Name: Butternut Squash Soup | Slimming World Syn Free
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: Low calorie cooking spray or a little olive oil; 1 onion (, roughly chopped); 3 garlic cloves; 1 potato (, peeled and cubed); 1 medium butternut squash (, peeled and roughly chopped); 1 tsp mild curry powder; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp ground ginger; ½ tsp paprika; ½ tsp salt; 1 bay leaf (LEAVE OUT IN SOUP MAKER); 750 ml | 3 cups vegetable stock ((broth)); Salt and pepper to season; 125 ml / 1/2 cup coconut milk or dairy milk ((fat free for SW version)); Cream to drizzle (*do not use on SW); 2 tsp mixed seeds ((Healthy Extra B)); 1 small slice wholemeal bread; dried chilli flakes

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This delicious Butternut Squash Soup is healthy, comforting and super-easy to make.

Read my tips on how to flavour and choose your favourite soup making method: Stovetop, Slow Cooker, Instant Pot and Soup Maker instructions included. This squash soup is Vegan / Vegetarian, slimming friendly and Gluten Free.

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Bowl of Butternut Squash Soup garnished with seeds and croutons

It’s no secret that I LOVE butternut squash. I need no prompting to sneakily add it to loads of my recipes from beef stew to pasta dishes.

Naturally I also adore butternut squash soup – it’s so comforting, delicious and easy to make. And super healthy too, of course!

Everyone needs to have this simple recipe memorised because it is one of the easiest soups to customise. Read my tips on how flavour your soup whether you like it spicy, creamy, vegan or dressed up!

INGREDIENTS

This is what you will need for your basic vegan butternut squash soup which is also SW Free – read my tips on how to make it your own.

Butternut Squash (a.k.a butternut pumpkin) – use one medium fresh butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped. For ease you can buy fresh ready peeled squash or frozen squash. Other types of pumpkin can also be used except perhaps Halloween pumpkins which tend to be very watery and bland tasting.
Onion and garlic
Your choice of spices /herbs (see below)
Potato – this adds body and creaminess to the soup. You can also use sweet potato instead if preferred. I sometimes add a handful of cooked vacuum packed chestnuts for a festive version of this recipe.
Bay leaves – remember to take this out before blending the soup!
Vegetable stock (broth) – I usually use Kallo vegetable bouillon
Low calorie cooking spray – use Fry Light or simply fill a spray bottle with olive or vegetable oil
Salt and pepper – always taste first then season!

VARIATIONS

Now that you have the backbone of the recipe in place you can make it your own!

CREAMY BUTTERNUT SOUP – add some coconut milk if you want to keep the recipe vegan. Adding milk and/or cream is another classic way to enrich this soup although it will no longer by Syn Free (see notes). Creamy squash soup can be flavoured with herbs like sage and thyme.

CURRIED SQUASH SOUP – warming spices work so well with squash. I have added mild curry powder, turmeric, ground ginger and a little paprika. Add some cayenne pepper and dried chilli flakes if you like it hot!

THAI SQUASH SOUP – adding a little Thai red curry paste is really easy way to flavour this soup. Check the brand you use is gluten free / vegan if that is a concern. Garnish with coriander and serve with lime wedges. So good!

Slimming World Butternut Squash soup in a bowl

A SLIMMING SOUP

This soup is a favourite among Slimming World members – it is filling and Free! One serving of butternut squash soup (without any milk/cream) is 160 calories and 5 SmartPoints on WeightWatchers.

If you want to make a creamy squash soup, make sure you use some of your healthy allowance for the milk, whether you use dairy or plant based drinks.

Any toppings such as seeds and croutons are Healthy B choices – two teaspoons of seeds or 60g of wholemeal bread (gluten free if preferred). I like to toast the bread and cut it up to make croutons.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP STEP BY STEP

This stovetop method is probably the most hands on one but it’s still ready in about 25 minutes. I used my GreenPan Dutch Oven in the recipe video and I can’t recommend it highly enough! It’s got all the best qualities of a heavy cast iron pot but none of the weight. Far easier to handle and so easy to clean. I used a Bamix immersion blender to blend the soup.

STEP 1. Mist your pot with low calorie cooking spray or use a little olive oil.

STEP 2. Add the onion, potato, garlic and bay leaf. Stir in the salt and any spices you are using – here mild curry powder, turmeric, ground ginger and sweet paprika. If you are using Thai curry paste add it now. Sauté over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes.

STEP 3. Add the cubed butternut squash and stir to combine.

STEP 4. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

STEP 5. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to blitz the soup to velvety creaminess. Alternatively you can use a blender but be careful when processing hot soup! OPTIONAL: stir in coconut milk /milk and heat through if using.

Blending squash soup with an immersion blender

STEP 6. Taste and season. Serve garnished with pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dried chilli flakes and wholemeal croutons etc.

INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1. Add all the ingredients to your pressure cooker. Cover, set vent to sealing and cook for 8 minutes at high pressure. Perform a quick release, open the pot and remove the bay leaf.

If you are adding coconut milk or milk then stir it in now. Use a stick blender to blend the soup until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

SOUP MAKER METHOD

I have used my Do not use any bay leaves in this method! I used a Morphy Richards 1.6L Soup Maker.

STEP 1. Add all the ingredients in the order listed. Make sure to only add enough stock to the maximum line indicated in your soup maker.

STEP 2. Select the ‘Smooth’ setting and let the machine quick and blend your soup – easy right? If you wish to add milk then transfer the soup to a pot first. Taste, season and serve.

SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS

Add all the ingredients in your slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on 4-5 hours on HIGH or 6-8 hours on LOW setting. Remove the bay leaf and blend. Stir in milk/cream etc if using and serve.

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