Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

By Alexandra Caspero on October 14, 2019
Squash, apples, onion, carrots simmered for hours then pureed with creamy coconut milk.
Serves 4-6

Looking for a simple butternut squash soup recipe? This butternut squash slow cooker soup is perfect for Autumn! Squash, apples, onion, carrots simmered for hours then pureed with creamy coconut milk.

Autumn soup season is the best season. I typically gravitate towards chunky, hearty soups this time of year but I couldn’t get the thought of creamy, silky butternut squash soup out of my mind these last few weeks. A sip-able soup that’s perfect for a quick lunch but made even better with grilled apple and cheese sandwiches and served for dinner.

As I’ve mentioned a hundred times in the past few months, we are currently kitchen-less. Undergoing a remodel has been exciting and fun, but also comes with the reality that our living room is our new kitchen. We’ve got a fridge in the corner, a card table with my Instant Pot, toaster and coffee machine and our bookshelf turned into a pantry, books still in their boxes. If I can make it in the slow cooker or IP, then we’re good. Otherwise, we rely a lot on no-cook meals and take out.

Thankfully, my craving for butternut squash soup also coincided with the fact that it needed to be butternut squash slow cooker soup. Simmered squash, apples, onions and carrots with vegetable broth then pureed with coconut milk at the end for a rich, delicious squash soup. Oh man, it’s incredibly decadent, delicious and perfect for Autumn.

butternut squash slow cooker soup

As I’ve got over 1,000 recipes on this site, I sometimes forget what things I’ve already made. I don’t post every recipe that comes out of my kitchen, and like most of you, I’ve got a rotating list of 15-20 favorite recipes that I come back to over and over again. That means many recipes are loved and lost, even when I don’t want them to be.

Looking back, I made this ginger apple butternut squash soup a few years ago for Thanksgiving and man, I totally forgot how much I loved that one. This recipe is similar, but not as ginger heavy and made in your crock pot! 

butternut squash slow cooker soup

How to Make Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

I’m pretty lazy these days. Being pregnant and having a toddler will do that to you, I suppose. That means 99% of the time, I buy pre-cut butternut squash. I know it only takes an additional 10 minutes to chop a squash and I know that I’m wasting ~$4 everytime I do it, but I can’t stop. When I’m in the store and think about having to go home and dice the squash, my hands automatically pick up the pre-cut bag. 😉 That being said, you could also use frozen butternut squash cubes in this recipe!

To balance the creamy squash, add in a tart apple, like a granny smith, to the mixture to simmer alongside the root vegetables. The tart apple helps cut through the rich soup while also providing just a hint of natural sweetness. Don’t skip it!

Most butternut squash bisque recipes use heavy cream but I’m always trying to cut down our dairy intake and find that I actually prefer the taste of coconut milk instead. Make sure to use canned coconut milk, the stuff in the carton or in the refrigerator section is too watered down to provide the creamy richness that canned provides.

Now, throw everything into your slow cooker and let it do it’s magic! You can make this on a stove top, but I love meals that I can assemble before heading into the office. When I get home, I just need an additional 5 minutes to puree the soup and ta-da! Dinner is served.

butternut squash slow cooker soup butternut squash slow cooker soupbutternut squash slow cooker soup

More Fall Soup Recipes: 

Sweet Potato Stew
Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup
Tuscan Kale Orzo Soup
Slow Cooker Tomato Soup
Carrot Ginger Soup 

If you like this slow cooker butternut squash soup recipe, then come back to leave a comment and give it a rating. Your feedback helps others and seeing you make my recipes makes my day. 

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butternut squash slow cooker soup

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: soup, healthy
  • Method: slow cooker
  • Cuisine: American, Vegan

Description

Looking for a simple butternut squash soup recipe? This slow cooker butternut squash soup is perfect for Autumn! Squash, apples, onion, carrots simmered for hours then pureed with creamy coconut milk. Vegan and Gluten-Free.


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: soup, healthy
  • Method: slow cooker
  • Cuisine: American, Vegan
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Category: soup, healthy
  • Method: slow cooker
  • Cuisine: American, Vegan
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 granny smith apple, roughly chopped (see notes)
  • 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt/pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
  • scant 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil a medium sauce pan, then add in onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes until softened. Add the apple, squash, carrots and spices and cook another 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. I do this in my Instant Pot so I can use the saute function, then switch to slow-cooker setting. Browning the vegetables first really gives so much more flavor and it’s worth it!
  2. If you aren’t doing this in a Slow-Cooker/Saute combo, then transfer to the base of a slow cooker and add the vegetable broth. Turn the slow cooker on and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.
  3. Before serving, transfer the contents of the slow-cooker to a blender and puree with coconut milk or add the coconut milk directly to the slow cooker and use an immersion blender to puree.

Notes

Granny Smith apples are tart and can’t be replaced; other apples don’t work the same way.

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If you love this butternut squash slow cooker soup, then you’ll love these other vegan slow cooker soup recipes: slow cooker tomato soup, slow cooker minestrone soup and slow cooker vegetable potato chowder

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Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Plant-Based Chef and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.

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    1. Cherie
      November 5, 2019 AT 4:59 pm

      I have been searching for a recipe to compare with some i was served in an upscale restaurant. I have finally found it. Only issue is I mistakenly added the incorrect amount of cayenne pepper. even with that mistake, it is a rich and creamy blend. I will make this again.

      1. Alex
        November 5, 2019 AT 5:00 pm

        So glad you liked it! Perfect for Fall!

    2. Connie
      November 2, 2019 AT 2:04 pm

      Hi Alex. Can you give me an estimate of either weight or volume of your butternut squash from the “medium” squash? Thanks!

    3. D H
      October 25, 2019 AT 10:52 am

      Oh my! This hit the spot tonight. With a house full of kids with sore throats and runny noses this was a good immunity booster. I added 1/2 tsp of fresh ginger to up the healing powers. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe.

      1. Alex
        October 26, 2019 AT 12:49 pm

        So glad you liked it!

    4. Acrora
      October 24, 2019 AT 3:31 am

      We’ve tried a lot of different butternut squash soups, but this is the best one we’ve tried!