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Tired of bland butternut squash soup? Give this one a try! Sweet and savory notes of fennel, pear, onion, ginger, and garlic make this Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup something special. Easy to make, and easy to love – it’s fast to prep and a flavorful vegetarian dish.

Banish The Bland – Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup With Fennel And Pear

Butternut squash soup is a fall staple. It’s healthy and easy to make, especially when made in the slow cooker. But let’s face it, when it comes to taste, butternut squash soup tends toward the 3Bs.

Boring, blah, and bland.

Recently, I set out to make a butternut squash soup that was anything but bland. In other words, a soup that my family and I would genuinely enjoy eating.

The result was this Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup with Fennel and Pear. A touch of sweetness from the pears, subtle anise flavor from the fennel, plus brighter aromatic notes from onion, garlic, and fresh ginger root make this a 3D soup.

Delicious, delectable, and divine.

It’s a scrumptious, savory soup that you, your family, and even your guests will truly enjoy.

This simple-to-make, surprisingly delicious butternut squash soup would make a wonderful first course for holiday meals. But it’s just as wonderful for weekday dinners or lunches.

And it all starts with the ingredients…

What Do You Need To Make Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup With Fennel And Pear?

Butternut Squash – Though the flavor is subtle, butternut squash makes a rich, creamy base for the soup when blended. You can use fresh or frozen cubes of squash.
Fennel – Raw fennel has a slightly sharp licorice flavor. When cooked, the taste becomes more mellow and savory. It’s a lovely complement to the squash and boosts the flavor profile. You’ll cut out the core and root of the bulb and discard the green fronds, using only the white part.
Pear – Ripe pears add another layer of flavor, enhancing the sweetness of the squash. Any variety of eating pear will work, just make sure they’re ripe. If you don’t have pears on hand, you can substitute an apple.
Onion – Any variety of yellow onion would be my preference, but you could also substitute white onions or shallots.
Ginger root – Fresh ginger adds a lovely, bright, and slightly spicy bite that does so much! If you want to bring that ginger flavor forward even more, add an extra inch or two of ginger root. Peeling ginger can be a little tricky. Scrape the edge of a spoon over the peel to remove it before slicing the root.

Garlic – Four cloves of garlic might seem like a lot, but trust me on this. Like the ginger, garlic adds a lot. And when it comes to aromatics and spice, slow cooking requires a lot of both.
Broth – I use vegetable broth for this soup. Doing so makes it vegetarian. But chicken would work nicely too. Homemade broth is my preference, but store-bought is fine too.
Kosher Salt – start with the recommended amount, then taste and adjust the seasoning to your preference.
Fresh Ground Pepper – same as with the salt
Plain Greek Yogurt – The yogurt is optional. It’s a nice addition if you’re trying to get more protein in your diet. You can either put a dollop on top or blend it into the soup at the end. But if you’re aiming for a vegan preparation, leave out the yogurt.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup without Cream

Oh, how I love a recipe that tastes terrific and is crazy easy to make! This one ticks off both boxes.

Really, the only time-consuming part of this recipe is peeling and chopping the ingredients. And that part won’t take much time at all – maybe fifteen minutes. Even less if you buy pre-cut butternut squash at the market, or use frozen squash.

Once the ingredients are ready, you just dump everything into the slow cooker crock (but leave out the yogurt, if you’re using it.) Then you turn on the slow cooker and walk away for a few hours.

When the time is up, blend the soup according to your preference. Go full-on smooth puree, or leave in a few chunks of veggies. It’s up to you.

My immersion blender is terrific for jobs like this, and one of my most-used kitchen tools. No mess, no fuss, no burned fingers. However, you can also blend the soup in batches, using a regular blender. Just wait until it cools down before you try it.

The last step is to taste the soup and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Don’t skip this part! Your preferences may be different than mine!

You can serve the soup as is, or add some Greek yogurt for extra protein and creamy texture. A dollop on top works great. You can also blend it into the whole batch, but be aware that it may not blend perfectly smoothly.

Don’t add yogurt to any portion of the soup that you might want to freeze later. Dairy products in soup can separate when thawed, giving you a grainy texture.

Butternut Squash Slow Cooker Soup with Fennel and Pear does freeze beautifully! Stored in an airtight container, it will freeze for up to three months.

Make some soon and freeze the extra. It’s great for quick winter meals or as a delicious first course for holiday dinners.