Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

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With this easy vegan recipe, you can make a warm, cozy bowl of Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup in just 30 minutes. Packed with flavor, this creamy soup is not only healthy but also delicious!

I made Manali’s Thai Butternut squash soup recipe during Thanksgiving and was hooked. It was creamy and delicious, and my guests loved it. That was the first time I made that soup, and since then, we have been hooked.

Inspired by her recipe, I created this version, which uses pantry ingredients in case you don’t have red curry paste handy.

Why this easy butternut squash soup works

I truly cannot tell you just how much we love this recipe. Some of the top reasons to make this soup tonight include:

• Little hands-on time- dump and go.
• Easily made vegan.
• Takes less than 30 minutes to make.
• Did I mention it’s absolutely delicious?

Loaded with flavor, this creamy butternut squash soup will keep you warm and full long into the winter months. Go ahead, make it today 🙂

Health Benefits of Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is a winter squash with a nutty and sweet flavor, similar to pumpkin. It’s loaded with health benefits, from low calories to high amounts of vitamins A and C.

During the winter months, you can find this squash in the produce section or pick up a bag of cubed butternut squash in the frozen food section of the grocery store.

If you pick up a fresh whole squash for this recipe, you can learn how to peel and dice it here. Alternatively, you can pick up some pre-cut butternut squash to save some time and make this easy butternut squash soup.

How to make Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients at a glance

• Olive oil or butter – I used olive oil to keep this a vegan recipe but butter will also do fine.
• Aromatics – bay leaf, whole black peppercorns, chopped onions, and ginger-garlic paste pack this vegan soup with a depth of flavor.
• Butternut Squash – peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes or you can buy pre-cut butternut squash at the store to save on time.
• Vegetable Broth – Thins out the butternut squash while adding a little salt and flavor.
• Coconut milk – Gives the finished soup a creamy texture and extra flavor.
• Lime Juice – One of the ways to flavor up the bland taste of butternut squash is to add some freshly squeezed lemon juice to the soup.
• Chili sauce (sambal oelek) – optional but very delicious!

Step by Step Instructions

1. Using your Instant Pot, set to ‘Sauté’ mode and adjust the setting to ‘Normal’. Once the display reads ‘Hot’, add oil to the inner pot.
2. Place bay leaves and black peppercorns in the inner pot. Sauté them for about 10 seconds.
3. Add the chopped onions and minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
4. Next, add the cubed butternut squash and sauté for a minute or two. You could cook them for 8-10 minutes until they are evenly browned, but I prefer to cook them for a minute or so.
5. Pour in the vegetable broth and salt and stir together.
6. Cover the lid, move the vent to ‘sealing’, and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, do a quick release by moving the steam valve to ‘venting’.
7. Open the lid. Puree the soup using an immersion blender. If you want to use a blender, wait 10-15 minutes for the soup to cool down before blending.
8. After blending, add lime juice and mix well.
9. Do a quick taste test and add salt and pepper if needed.
10. Stir in the coconut milk and mix well.
11. Optional- If you like it spicy, add chili sauce and give it a good mix.
12. To garnish, use finely chopped chives (you can also use freeze-dried ones).
13. Serve warm with bread, oyster crackers, or as it is.

Recipe notes/tips

1. I used 4 cups of vegetable broth in total. I recommend starting with 3 cups of broth and adding more as needed.
2. Use store-bought cubed butternut squash to save prep time.
3. This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and up to a month in the freezer. 

Ingredient swaps

• Instead of olive oil, you can use ghee or butter for a flavorful twist. 
• You can replace the vegetable broth with chicken broth, or if you don’t have either, feel free to substitute water.
• Do not skip the lime juice since butternut squash is kinda bland in itself. The tang from the lime brings it all nicely together.

How to store

This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 4-5 days and up to a month in the freezer. 

Serving suggestion

We love it with oyster crackers, but garlic bread is great, too! For an added dose of veggies, serve this vegan butternut squash soup with a side of roasted Brussels sprouts or honey-glazed carrots.

Frequently asked questions

Other warm soups you’ll love

1. Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Soup – This Broccoli cheddar soup recipe is gluten-free, vegetarian, tastes just like the Panera version, and needs only 20 minutes when you make it in an Instant Pot!
2. Chicken Soup – This warm, hearty chicken soup is filling to the last drop!
3. Instant Pot Potato Corn Chowder – If you love potatoes and the hearty feeling that comes with devouring them, you’ll love this quick recipe for Instant Pot potato corn chowder.
4. Indo-Chinese Corn Soup – You will love making this Indo-Chinese corn soup in your Instant Pot as it takes only 10 minutes.
5. One-Pot Tadka Dal – Make this lentil soup in an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker, for a quick and delicious meal ready in no time!