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Easy Slow Cooker Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

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A creamy, savory, and slightly sweet butternut squash and apple soup made entirely in the slow cooker. This easy, hands-off recipe uses simple, whole ingredients and is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 medium butternut squash (about 2–3 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 medium apples (such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala), peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium recommended)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • For serving (optional): toasted pumpkin seeds, coconut milk or heavy cream, fresh thyme or parsley, crusty bread or grilled cheese

Instructions

  1. Prep your squash: Cut off both ends, cut in half where the narrow neck meets the bulbous bottom, peel with a vegetable peeler, cut in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and cut into 1-inch cubes.
  2. Prep the apples and aromatics: Peel, core, and chop apples into 1-inch pieces. Roughly chop onion and smash garlic cloves.
  3. Layer everything in the slow cooker: Place squash, apples, onion, and garlic in the slow cooker. Sprinkle salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (if using), and cayenne (if using) on top. Pour vegetable broth over everything. Do not stir.
  4. Cook low and slow: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or on HIGH for 3-4 hours, until squash is fork-tender.
  5. Blend until silky smooth: Turn off slow cooker. Use an immersion blender to puree soup directly in the pot until smooth. If using a regular blender, let soup cool 15 minutes, then blend in batches, filling blender no more than halfway and removing center cap to let steam escape.
  6. Taste and adjust: Stir and taste. Add more salt, cinnamon, or a squeeze of lemon juice if desired.
  7. Serve: Ladle into bowls. Top with a swirl of coconut milk, toasted pumpkin seeds, and fresh thyme. Serve immediately.

Notes

For a richer texture, stir in ½ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk after blending. If soup is too watery, simmer on stovetop for 15-20 minutes after blending to reduce. To make it a meal, stir in cooked white beans or shredded rotisserie chicken after blending. For deeper flavor, roast squash and apples at 400°F for 20 minutes before adding to slow cooker.

Nutrition

Keywords: slow cooker butternut squash soup, butternut squash apple soup, easy fall soup, vegan soup, gluten-free soup, dairy-free soup

Find it online: https://grubella.com/easy-slow-cooker-butternut-squash-and-apple-soup/