Walking in to your house after a long day of work and having the smell of dinner simmering in your slow cooker welcoming you home is one of the Best. Things. In. The. World.
Especially when that dinner is butternut squash soup with curry and ginger on a crisp fall evening.
This soup is vegan, super creamy, paleo/whole30 compliant, and packed full of nutritious ingredients. You’re going to love it!
This butternut squash soup is so easy to prep a few days in advance. You can chop up all of your vegetables (butternut squash, onion, garlic, and fresh ginger) and add them to your slow cooker along with the spices (curry powder, coriander, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper).
Then, on the day you want to cook, just add a can of coconut milk and some vegetable or chicken stock to the crockpot and cook!
What a relief, after working hard during the day, to not have to stress about “what should I cook tonight?” or “what do I possibly have the energy to fix for dinner tonight besides toast?”
I cannot stress to you enough the importance of owning a slow cooker if you are a busy person who cares about eating home-cooked meals.
Once your slow cooker has done its thing and the vegetables are super tender, you’ll need to puree it.
You can use an immersion blender (which is what I used and is by far the easiest thing to do here) to blend it directly in the pot. If you don’t have one, you can puree the soup in batches in a standing blender, or you can even just use a potato masher for a more rustic consistency.
This slow cooker butternut squash soup is vegan, and it’s made creamy and rich by the addition of full-fat coconut milk and an awesome, flavorful combination of warming spices. It has ginger and turmeric in it, which have some amazing health benefits for digestion, to boost your immune system, and to fight off colds.
I like garnishing this soup with some tangy plain yogurt, fresh cilantro, and roasted squash seeds.
When I prepped the butternut squash, I reserved the seeds. To roast them, just toss with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, and spread evenly on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes and you’ll have a super crunchy, delicious snack and soup garnish!
If you like this slow cooker butternut squash soup with curry and ginger, you’ll love this Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup, this Moroccan Butternut Squash, Chickpea, and Spinach Stew, and this Butternut Squash, Browned Butter, and Rosemary Fettuccini Alfredo.
Here’s the printable recipe!
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup (with curry and ginger)
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash seeded, and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger roughly chopped (about a 2" piece)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- salt and pepper to taste
- 15 oz. canned coconut milk unsweetened, full-fat
- 2 cups chicken stock/broth or vegetable broth, plus more if needed
- cilantro, Greek yogurt, and/or roasted squash seeds for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (except for cilantro and yogurt) in a slow cooker.
- Heat on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4 hours, until squash is very tender.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup to a smooth consistency. (alternatively, you can use a regular blender in batches to process the soup). If soup is too thick, add some more chicken stock or some water.
- Garnish with cilantro and Greek yogurt (optional)
Notes
- If soup is too thin, which is unlikely unless you use a small butternut squash, leave cover off of slow cooker and continue cooking on high for a while until it's thickened (or transfer it to a pot on your stove to simmer uncovered for a faster option).
- To prep ahead: Peel and chop all the vegetables and add them along with the the spices to the slow cooker ahead of time. Keep in the fridge for up to a week or the freezer for up to six months until you are ready to cook (at which point, add vegetable stock and coconut milk)
- Freezer directions: You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the freezer for up to six months.
- You can make this soup on the stovetop as well. Just sauté the vegetables in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat until softened. Add the spices, stir to combine, and then add vegetable stock and coconut milk. Simmer on low for approximately 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Blend as instructed above.
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Rose Martine
This is amazing! We arent eating it for a couple more hours and I have yet to put in the coconut milk. But what I have tasted is awesome! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Christy
I made this and it was so yummy. I didn’t add any salt as the soup is so flavorful. Thank you for the recipe.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So happy you liked it!
Sue/theviewfromgreatisland
There is no better feeling than walking in the door to the scent of dinner already made — love this recipe!
Lois Jewell
Boy, I think this hits Lisa Vetne’s happy spot!