Description
A cozy, creamy, and easy-to-make butternut squash and apple soup prepared in a slow cooker. This recipe requires minimal prep time and delivers restaurant-quality flavor with simple, pantry-friendly ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Fuji), peeled and diced
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth (low-sodium)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or coconut milk (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables: Peel and cube the butternut squash into 1-inch pieces. Peel and dice the apples. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Sauté the aromatics (optional): Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until soft. Add garlic and ginger, cooking for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Combine in slow cooker: Transfer onions (or raw onions if skipping sauté) to the slow cooker. Add squash, apples, garlic, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Pour in broth.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours, until squash is fork-tender.
- Blend: Use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly in the pot, or transfer in batches to a countertop blender. Blend until smooth.
- Adjust and serve: Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or lemon juice. Stir in heavy cream or coconut milk if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
For a dairy-free version, use vegetable broth and coconut milk. If the soup is too thin, cook on HIGH for an additional hour to reduce. If too thick, add more broth. Do not boil after adding cream to prevent curdling. The soup freezes well for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6-7 hours (LOW) or 3-4 hours (HIGH)
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 800
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 32
- Fiber: 6
- Protein: 4
Keywords: butternut squash soup, crockpot soup, slow cooker recipe, fall dinner, vegetarian soup, healthy soup, apple soup, easy dinner