This Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup with sweet pears a hint of ginger is vegan and dairy-free and so simple to make. Great as a starter or serve it as a meal with a salad or a sandwich.
Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup with Pear
I recently had dinner at my neighbor’s, and she made a butternut squash soup with hints of ginger and sweetness from pear. Her soup inspired this recipe, which is slightly adapted from this butternut squash soup. The results were wonderful – a perfect addition to your holiday table. For some other variations on butternut squash soup, try my Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Coconut Curry Butternut Squash Soup.
This is so easy to make, no need to peel the butternut squash. Just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and add it to the slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. Once it’s cooked, scoop the squash out with a spoon and toss the skin. An easy dump and go slow cooker recipe!
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup Ingredients
Butternut Squash: I cook the halved butternut squash along with the pears, shallot, ginger, and broth in a slow cooker. This method saves a lot of time and effort because it’s much easier to scoop the cooked squash out of the skin rather than peeling and dicing a raw squash.
Pears: I use Bartlett pears , which are generally the sweetest type of pear.
Coconut Milk: Coconut milk makes this butternut squash and pear soup even creamier and keeps it vegan and dairy-free. If you wish, you can also use cashew cream instead.
Nutmeg: I add a pinch of nutmeg for its warm, nutty flavor.
Blending soup with an immersion blender vs regular blender?
You can puree the cooked squash and pears with either an immersion blender or regular blender. If you’re using an immersion blender, you can do it right in the slow cooker until smooth which has less mess.
If you’d prefer to use a stand blender, you may need to puree in batches to ensure that the soup doesn’t explode in the blender. Cool the soup ingredients slightly and then fill the blender about halfway, remove the rubber stopper from the top, and cover with a towel before turning on.
How To Freeze
Let the soup cool then transfer to freezer safe containers. Freeze up to 6 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then heat in the microwave or stove.
What to Serve with Butternut Squash Soup
This butternut squash pear soup would be great with your favorite bread, or serve it with a salad or sandwich, such as this Open-Faced Turkey Melt. If serving as a starter for dinner, this soup would be delicious with a cozy fall entrée like Turmeric Roasted Chicken and Sweet Potatoes or Beef and Mushroom Ragu with Spaghetti Squash.
More Butternut Squash Recipes You’ll Love:
- Kale and Butternut Squash Salad with Pears and Almonds
- Stuffed Turkey Breasts with Butternut Squash and Figs
- Vegetarian Enchiladas with Butternut Squash and Black Beans
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Butternut Squash Gratin
Slow Cooker Butternut Pear Soup
Ingredients
- 2 lbs butternut squash, halved, seeds removed (1 medium)
- 2 small ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced
- 2 large shallot, quartered
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or 1-1/2 tbsp Better Bouillon w/water
- 1/2 cup coconut milk, plus more optional for garnish
- pinch nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the squash, pears, shallots, ginger and broth in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low for 8 hours or high 4 hours, until soft and cooked through, a knife should easily be inserted.
- Remove squash from skin and discard the peel.
- Stir in coconut milk and nutmeg.
- Blend in a blender or using an immersion blender until smooth.
- Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper and garnish with more coconut milk, if desired.
Great soup even us meat eaters love. Very rich and worthy of a fine restaurant. I’m going to try it as a side dish for Thanksgiving by pouring off the broth before hitting it with the immersion blender and turning it into a mashed butternut squash.
Used precut squash and 1/2 onion instead of shallots. Cooked 8 hours on low. Excellent.
I just made this recipe but with the spices from your Curry Butternut Squash Soup. Delicious. A great combination of the sweeter base recipe of this one (and the ease) and the Indian spices of the other.
What type of coconut milk should a person use? From tetra pack or canned?
