Healthy Crock Pot Soup with Pears and Squash

1. Place 2 tbsp olive oil in bottom of slow cooker. Turn slow cooker to medium heat.
2. Peel and chop squash into 2-inch cubes. Peel carrots and slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Peel, core and slice pears into 1-inch cubes. Finely dice 1/2 of a large yellow onion.
3. Add everything to slow cooker. Mince 3 cloves of garlic. Add to slow cooker.
4. Pour 2 cups of chicken stock and 1 cup of unsalted vegetable stock into slow cooker. Add cinnamon, maple, salt, and pepper to taste.
5. Cover and cook on medium heat setting for 4 hours, before returning to the keep warm setting.
6. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup if you desire a smoother consistency. Serve warm.
7. OPTIONAL: Just before serving, sauté the remaining half of the yellow onion. Slice the onion thinly and add 1 tbsp of butter to a small sauté pan on medium heat. Brown the onions for 10-12 minutes, reduce the heat to low, and add 1 tbsp of maple syrup. Use this as a garnish for the soup.

Notes:

1. A hubbard squash was used for this soup, but could easily be substituted by butternut or acorn squash.
2. Use d’Anjou or Bartlett as substitutes.