Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

By Alexandra Caspero on February 25, 2024
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 cold weather! Squash, apples, onion, and carrots simmered for hours and then pureed with creamy coconut milk.

Soup season is the best season. I typically gravitate towards chunky, hearty soups this time of year, but I haven’t been able to 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.

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 and delicious. If you love butternut squash, you are going to love this butternut squash soup!

See below for more details on how to make this soup, or scroll to the bottom for the full recipe card.

Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup

Butternut Squash Soup Ingredient Notes

  • Granny Smith Apple: I highly recommend using a tart apple, like Granny Smith, to help balance the natural sweetness of the squash. Other apples won’t work the same way.
  • Butternut Squash: I find the easiest way to prep butternut squash is by using a vegetable peeler to remove the skin quickly and then dice. You can also find pre-cut and cubed butternut squash in the produce section of most grocery stores.
  • Carrots: I like adding carrots for additional flavor and to balance the squash and apple.
  • Ground Cinnamon and Nutmeg: I know these sound like odd ingredients for a soup, but just a pinch adds warmth and depth to this soup.
  • Canned Coconut Milk: Canned coconut milk is a must for additional richness and a creamy texture. This is different than coconut milk beverage and is found in the pantry section of the grocery store. You can sub heavy cream or half and half if desired. Additionally, low-fat or light-canned coconut milk will work.
Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup

How to Make Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Saute the Onion and Garlic

For additional depth in this soup, you’ll want to saute the aromatics first. You can do this in the base of your slow cooker if it has a saute function, or on the stove.

Add in the apples, squash and carrots

Stir in the chopped vegetables and apple and saute another few minutes to just caramelize on the outside. Again, you can do this in your slow cooker or in a saucepan.

Transfer and Cook

If you are sauteeing on the stove, add the contents to the base of your slow cooker. Add the vegetable broth and cook until vegetables are tender and very soft, about 6 hours on low or 4 hours on high.

Puree and serve

Add in the coconut milk and puree using either an immersion blender or blender. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in batches. Serve, and garnish with fresh herbs and fresh cracked black pepper, as desired.

Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup

Variations

To make this a curry butternut squash soup, omit the spices listed here and instead add in 1 teaspoon of your favorite curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

For a vegetarian version, use heavy cream or half-and-half instead of canned coconut milk

To make this better for Thanksgiving and the holidays, top with crispy fried sage leaves and toasted pumpkin seeds instead of parsley. This one makes for a great side dish or holiday dinner appetizer!

Leftover roasted squash and carrots work in this soup as well. Omit the sauteing step and add directly to the slow cooker if using roasted squash.

Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup

Stove Top Directions

You can make this butternut squash soup on the stove! To do so, saute the onion and garlic as directed in a large soup pot or dutch oven.

Add the squash, carrots and apple and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until softened. Add in the broth and simmer for 45-60 minutes over low heat until vegetables are very tender and soft.

Blend, using an immersion blender or blender, then return to the pot and add in the coconut milk. Taste, adding more salt/pepper as desired then divide into bowls and serve.

Butternut 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. 

Print
Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup

Want to save this recipe?

Enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus, you’ll get new recipes from us each week.

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

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: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: soup, healthy
  • Method: slow cooker
  • Cuisine: American, Vegan
  • Diet: 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: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: soup, healthy
  • Method: slow cooker
  • Cuisine: American, Vegan
  • Diet: Vegan
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 6 hours
  • Total Time: 6 hours 15 minutes
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: soup, healthy
  • Method: slow cooker
  • Cuisine: American, Vegan
  • Diet: 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 and pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 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.
  2. Add the apple, squash, carrots, and spices and cook for another 3-4 minutes until lightly browned, then add the vegetable broth. (I do this in my Instant Pot so I can use the saute function and then switch to the slow-cooker setting. Browning the vegetables first really gives so much more flavor and it’s worth it!) If you aren’t doing this in a Slow-Cooker/Saute combo, transfer your sauteed vegetables to the base of a slow cooker and add the vegetable broth.
  3. Turn the slow cooker on and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 4 hours.
  4. 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.

did you make this?

Tag @delishknowledge on Instagram and hashtag it #delishknowledge

The Ultimate Plant-Based Protein Cookbook + Course

(Includes 40+ recipes!)

FREE 7-DAY COURSE + COOKBOOK

Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling 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.

(6 comments) leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    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!






Flipboard