Name: How to Make Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: English
Ingredients: 3.5 litre Slow Cooker; Stick Blender or Food Processor; 3 Medium Carrots , (approx 18cm long x 3cm thick); 1 Onion, (approx 8cm diameter); 3 Large Garlic Cloves , (approx 4cm long x 2cm thick); 1 Butternut Squash , (approx 780g | 1 lb 11 oz); 3 Bay Leaves; Salt & Pepper; 1 Litre Vegetable Stock, (4 Cups)

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If you’re on the lookout for an AMAZING slow cooker vegetable soup recipe, you’re definitely in the right place! Packed full of healthy, hearty goodness – this easy vegetable soup recipe is a perfect lazy meal, fabulous fridge clearer, freezer stocker and belly filler! Just like my honey carrot soup and easy minestrone recipe, this dish is not only healthy but it’s also really easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. I’m not sure what else you could want from a slow cooker vegetable soup recipe?!

What Can You Put in a Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup?

Well, just about anything to be honest! This particular recipe works really well with hard Winter vegetables that take a long time to cook. i.e. turnips, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkin etc. You could add 2-3 tsp of spices for a tasty twist. Try using cumin, turmeric, paprika or nutmeg. Got some spare herbs or want to add more of your favourite flavours? You could throw in a couple of rosemary/thyme sprigs, a few sage leaves or whatever other herb you’d like to incorporate. Just remember to fish out non edibles (twigs, bay leaves etc) before you blend it. My Mum once made a pumpkin soup and forgot to remove the largest cinnamon stick EVER before she blended it. The results were… interesting haha!

How to Clear Your Fridge/Cupboards with this Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup Recipe

You can absolutely use whatever leftover vegetables you have from the previous week or, if you’ve got green fingers, whatever you’ve pulled out of the garden. Simply switch out the vegetables (carrots, butternut squash, onion and garlic) for approx 800g-1kg of alternative vegetables. This is also a great way to keep things seasonal. You may need to add a little more vegetable stock dependent on your choices but the final thickness of soup is definitely a personal preference anyway. I like mine halfway between thick and watery – talk about picky! If you choose softer vegetables, cook them on low for 6-8 hours and if you choose hard vegetables, cook on high for 6-8 hours. You could even try roasting the ingredients just like in my balsamic roasted red pepper and tomato soup recipe for natural added sweetness.

How to Freeze Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

This soup is perfect for stocking up your freezer. Just divide it between freezer bags (I like to use ‘pour and store’) in portions and allow to cool completely. Once cool, freeze and use within 2 months. To defrost, simply remove from the freezer, place into the fridge and allow to defrost thoroughly.

The length of time it takes to defrost will depend entirely on the portion sizes you froze it in. I usually set a reminder on my phone for the night before to take it out the freezer. That way I know it will definitely be ready to use the following day. Reheat your soup in a saucepan over a medium heat until piping hot. Once it’s defrosted, make sure you use it within 24 hours.

Freezing this soup also makes wonderfully simple future midweek meals!

Helpful Tips for Making Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

When you are using hard vegetables (such as carrots, butternut squash etc) cook your soup on the high setting. There’s nothing more annoying that coming home to a great smelling soup where the ingredients are still not cooked. I have personally experienced this disappointment before, it’s not great!
Don’t worry about being neat when you’re chopping your veg. Remember that this is going to be pureed so it really won’t matter. Save yourself the time/headache!
That being said – try to chop all ‘hard vegetables’ the same sort of size to ensure they cook at a similar pace.
Want a more indulgent vegetable soup to impress your friends and family? Once you’ve pureed it, pour in 150 ml of double cream. This will make it really creamy and indulgent – perfect for a dinner party starter!
Has your vegetable soup turned out a little too thick for your liking? Just add a little more vegetable stock to thin it out. Remember that you can always add more but you can’t take it out, so go steady.
Don’t forget to season your soup! This sounds really obvious but it can make a huge difference. Remember that seasoning before/throughout cooking has a better effect than adding it at the end.
The smaller you cut the veg, the faster it will cook. The larger you cut it, the longer it will take to cook.