Canned coconut milk
I made this using a 20 ounce package of already cubed squash. I added the nutmeg and salt in with the cooking of the vegetables. Also added 1 clove of garlic minced. Used lite coconut milk. Came out great. Quick and easy.
loved it! easy , I did not peel squash I used vitamin to puree
Perfect for fall. Fairly easy to make. I used a green butternut squash & red pears. The hardest part of the recipe is dealing with the squash. I used a cleaver to cut the squash. I used a 1.5 cup of spiced apple wine along with 1.5 cups of stock & the boullion. I didn’t have fresh ginger so I just grated fresh nutmeg. The squash peeled nicely. If I had more time I would pull it out & let it cool before pulling the skin off. After adding the half can of coconut milk, I ended up adding another 1.5 cups of stock so it wasn’t so thick. Added more nutmeg. The salt on this recipe is off. I added at least 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, some thyme, pepper, & red pepper flakes. I topped with roasted pumpkin seeds. Served with a gourmet cheese pizza. I loved the addition of the pears. Will definitely make again! Thank you!
Simple and delicious !!!
This is now a staple dish in our household!! So yummy!! I’m grateful to have a supermarket that sells cubed organic butternut squash as it makes the process a lot easier for me. We pair it with the turkey melts and everyone in the family loves it!
This is so good. I’ve been having it for breakfast this week! I only had canned pears on hand so I put them in right near the end. Delicious!
Unbelievable easy! For me, to pee the butternut squash I let it cool for about 10 mins and then the skins came off super easily. I don’t have an immersion stick blender [actually, I do but have NO idea where it is] so just did two batches in the blender and then back into the pot for a few mins. So, so delicious and will def be making again!
OMG! This is the best soup ever and my new favorite! It’s so easy to make as well! I see batches of this being made on a regular rotation for lunches during the week (only because it’s too healthy for the husband). 🙂
One of the best butternut squash soups ever! Shared some with my neighbor and how she is also obsessed with this soup. Thanks Gina, all your recipes are amazing!
This is one of my favorite soups for Fall!!!!
OMG. So delicious. So healthy. I never cook with coconut milk bc of high calories. But one cup for the whole pot works perfectly and brings such a creamy texture to the butternut squash soup while the pears bring a touch of sweetness. I will be making it again.
What would the timing be if I used an instant pot instead of a slow cooker to cook the whole soup?
Super yummy. I added wild ride and andouille sausage
Easy and delicious. Added a little bit of ground cayenne pepper which gave it a nice bite!
Made this for our Christmas soup. I made some modifications though. I cooked the first part of the recipe in my Instant Pot for 10 minutes on High with a natural release. Then peeled the squash and transferred all to a pot to simmer on the stove following the remaining directions given. I did add a bit more salt to taste and a little maple syrup to add a bit of sweetness. Delicious! Thanks for an other wonderful receipt from Skinny Taste!
Delicious! I made the recipe as-written, but added a green apple (diced) at the beginning to add acidity. My only issue was that, after the butternut squash was cooked, it was very hard for me to get the skin off without taking too much of the squash puree with it or tearing the skin into tiny pieces- I ended up using forks and spoons and made a bit of a mess. Next time, I will peel the squash before I make the soup but otherwise delicious! Serving with rosemary no-knead bread.
Another Delicious skinny taste recipe! I used lite coconut milk and ground ginger instead of fresh. Tasted great and perfect for fall
Didn’t love this. Way too thin; I may have been overzealous with the blender and I used light coconut milk, so maybe that was part of the problem. It also
Seemed to have a slightly bitter taste.
Where did all my SAVED recipes go? Can’t find them and Relish says I have no saved recipes, frustrating
Hmmm, I would reach out to relish and ask!
Amazingly simple and delicious.
I made it and it was too sweet! Had to add some lemon juice when eating it!
Delish and so simple!
This dish was absolutely delicious!! Love trying new recipes! The flavors are perfection!
Can you make this in the insta pot?!
So I am making this tonight, do I blend all ingredients.. shallots included?
Yes, look in the narrative for blending tips if needed. 🙂
I’m assuming unsweetened coconut milk?
