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This Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup is loaded with flavor from garlic, ginger, coconut milk, and Thai Red Curry Paste! And this soup that can be vegan has only 17 net carbs per serving, so it’s not that huge of a splurge on carbs.

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Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup shown in serving bowl on green napkin.

I love this Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup, and there’s a good reason why there are so many butternut squash soup recipes! I think it’s all about the way the slightly nutty flavor of butternut squash gets along well with so many other flavors.

In this butternut soup recipe, first the cubed squash cooks in the slow cooker in a little vegetable stock until it’s soft. Then it’s pureed and cooked a little longer with onion, garlic, ginger, Coconut milk, Thai Red Curry Paste, and peanut butter, with a tiny touch of fish sauce (or vegetarian fish sauce) and sweetener to complete the Thai flavor notes.

Even though I adore butternut squash, I haven’t used it in soup that much, but this soup is one I’ll be making over and over again. And my nephew and cooking assistant Jake is not really a winter squash fan, but he gobbled up the soup as well.

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

Will pre-cut butternut squash work for this soup?

I’m not normally a fan of the pre-cut butternut squash (and I even wrote a post about How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash.) But for this Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup, the pre-cut squash is fine and it will help get this into the slow cooker much more quickly.

Is this Butternut Squash Soup an authentic Thai Recipe?

I’m not claiming this soup is an authentic Thai recipe, but it does have lots of ingredients used in Thai cooking like garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, coconut milk, red Thai curry pasts, and fish sauce.

What if you don’t want cilantro in the Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup?

This soup is finished with fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro, which I think is just the right addition, but omit the cilantro or use thinly sliced green onion if you’re not a cilantro fan.

Can you make Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup a vegan recipe?

If you want a soup that’s vegan, just use vegan “fish sauce” for this recipe. You could also switch out the fish sauce for soy sauce if that’s easier.

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Peanut Soup process shots collage found on KalynsKitchen.com

How to Make Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Put 2 lbs. of butternut squash cubes into the slow cooker with 1 cup vegetable stock, season with salt and pepper, and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the squash is soft.
  2. Use a food processor, blender, or IImmersion Blender (affiliate link)to puree the squash. (An immersion blender is by far the easiest; be careful with the hot squash if you use a food processor or blender.)
  3. Heat the oil and saute the onion in a frying pan until it’s well browned. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and diced red bell pepper and cook about a minute more. (Bad blogger; forgot to take a photo of that!)
  4. Then add the coconut milk, Thai Red Curry Paste, and peanut butter, and heat, stirring, just until the peanut butter and curry paste are dissolved into the coconut milk. Add the sweetener and fish sauce (affiliate link).
  5. Stir the coconut milk mixture into the squash, turn the slow cooker to low, and cook about one hour.
  6. Then stir in the chopped cilantro (or green onion) and lime juice and cook about 15 minutes more.
  7. Serve the Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup hot, garnished with chopped peanuts, more chopped cilantro, and a dash of Sriracha Sauce if desired.

More ideas for Butternut Squash:

You can use My Favorite Winter Squash Recipes to see more of my butternut squash faves!

Cropped image of Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup on green napkin with spoon.

More Meatless Soups You Might Like:

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
Yield: 8 servings

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 35 minutes

Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup is so delicious and this vegan soup is loaded with Thai flavors and easy to make in the slow cooker.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. peeled and cubed butternut squash
  • 1 cup vegetable stock (see notes)
  • salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1 tsp. minced ginger root
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and finely chopped
  • 1 14 oz. can coconut milk
  • 2 T Thai Red Curry Paste
  • 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (without added sugar)
  • 1 T granulated Monkfruit Sweetener
  • 2 tsp. Fish Sauce (see notes)
  • 2 T fresh-squeezed lime juice
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro (see notes)
  • extra chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts for serving (optional)
  • Sriracha Rooster Sauce for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Peel the butternut squash and cut into cubes if you’re starting with a whole squash.  (Here’s How to Peel and Cut Up a Butternut Squash if you haven’t done it.)
  2. Put the squash cubes and vegetable stock into the slow cooker, season squash generously with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the squash is soft enough to mash easily.
  3. When it’s soft, use a food processor, blender, or Immersion Blender (affiliate link) to puree the squash, being careful with the hot food.
  4. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add onion and saute until well-browned, about 8 minutes. Add the minced garlic, minced ginger, and diced red bell pepper and saute about a minute more.
  5. Then add the coconut milk, Thai Red Curry Paste, and peanut butter and heat just until the curry paste and peanut butter is melted into the coconut milk.  Add the sweetener and fish sauce (affiliate link).
  6. Stir the coconut milk mixture into the pureed squash, turn slow cooker to low and cook for 1 hour more.
  7. Stir in the chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice and cook about 15 minutes more.
  8. Serve hot, garnished with more chopped cilantro and chopped peanuts if desired.  If you’d like more heat, shake in a little Sriracha Sauce.
  9. I am assuming this freezes well.  (I have some in the freezer but haven’t thawed it yet.)

Notes

You need about a 5-Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this recipe, although it can be slightly smaller.

Vegetable broth from a can is fine for this recipe. For the most carb-conscious version, use a peanut butter without added sugar. I buy Adams 100% Natural Peanut Butter (affiliate link).

Use thinly-sliced green onion if you're not a cilantro fan.

If making a Vegan version use vegan “fish sauce”, or replace with soy sauce if you’re not a fan of fish sauce.

Recipe created by Kalyn and Jake.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 282Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 0mgSodium 523mgCarbohydrates 23gFiber 6gSugar 6gProtein 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

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© Kalyn Denny
Category: Soups & Stews
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup shown in square bowl with napkin and spoon.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup recipe has 17 net carbs per serving, so it’s probably not low enough in carbs for strict low-carb eating plans, but not a huge splurge for people who are just trying to be moderate with their carb intake. Butternut squash is limited to Phase 2 or 3 for the original South Beach Diet, and if you’re making  for South Beach they would recommend light coconut milk, natural peanut butter, and using an approved sweetener.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Butternut Squash Soup made in the slow cooker was first posted in 2013. It was last updated with more information in 2025.

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