How to Make Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

Here’s what you will need to serve 4

3 Medium Carrots (approx 18cm long x 3cm thick)
1 Onion (approx 8cm diameter)
3 Large Garlic Cloves (approx 4cm long x 2cm thick)
1 Butternut Squash (approx 780g | 1 lb 11 oz)
3 Bay Leaves
Salt & Pepper
1 Litre (4 Cups) Vegetable Stock

Essential Equipment

3.5 litre Slow Cooker
Stick Blender or Food Processor

First the boring bit. Let’s prepare all that veg! Peel and roughly chop the carrots (3 x medium), onion (1 x 8cm Ø) and garlic cloves (3 large).

To prepare the butternut squash (780g | 1 lb 11 oz), chop off the top and bottom then, at the point where the fat bottom and thin neck meet, slice to make two pieces . Now, using a good sharp knife, carefully cut off all the skin making sure to also remove the green ‘lines’ as these are fibrous and not tasty. When you’ve done that, cut each piece in half again and scoop out the seeds and the membrane. Now all that’s left to do is chop it roughly the same size as the carrots.

Place the chopped carrot, onion, garlic, butternut squash and bay leaves into your slow cooker. Season generously with salt and pepper.

If you’re using vegetable stock cubes or stock pots, make up 1 litre (4 Cups) according to the packet instructions. Then pour it into the slow cooker.

Pop the lid on and cook on high for 6-8 hours until the vegetables are nice and soft.

Don’t be too worried if it looks a little dry when you take the lid off. I promise, once you give it a good stir – you’ll realise there’s still lots of liquid in there!

See! Absolutely fine. Now fish out those bay leaves (because we can’t eat those) and puree your soup. I like to use a stick blender as you can do it right there in the slow cooker which doesn’t make any extra pots to wash! You can absolutely use a food processor instead though.

When your soup is nice and smooth, give it a taste and season with more salt & pepper if you think it needs it. Now you can either serve it straight away or you can freeze for a later date using the instructions explained earlier on in this post. It’s entirely up to you!

Final Thoughts on Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

This recipe really is great. I know I say that about all my recipes but I really do LOVE this one! Not only is it super healthy but it’s a great way to get vegetables into kids too. Let’s face it, that’s never easy! That being said, I’ve always been notoriously fussy with my food and it’s a great way to get good food into me too. I particularly like taking a flask of hot soup into work for my lunch when it get’s really cold. It’s CRAZY satisfying!

Have you made this slow cooker vegetable soup? Get in touch! I LOVE it when you share your pics and thoughts with me. Leave a comment on this post or tag me on any social media.

Still struggling to chop that butternut squash? Here’s a great guide on how to prepare butternut squash.

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How to Make Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

Yield: 4 People

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 20 minutes

Packed full of healthy ingredients, this easy and delicious soup will become a firm family favourite!

Ingredients

3 Medium Carrots , (approx 18cm long x 3cm thick)
1 Onion, (approx 8cm diameter)
3 Large Garlic Cloves , (approx 4cm long x 2cm thick)
1 Butternut Squash , (approx 780g | 1 lb 11 oz)
3 Bay Leaves
Salt & Pepper
1 Litre Vegetable Stock, (4 Cups)

Essential Equipment

3.5 litre Slow Cooker
Stick Blender or Food Processor

Instructions

Peel and chop the carrots, onion, garlic cloves and butternut squash.
Place the chopped vegetables into the slow cooker with the bay leaves and season well with salt and pepper.
Pour in the vegetable stock and cover with the lid. Cook on high for 6-8 hours until the vegetables are very soft.
Remove the bay leaves then blitz with a stick blender (or in a processor) until smooth.
Serve immediately or freeze for another day.

How to Make Easy Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup

What Can You Put in a Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup?