Butternut squash soup that’s easy to make
Butternut squash soup is easily in my top 3 favorites. It’s sweet, savory, and just slightly earthy. While this soup is easy to make, it used to take me hours due to having to roast the squash in the oven. With the handy Instant Pot, I made this soup in half the time. The ingredient list is humble and has only 6 core items. You may have already most things to make this delicious soup in your pantry and refrigerator already; especially if it just so happens to be a crisp day in fall as that’s when butternut squash peaks in season.
We just started having frost in the mountains here in northern California so this is a perfect way to warm up your day. This butternut squash soup recipe is so easy and flavorful. Make this recipe ahead of time for the upcoming holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas. This soup keeps well so you can store it in the freezer. Just pull it out, defrost in a water bath or in the refrigerator and reheat slowly in a pan with a lid or pop it in the microwave.
Honestly though, with the Instant Pot, if you prepped your ingredients ahead of time this quick butternut squash soup recipe would be easy to accomplish anytime you get a craving or simply want to warm up on a cold day.
Simple ingredients, stunning flavor…
You won’t believe how flavorful this soup is with so little ingredients! First you’ll need a medium to large butternut squash, peeled and diced into large cubes. Second, dice a medium white or yellow onion, and 3 or 4 stalks of celery.
For this soup I used 3 large cloves of garlic. You don’t need to mince your garlic cloves since it will be in the pressure cooker.
I still recommend smashing your garlic with the flat of a large kitchen knife to release the flavor expansively into your dish. Lastly, all you need is some vegetable stock, heavy cream, a little bit of butter (makes everything better) and some dry seasonings from the cabinet; salt, pepper, nutmeg, and ginger.
To start, place your Instant Pot in safe place on your counter and plug in. Be sure to always follow the manufacturer directions and safety precautions for your model Instant Pot. Set the Instant Pot to Saute > Normal. Place 2 tablespoons of butter into the pot. Let melt and start to bubble. Add the diced celery into the pot, stir and saute for a few minutes.
Use some salt and pepper from your measurements. We want to season as we go so we can develop and layer flavors into our soup. This is what provides depth. Next add your diced onions and crushed garlic. Let simmer and sweat for two minutes.
Slide vegetable mixture toward one side of the pot with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add in the cubed butternut squash.
Evenly spread the squash as best as possible. Add a bit more salt and pepper. Let saute mostly undisturbed until slightly softened and lightly browned, about ten minutes total. Did you know the browning occurs when the natural sugars begin to caramelize? We’re making magic in the kitchen here! Okay, it’s science but I love it.
Once you’ve developed some delicious caramelized flavor blasts on your squash, stir the entire contents of the pot until well mixed. Season mixture with remaining salt and pepper as well as the nutmeg and ginger. Stir mixture thoroughly ensuring spices make it evenly throughout. Add the vegetable stock and heavy cream. Close the lid securely to your Instant Pot and make sure your vent plug is pointed toward ‘sealing’. Program the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 15 minutes.
Once time is complete, safely quick release the pressure valve in your Instant Pot. After all pressure is released and safety plug is down, remove lid. Use an immersion (hand) blender to puree the soup. Be careful as the soup is very hot.
If desired, strain the butternut squash soup through a fine mesh sieve. In the pictured recipe, I did not strain my soup as it came out really velvety; I was super happy with the texture. This recipe is done and being enjoyed in about forty five minutes.
I chose to garnish my soup with roasted seeds from the butternut squash itself! Did you know you could do that?! They are amazing. I like them better than pumpkin seeds. Check out my recipe for (click here >) roasted butternut squash seeds to try them out!
Happy Cooking!
Butternut Squash Soup Instant Pot
Make this fall flavorful favorite butternut squash soup. Easy to make in the Instant Pot! Creamy, rich, and velvety. Butternut squash soup is a slightly sweet and earthy fall soup that's sure to warm you right up.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium white onion
- 3 - 4 celery stalks
- 1 medium butternut squash
- 3 - 5 cloves crushed garlic
- 4 cups vegetable stock / broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper or to taste
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
Step One
Peel and dice your onion. Cut stalks of celery into smaller pieces. Peel and dice your butternut squash into about one inch cubes. Take your garlic cloves and crush them with flat surface of a chef's knife. Measure your spices and
liquids.
Step Two
Plug in your Instant Pot in a safe location on your counter. Be sure to follow all manufacturer guidelines when using your pressure cooker. Set Instant Pot to Saute > Normal. Start with one tablespoon of butter into the pot. Let melt
and bubble.
Step Three
Add diced onion and celery into your instant pot. Saute for about 3 minutes stirring once or twice. Add some salt and pepper. I end up salting and peppering in multiple phases. This helps build flavors and depth. Although this
is in the IP, you still need to layer your soup to maximize flavor.
Step Four
Once celery and onions are slightly soft, add your crushed garlic cloves and let 'sweat' for 2 minutes, stirring once. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, push onion mixture to one side. Add the second tablespoon of butter. Let melt and bubble.
Step Five
Add your cubed butternut squash into the pot
over the melted butter. Add more salt and pepper. Let saute mostly undisturbed for 10 minutes, stirring only two or three times during that time frame. The goal is to achieve some caramelization (browning) of the sugars in the butternut squash to bring out it's natural sweetness.
Step Six
Once you have some nice caramelized spots on your squash, mix everything in the pot together. Add your last bit of salt and pepper along with the nutmeg and ginger. Stir the mixture several times to ensure spices are evenly distributed as possible. Add both your vegetable stock and heavy cream.
Step Seven
Secure the lid to your Instant Pot. Make sure valve is pointed toward sealing. Select High Pressure and time for 15 minutes. After the time is up, quick release the pressure from the Instant Pot but be careful! Using an immersion
(hand) blender blend the soup thoroughly and carefully, about 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve if desired. Soup is ready to eat and right from the Instant Pot.
Notes
Garnish with roasted butternut squash seeds. Keeps well in the freezer to make ahead or save leftovers. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 156Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 858mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 3g
Nutritional information are estimates only and may not be accurate
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