Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup with Apple

✨Why you'll love this recipe?

• Easy as 1-2-3-4 recipe - As in chop the ingredients, throw them together in a slow cooker and cook, blend, and serve. Ta da!
• Gluten-free - this soup is naturally gluten-free. Just pure vegetable and fruit goodness combined with warm spices and aromatics.
• Simple, seasonal ingredients - butternut squash and apple are a fall staple and complement each other beautifully.

📋Recipe Ingredients

Here is what you will need to make this gluten-free, vegetarian soup:

• Butternut squash - You will need one medium-sized butternut squash. Peeling and cubing the squash can be some work, but it is worth it.
• Carrots and apple - These add the sweetness to the soup which is a unique taste and I absolutely recommend the sweet element. Any variety of apple will work. I have used a gala here.
• Aromatics - White onion and garlic add flavor to the soup. Feel free to adjust the quantities to your liking, but we don't want to add too much; otherwise, these can overtake the flavor profile.
• Spices - Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and pepper are all you need!
• Broth - Use a low-sodium vegetable broth to keep the soup vegetarian.
• Garnish - I love to serve this soup drizzled with some cream and fresh cracked black pepper.

Don't forget to check out the recipe card below for a complete list of ingredients along with the quantities.

👩‍🍳Steps to make this recipe

Here are step-by-step instructions for making this butternut squash and carrot soup with apple in a slow cooker.

Step 1: Peel and cube the butternut squash and chop the apple, onion and garlic (Image 1).

Step 2: Add all the chopped ingredients to the slow cooker (Image 2).

Step 3: To the vegetables, add the broth, ground cardamom, nutmeg, salt, and pepper (Image 3).

Step 4: Set the slow cooker to cook on high for 4 hours (Image 4) (or low for 6 hours).

Step 5: After the vegetables are completely tender, I blend the soup with a hand immersion blender (Image 5). Be very careful when blending hot liquids.

Step 6: Once the soup is smooth (Image 6), check and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot!

📖Substitutions, Additions and Variations

• Apple - instead of gala apples, you can use a tart variety like granny smith or whatever you have on hand. You do not need to peel the apple since we are going to blend everything together
• Frozen Butternut Squash - you can buy cubed butternut squash in the freezer section of most grocery stores. You can easily swap it for fresh butternut squash
• Broth - use chicken broth if you want to add some protein to this butternut squash carrot soup. I always recommend using a low-sodium broth
• Sage - sage flavor goes really well with fall squashes. Add a sprig of sage to the slow cooker along with all the other ingredients. Fish it out before you blend the soup
• Vegan - this recipe itself is vegan and gluten-free. If you skip the heavy cream garnish it stays vegan and I promise that you will not miss it
• Make it creamy - add ½ a cup of unsweetened coconut milk to the soup before you blend it
• Garnishes - there are so many possibilities. I have kept it simple with a drizzle of heavy cream, fresh cracked black pepper, and some thyme leaves. You can add toasted pumpkin seeds or walnuts, fresh herbs like chopped cilantro or sage, grated parmesan etc.
• Spicy - throw in a serrano pepper with the rest of the veggies when you start cooking the soup

Stovetop and Instant Pot Instructions

Stovetop Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add the carrot, apple, butternut squash, salt, black pepper, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
2. Add the vegetable broth and continue cooking on medium-high heat until the soup reaches a simmer. Then cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are all tender.
3. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Always be careful when blending hot liquids.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Ladle into bowls, add your favorite toppings, and serve hot.

Instant pot Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

1. Plug in your instant pot and press the "saute" button on medium. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil and add the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add the carrot, apple, butternut squash, salt, black pepper, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg and combine.
2. Cancel the "saute" mode and add the vegetable broth. Close the lid securely, press "pressure cook," and set the vent to “sealing.” Cook on high for 8 minutes, followed by a quick pressure release.
3. Open the lid and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. Always be careful when blending hot liquids.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Ladle into bowls, add your favorite toppings, and serve hot.

🫙Storage, freezing, and reheating instructions

If you have leftovers or if you make a double batch recipe (highly recommended), here's how you can store or freeze them:

• Storage - you can store the leftovers in a air tight container in the refrigerator for upto 5 days.
• Freezing - you can freeze leftovers for upto 3 months. You can either put them in a freezer proof container or in a freezer safe ziptop bag.
• Reheating—Reheat leftovers from the refrigerator in a microwave or a small saucepan on medium-high heat until heated through. Let the soup thaw in the freezer and reheat in the microwave or saucepan.

❓FAQ