How long can I keep the soup in the refrigerator before freezing?
I am allergic to all coconut/nut/soy based milk. Can I use skim milk for this? What would be the best dairy based milk you would recommend?
This is so yummy! I meal prep it for my lunches and it keeps well. Thank you!
Made this for several of my friends as we all wanted to try it but our husbands weren’t too keen on the idea. It turned our great! It would make an awesome starter course or as suggested, paired with a sandwich or salad for a light dinner. Very low maintenance for the prep and easy at the completion too. Will go into my rotation when we need “something different”.
Not vegan with Chicken broth in it.
I use veggie broth or better than bouillon roasted vegetables.
I added some apple cider vinegar to brighten it up a bit – it was divine!
Whoever recommended adding a dash of apple cider vinegar is a genius. It’s exactly what the recipe needed.
Great idea! I’m making tomorrow! Did you add apple cider vinegar during the crocking or afterwards??
Thank you!
Took advice and added apple cider vinegar. Game changer!
I made this wonderful soup for guests – we all loved it!!! It is so easy to prepare and the skin on the butternut squash comes off so easily. Delicious – one of my favorites!!!
I made this soup today. It’s cold, snowy, and slippery outside! Warm and toasty inside with this wonderful soup topping off the day❤️
I made this soup today and it came out beautifully, although I did not get six 1-1/4 c servings. It was more like four. I used one large pear. Perhaps I needed to use 1/2 of a second one. In any event, the soup is delish!
Cooking this right now and it smells heavenly. I’ll update after we eat, but posting now will help me remember! My husband needs to eat a low FODMAP diet, and unfortunately the fructans in garlic and onions are the worst offenders, so I omitted the shallot but added in a Tbsp of fodmap-friendly garlic infused olive oil. I also subbed the vegetable Better Bouillon for the Roasted Chicken since it is onion/garlic free.
I think you could use either. I am using canned.
Really great recipe, made it twice in 3 weeks! Preferred tonight’s batch—I used comice pears instead of bartlett. But both times, the soup turned out great!
This was excellent!! I used half of a yellow in place of the shallots – only change I made. Slightly sweet, nutty with use of fresh grated nutmeg, and filling! Put together your open faced Turkey melt sandwiches, but with some cooked chicken breast. Added a few chopped pecans! Skipped the red onion, but used some onion powder, a shake of cinnamon and a shake of sage mixed into the light mayonnaise. The Havarti just makes this sandwich!! Thanks, Gina, for yet another fantastic meal! When folks turn up their nose when I say ‘I do WW,’ I laugh – we eat like royalty, thanks to you!!
Should have remembered that I’m not a fan of ginger prior to making this soup. Also the soup was gritty almost crunchy possibly from the pears?? I love all the recipes I cook with Skinny Taste, just not a fan of this one. Please don’t be offended you are a fantastic cook and I use your recipes all the time!!
I added green apples to mine and it was absolutely delicious. It’s now one of my favorite homemade soups.
What kind of coconut milk? In the can or refrigerated coconut milk?
I think you could use either. I am using canned.
This is a very elegant soup bursting with complex flavors. Hard to believe it was so simple to make with just a hand full of ingredients. Wonderful cold weather soup.
This soup is delicious!! The taste of the pear with the hint of coconut milk, such a nice combination. My husband and I really enjoyed it! Thank you Gina.
So easy and yummy. Subbed 2 green apples for the pears and half an onion for the shallots. Came out great!
Very yummy & light! Thanksgiving eve 2020 appetizer!
I made this today, but instead of putting in the slow cooker, I placed the squash in the oven for an hour @ 350 the day before. I then peeled the squash after it cooled. I fried the onion in canola oil with powdered ginger (1/4 tsp) until onion soft, added baked squash & broth and brought to slow boil for 30 min. I then proceeded to follow the recipe and blend, it still came out very good with less time. It was good with oyster crackers too! Thank you for the recipe!
