The 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Soup I Make on Repeat

As the temperature starts to dip, you can often find me whipping up a quick recipe in the slow cooker while I sip my morning coffee. There’s something special about the smell of a cozy meal floating through the house that signifies that autumn is on its way. Especially when that meal features a fall vegetable like butternut squash as the star!

This four-ingredient slow cooker butternut squash soup is easy yet hearty thanks to the addition of Italian sausage and a swirl of heavy cream. It’s as easy as it is delicious with most of the work done by the slow cooker.

Choosing the Right Squash

To keep this recipe simple, I call for frozen butternut squash that’s already been prepped, but fresh butternut squash is delicious when it’s in season. However, if you’ve ever tried cutting up a fresh butternut squash, then you know it can be frustrating.

The trick is to peel the entire squash before slicing it. Follow this helpful tutorial for all the details. Many grocers also carry diced butternut squash in the refrigerated produce section and that works great in this fall soup as well.

You can add acorn, delicata, Honeynut, or kabocha squash along with or in place of the butternut squash. If you use fresh squash in this recipe, it may take about 30 minutes longer to cook through.

Tips for Making My 4-Ingredient Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup

• Cook the sausage first: Technically, you can add the sausage raw to the slow cooker, but because it releases a lot of grease as it cooks, I don’t recommend it. It’s much easier to drain the grease from a skillet than a slow cooker, and all that extra fat doesn’t taste great in the finished soup.
• Skim the top: Even if you drain the grease from the cooked sausage properly, this soup still tends to gather a little extra fat on top. Simply use a spoon to skim off the excess before serving, but don’t worry about doing this perfectly. A little extra grease won’t affect the recipe.
• Don’t overcook the squash: As the butternut squash cooks, it becomes really tender, so if you want it to maintain its structure, don’t cook it longer than 3 1/2 hours on high or 5 hours on low. 

Serving Suggestions

I love to serve this soup with a big loaf of crusty bread. You can also serve it on top of wild rice or white rice. My family also loves to have this soup as a side with a warm grilled cheese or toasted turkey sandwich for dipping purposes, of course.

How To Make My 4-Ingredient Slow Cooker Butternut Squash and Sausage Soup

For six servings, you’ll need:

• 1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
• 13 ounces frozen cubed butternut squash (about 3 cups)
• 1 (32-ounce) carton chicken broth (such as Swanson)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• Optional toppings: pumpkin seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, and/or chopped parsley or sage

In a large skillet, brown the ground sausage over medium heat until no pink spots remain, about 5 minutes. Drain the grease into a separate container and toss it into the trash to dispose of properly once it’s cool.

Add the cooked sausage to the slow cooker along with the diced butternut squash, chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Cook in the slow cooker on high for 3 1/2 hours or low for 5 hours, or until the squash is tender.

Just before serving, gently stir in the heavy cream—don’t stir this soup too aggressively or the butternut squash may fall apart. It will still taste great, but won’t have the optimal texture. Serve with your favorite toppings alongside some crusty bread.

Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. 

Fun Variations

• To make this soup dairy-free, you can substitute the heavy cream with canned coconut milk or a plant-based cream alternative such as Califia Farms.
• Spice it up by choosing hot Italian sausage instead of sweet or by adding a few sprinkles of red pepper flakes.
• Sweet potatoes and carrots both make great additions to this soup as well. They’ll both add extra sweetness and starch for a more complex flavor and texture in the soup.
• About 5 minutes before the soup is done, stir in a big handful of baby spinach for even more veggie goodness.