Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup Recipe | Crockpot Soup (2024)

FAQs

How do you make butternut squash soup less bland? ›

How do you make butternut squash soup less bland? The key is to season it correctly. I use ground sage and nutmeg which both enhance the flavors of butternut squash and bring out its natural sweetness. Stir in full-fat coconut milk to make this soup extra-creamy, and don't forget the salt and pepper!

You can eat the skin, so there's no need to peel it. Simply halve it, scoop out the seeds and chop it into chunks, then roast it and add it to a warm winter salad or throw it into curries, stews or soups. You can also roast the seeds and eat them as a snack or sprinkled over a finished dish.

Many slow cooker dishes are just as good the day after, before the flavors have had time to blend together. Due to the nature of a slow cooker, there is no need to stir the food unless it specifically says to in your recipe.

Cornstarch is a great option as it is a natural thickening agent, but you'll want to be careful about how much you use. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch whisked together with cold water to create a slurry. Then, gradually add the slurry to the soup, letting it boil for one to two minutes before adding more.

"Ground paprika, turmeric, nutmeg, ground ginger, and other powdered spices add a touch of color and spiciness to broths," she says. As a general rule, use fresh herbs at or near the end of cooking and dried herbs and spices early on. This helps you get the flavors you're looking for in the right balance.

According to the horticulture experts at Iowa State University, "butternut squash are mature (ready to harvest) when the skin is hard (can't be punctured with the thumbnail) and uniformly tan in color." If the skin is easy to pierce, the squash is not ripe and will taste starchy, flavorless, and sometimes even bitter.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

Generally, butternut squash is safe to feed to most pooches, unless your vet has advised otherwise. As a guide, we would recommend feeding small dogs no more than 1 or 2 teaspoons of butternut squash, whilst bigger dogs can eat up to 3 or 4 tablespoons of butternut squash.

A rubber mallet can help, if you have one, to gently push the knife through difficult thick spots. Using a very sharp vegetable peeler, one with a carbon steel blade, will help with the peeling. By the way, it helps to microwave a butternut squash (whole) for 30 seconds or so first, before peeling.

"When a slow cooker is too full, it may not heat the food evenly," explains Leal. As a result, some parts of the dish may overcook, while others remain undercooked. "This can also increase the risk of foodborne illness, because the food might not reach a safe temperature throughout," she says.

How long can you leave soup in a crockpot on low? ›

Stick to the cook time indicated on your recipe

Most slow cooker meals take 8-12 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high, but there are also recipes for slow-cooked meat that take up to 24 hours. If you want to avoid overcooking your dish, follow the given guidelines as closely as possible.

That's because the low, slow style of cooking lets the flavors simmer together for hours, creating a much richer and more flavorful meal.

Why does my butternut squash soup taste bitter? The growing conditions of the gourd can impact the taste of the flesh. This may cause an elevated production of cucurbitacin in the squash, resulting in a slightly bitter taste. You can balance it with a little bit of salt and sweetener like honey or pure maple syrup.

The flesh of the squash is soft and tender—perfect for a smooth pureed soup. Why is my butternut squash soup gritty? Under-cooked squash will make this soup more gritty than smooth. Make sure all of your vegetables (and fruits) are very tender before blending and you'll have effortlessly creamy soup every time.

If the squash is undercooked, even blending it in the food processor won't get totally smooth. How do I make butternut squash soup creamy? Blending the soup will make it creamy.

If a soup is tasting bland in the bowl, consider adding acid rather than salt. A squeeze of lemon or lime, or a dash of yogurt or sour cream can add brightness to the bowl. Our Lemony Chicken Soup will make your mouth water.

Not enough depth: A well-rounded soup has multiple layers of flavour, including acidity, umami, and sweetness. If your soup is missing any of these, it may taste bland. Adding ingredients like vinegar or lemon juice for acidity, parmesan cheese for umami, or even a touch of sweetness can make a world of difference.

No doubt, squash's flavor issues stem from the fact that it's mostly water. Being as much as 95 percent H2O, it's no surprise that it tastes a lot like water, which is to say, bland.

Add a few spoons of rice flour and let it cook for a while. Add more to taste if not thick enough. As Alice Twain says, don't keep adding water. Or, you can make soups using a stock instead of water: vegetable, chicken or a meat or fish stock.