AMAZING!!!!!
can we use almond milk as a substitute for coconut milk? Is there a substitution?
You can, it just won’t be as creamy.
This is a great recipe. However, it is rather bland. Good thing – it can be adjusted to individual tastes. I made it per recipe the first day, but then on reheating added some Serrano peppers on a slow burner. I think adding some heat on the original cook would be welcome for those of us who like a bit of “heat.”
I agree a bit bland. My first serving I shook in some garlic powder. I might try roasted garlic tomorrow. Or some people said apple cider vinegar. Other wise a good thick creamy soup.
ANOTHER BIG HIT!!!!! I threw it all in the crockpot night before, left it on low all day, and came in from work; immersion blended and dinner ready!! I admit I skinned the squash before I put it in, so no scooping required. I also threw in a diced, peeled yellow apple for more fruity taste. So yummy!! Thank you. I have searched for the right butternut soup. THIS is the winner! Happy Thanksgiving, Gina!
Thanks Colleen! You too!
Oh my, oh my, oh my! I am torn between wanting to have everyone taste this and greedily saving it all for myself!
Changes: I used a 16 oz. package of refrigerated pre-cut butternut squash, and used half a yellow onion instead of shallots. That’s it. This is the most fabulous soup I have ever tasted!
Delicious. Great idea to just cook squash with the skin. Easy to peel after it’s cooked.
I’ll definitely make this again
yes!
Hey Gina, I accidentally put all the ingredients into the slow cooker (coconut milk, nutmeg and salt, which should be added after the coking process) will this still work out and taste fine? I hate to waste food.
Did it still work? Because I just did the same thing!
Same mistake here. Did yours turn out ok?
I did the same thing, did it turn out ok?
Saw this on Instagram this morning and had everything needed. Tossed the ingredients in the crockpot and it is delicious! So easy! Thank you – another winning recipe
So glad you liked it as much as we did!!
I just did this as well 🤦♀️ Hope it turns out ok!
Has anyone tried this in a pressure cooker? Just wondering how It turned out
This looks wonderful! Could I substitute a 10 ounce bag of frozen butternut squash for the fresh squash used in this recipe or would I need a larger? or smaller? bag. Thanks.
10 to 11 sounds about right
Can you use frozen butternut squash?
Can we use the instant pot for this?
Such a simple and easy recipe. I made 1 1/2 times the recipe since I had a large butternut squash. I let puree mixture sit in the slow cooker for about 2 hours after I pureed it and added all the seasons. The soup was delicious ,my family loved it. We served it alongside grilled cheese sandwiches.
We made this using an Instant Pot and it turned out great. I peeled and quartered the squash and cooked it with the pear, shallots, ginger and broth on high for 20 minutes and then let it natural release for 10 minutes before immersion blending it with the coconut milk and nutmeg.
Just followed your lead and it turned out great!
I forgot to setup my slow cooker with the ingredients, so I was really happy to find IP tips in the comment section, thanks for posting the details! The soup turned out delicious.
Looks delicious – Do you use canned coconut milk or the milk-alternative type in a carton? Thank you!
canned full fat
What about using IP instead of slow cooker? And have you tried it as a cold soup?
Can you use pre-chopped fresh butternut squash in the soup? If so how would you adjust the cooking time.
Thank you,
Joan
I was wondering the same thing.
I saw this recipe pop up on Instagram today and it reminded me I had a butternut squash waiting to be prepared and some persimmons going bad. I immediately made it, but replaced the pear with persimmon and added a few carrots since my squash was nowhere near 2 lbs. Lastly, I didn’t have the coconut milk, so I made cashew cream. I know that’s a lot of changes to Gina’s recipe, but I can’t get over how good it is. It was inspired by her recipe, and still deserves 5 stars. This is much creamier than some of the other soups I’ve made and mine turned out to be 2 points (blue) and made 4 servings. Yum!
Love!
Wow great additions and substitutes!