I wasn’t sure the Fall temperatures would EVER get here, but finally they have and I’m so thankful! Somehow it went from sweltering heat to frigid cold – just in time for Halloween and trick-or-treating. But now the temperatures are perfect! The last several days we’ve had crisp mornings and evenings with sunshine and a light breeze during the day. My idea Fall weather and the perfect soup weather!
Our family took a trip to Portland, Oregon last month. We love to visit New England in the Fall but wanted to see another part of the country this year. Having read that the colors are beautiful in Portland this time of year, we booked our trip and were really looking forward to it. It’s Oregon, so we were fully expecting some rain while we were there. But we didn’t realize it would rain nearly the whole time. Which was a bit of a bummer.
On top of that, Josh got sick day two – super unfortunate and made all things a bit more challenging. We did see some beautiful colors in the trees. We did make some special memories and overall I think the kids had a great time and we enjoyed the time together as a family. BUT with the rain and his sickness, I can’t say it was a trip for the books.
However, with the cooler temperatures and rain, it was perfect soup weather. And we ordered soup on several occasions for the kids. In general, I’m super hesitant to order meals for my kids at restaurants. If they don’t eat it, it’s wasted money. And I typically pick at it, eating more than I need. But soup seems to be a fairly safe choice, especially for my youngest, the pickier of the two. One of the soups we ordered was a creamy autumn squash and it was so good. The kids basically slurped it down. Anytime I order something and my kids love it, you better believe I’m going to try and recreate it at home.
Which is exactly what happened with this Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup. Inspired by the one my kiddos inhaled on the trip, it’s creamy and rich with the perfect blend of sweet and savory. It’s an adaption of a recipe I made several years ago, only this time I swapped up a few ingredients and made it crockpot friendly. Because let’s be real, things are crazy this time of year, right?! If I can prep dinner mid-morning, have it quickly come together in the evening AND my kids willingly eat it? 😱Automatic WIN for the day. Anyone relate?
I opted to keep it dairy-free and use coconut milk, but you could absolutely substitute half n half or heavy cream in place of the milk if that’s your preference. And typically I would have garnished it with pumpkin seeds for the photos, but I was out. 🤦🏼♀️SO I used sunflower seeds for the photos, but pumpkin seeds are definitely a better fit fo this one. And to hearty things up, we served it with a side kale salad and grilled cheese sandwiches – so good!
REASONS TO LOVE THIS CROCKPOT BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP:
- Creamy and rich, yet loaded with veggies
- Dairy-free / Vegan
- Crockpot friendly, so convenient!
- Perfect for dunking that crispy grilled cheese 😋
- Warm and cozy, my favorite things as Fall then Winter set in!
Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 7-8 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup sweet onion chopped
- 1 -2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 nutmeg
- 1/2 cup coconut milk full fat
- Garnish: extra coconut milk, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, fresh herbs, sprinkle of cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all ingredients, with exception of coconut milk, to crockpot. Stir and cook on low 4-5 hours, or high 2-3 hrs.
- Once ingredients have cooked, remove (in batches) and add to high-power blender, blend until a smooth, creamy consistency is reached.
- Add blended soup back to crockpot, stir in coconut milk, taste and add any additional salt, pepper, coconut sugar or spices to meet your preference.
- Highly suggest serving with grilled cheese! Enjoy!
Nutrition
Adapted from my Butternut Squash Soup.