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes with garlic (14.5 oz each)
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 large zucchini sliced and halved
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 head garlic
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 6 oz bag spinach
- 1/3 cup parsley diced
Instructions
- Combine everything, up to the garlic, in a large slow cooker (mine is 7 quarts) seasoning with salt.
- Cut the top off the garlic head, to expose the tips. Rub exposed tips with the oil. Wrap the garlic tightly in tinfoil and place into the center of the soup.
- Cook on HIGH until the vegetables are fork-tender - this took 3 hours in my slow cooker. It could take anywhere from 2-4 hours, depending on how hot your slow cooker runs.
- Remove bay leaves. Stir in the spinach and parsley and cook on LOW for another 30 mins to 1 hour, or until the spinach is wilted.
- Remove the garlic packet from the soup. Squeeze out the softened cloves and dice them. Stir as much as you'd like into the soup - adjusting to taste as you add. Add extra seasoning if required and serve.
