Easy Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup is the fall dinner that basically makes itself while you handle everything else. You peel and chop in the morning, dump it all in the slow cooker, and by dinnertime you have a creamy butternut squash soup that tastes like it took a lot more effort than it actually did.
Easy Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
What I love most is how short the ingredient list is. Seven things, and one of them is salt and pepper. The cream cheese gets blended in at the end and turns this into one of the best butternut squash soup recipes I make all season, with no heavy cream and no pot to babysit on the stove. Of all the butternut squash recipes, soup is the one that shows up most often in our house once the weather turns.
Ingredients & Equipment
- Butternut squash
- Onion
- Vegetable broth
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Cream cheese
- Salt and pepper
Full measurements for each ingredient can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
You’ll also need a few things from your kitchen:
- Slow cooker
- Vegetable peeler
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoons
- Liquid measuring cup
- Blender or immersion blender
- Ladle
Step By Step Directions
This recipe makes 6 servings. It takes 15 minutes of prep time and 6 hours and 30 minutes of cook time.
Step 1. Combine the diced butternut squash, chopped onion, vegetable broth, dried basil, and dried oregano in the bowl of your slow cooker. Stir everything together so the herbs are mixed through.
Step 2. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. The squash should be soft enough to break apart with a spoon.
Step 3. Transfer the cooked ingredients to a blender along with the softened cream cheese. Blend until completely smooth.
Step 4. Return the blended soup to the crockpot and cook on low until it’s warmed all the way through. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
How to Make Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
Roasted butternut squash soup has a deeper, slightly sweeter flavor, and it’s an easy upgrade if you have an extra half hour. Toss the diced squash and onion with a little olive oil, spread them on a sheet pan, and roast at 400°F for 25 to 30 minutes until the edges start to brown.
Add the roasted squash and onion to the slow cooker with the broth and herbs, then cook on low for 3 hours instead of 6. Everything is already tender, so you’re really just letting the flavors come together. Blend with the cream cheese the same way.
I make the roasted version when we have company coming and the slow cooker version on a regular Tuesday. Both are good, one just takes more of your attention.
Panera Butternut Squash Soup Copycat
If you came here looking for the Panera butternut squash soup, the one you’re thinking of is officially called their Autumn Squash Soup. It’s a blend of butternut squash and pumpkin with warm spices, apple juice, and sweet cream, finished with pumpkin seeds on top. It shows up on the menu in the fall, though the refrigerated cups are in the grocery store year round for around $7.
This recipe is the savory version, with basil and oregano instead of spices and apple. If you want to take it in the Panera direction, here’s what I’d change: leave out the basil and oregano, cut the broth back to 2 1/2 cups, and add 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of apple juice, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to the slow cooker. Blend in the cream cheese the same way, then swirl a little heavy cream into each bowl and top with toasted pumpkin seeds.
It’s sweeter than what I usually make, and my kids like it that way. Worth knowing you can have it in November without the seasonal menu deciding for you.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
To make this butternut squash soup in the Instant Pot, add the squash, onion, broth, and herbs to the pot and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let it natural release for 5 minutes, then quick release the rest.
Add the cream cheese and blend right in the pot with an immersion blender, or transfer to a regular blender. Start to finish it’s about 30 minutes instead of 6 hours, which is nice on a night when you forgot to start the slow cooker.
Variations
- Butternut squash soup with coconut milk. Swap the cream cheese for a can of full fat coconut milk. This is my go-to when we have someone dairy free at the table.
- Vegan butternut squash soup. Use the coconut milk swap above with vegetable broth and the whole recipe is vegan.
- Curried butternut squash soup. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of curry powder with the broth and leave out the oregano.
- Spicy butternut squash soup. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne or a chopped chipotle pepper before blending.
- Butternut squash sweet potato soup. Replace about a third of the squash with peeled, diced sweet potato for a sweeter, thicker soup.
- Healthy butternut squash soup. Skip the cream cheese entirely and blend in a peeled, diced apple instead. It still comes out creamy from the squash itself.
- Savory butternut squash soup. Add a couple of cloves of minced garlic and a sprig of fresh thyme to the slow cooker.
- Add protein. Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken after blending, or top each bowl with crumbled bacon or browned sausage.
- Toppings that actually make a difference. Toasted pumpkin seeds, a swirl of cream, croutons, or a handful of shredded sharp cheddar.
Leftovers & Storage
Store leftover butternut squash soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This one genuinely tastes better on day two, so I usually make it the night before I plan to serve it.
It freezes well for up to 3 months. The cream cheese can separate a little when it thaws, so reheat it slowly on the stove and whisk while it warms and it comes right back together. I freeze it in individual portions for lunches.
Tips & Tricks
- Buy the pre-cut squash. Most grocery stores sell butternut squash already peeled and cubed. It costs a couple dollars more and saves you the hardest 10 minutes of this recipe.
- Let the cream cheese sit out. Softened cream cheese blends in smoothly. Cold cream cheese leaves little white specks that never fully disappear.
- Don’t fill the blender past halfway with hot soup. Steam builds up fast. Work in batches and leave the center cap off the lid with a towel over the opening.
- An immersion blender skips the transfer entirely. Blend right in the slow cooker if you have one.
- Salt at the end, not the beginning. Broths vary a lot in how salty they are, and you won’t know what the soup needs until it’s blended.
- Adjust the thickness with broth. Add it a quarter cup at a time until it’s where you want it. It’s much easier to thin soup than to thicken it.
- Cut the squash into even pieces. About one inch cubes. Uneven pieces mean some are mushy while others are still firm.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use frozen butternut squash? Yes, and it works well. Add it to the slow cooker straight from the freezer without thawing and cook it the same amount of time. Frozen squash releases a little more water, so you may want to start with 2 1/2 cups of broth instead of 3.
Can I make this dairy free? Absolutely. Replace the cream cheese with one 13.5 ounce can of full fat coconut milk, added right before blending. The soup comes out just as creamy and the coconut flavor is much milder than you’d expect.
Do I have to use a blender? No. An immersion blender works great and saves you a dish. If you don’t have either one, you can mash the squash with a potato masher for a chunkier, more rustic soup. Just soften the cream cheese well and stir it in slowly.
My soup is too thin. How do I fix it? Take the lid off the slow cooker and cook on high for 30 minutes to let some liquid cook off. You can also blend in a few tablespoons of instant mashed potato flakes, which thickens it without changing the flavor.
Can I make this ahead of time? Yes, and I recommend it. Make it up to 3 days ahead, refrigerate, and reheat on the stove over medium low heat or in the slow cooker on low for about an hour. The flavor improves overnight.
Can I use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth? You can, and it makes the soup a little richer. Use the same amount. Just know it won’t be vegetarian anymore if that matters for who you’re feeding.
More Easy Soup Recipes
- Crockpot Ham and Bean Soup
- Crockpot Loaded Baked Potato Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Crockpot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash peeled and diced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine the diced butternut squash, chopped onion, vegetable broth, dried basil, and dried oregano in the bowl of your slow cooker. Stir everything together so the herbs are mixed through.
- Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. The squash should be soft enough to break apart with a spoon.
- Transfer the cooked ingredients to a blender along with the softened cream cheese. Blend until completely smooth.
- Return the blended soup to the crockpot and cook on low until it's warmed all the way through. Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Notes
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