Directions:

1 tablespoon coconut oil (olive oil is fine if you don't have coconut)
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
3 tablespoons grated ginger
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 dried bay leaves
2 (15-ounce) cans pumpkin puree (or 4 cups homemade puree)
1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk, shaken
2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth (plus up to 1 cup more, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Hot chili powder, to serve, optional
Chopped fresh cilantro, to serve, optional
Coconut milk yogurt, to serve, optional

Method
Sauté the vegetables:
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and warm the coconut oil. Add the carrot, onion, and celery and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions start to become translucent. Stir often to avoid browning.

Add the ginger, garlic, and bay leaves and sauté for another couple of minutes.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Soup
Sabrina Modelle
Combine the sautéed veggies, pumpkin puree, coconut milk, vegetable broth, and salt in a 3-quart or larger slow cooker:
Cook on low for 4 1/2 hours or on high for 3 hours.

Remove bay leaves and use an immersion blender to purée the soup until very smooth:
Alternatively, puree the soup in a blender or food processor. Add extra stock if you'd like a thinner soup. Taste and add more salt if needed.

To serve:
I like to sprinkle on some hot Thai chili powder, fresh cilantro, and swirl in some coconut milk yogurt.