Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

easyhealthyrecipes.com/instant-pot-butternut-squash-soup/

Creamy butternut squash soup with apple, fresh ginger, warm spices, and a splash of coconut milk or cream. So easy and cozy for fall nights, whether it's dinner or entertaining!

Prep: 20

Cook: 20

Pressurization and Release: 25

Total: 1 5

Recipe makes approximately 6

Equipment Needed

8-quart Instant Pot (or a pressure cooker)
vegetable peeler
immersion blender

Ingredients Needed

For the Soup

2 tablespoons butter (or ghee for paleo)
1 yellow onion (diced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large butternut squash (about 3 pounds before peeling, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes)
1 large carrot (chopped)
1 Honeycrisp or Gala apple (peeled, cored, and chopped)
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup unsweetened full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Optional Toppings

toasted pepitas (to taste)
fresh sage leaves (washed and thoroughly dried)
butter (as needed for frying the sage)
a light drizzle of pure maple syrup or brown butter

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Select Sauté on the Instant Pot. Add 2 tablespoons butter and let it melt. Add 1 diced yellow onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger. Cook for 30 seconds.
Pour in a little of the 4 cups broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any stuck-on bits. Add the remaining broth, the peeled, seeded, and cubed butternut squash (about 3 pounds before peeling), 1 chopped carrot, 1 peeled, cored, and chopped apple, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne. Stir well, making sure the contents stay below your cooker’s permitted soup fill line.
Cancel Sauté. Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing, if required by your model. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. The timer starts once the pot reaches pressure.
Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then carefully release the remaining pressure according to your model’s instructions. If liquid sputters from the valve, stop releasing and allow more natural-release time. Open the lid only when the pressure indicator has dropped.
Stir in 2 teaspoons maple syrup and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Turn off the cooker and use an immersion blender to purée the soup until completely smooth, keeping the blade submerged to avoid splashing.
Stir in ½ cup full-fat coconut milk or heavy cream. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Adjust with a little extra maple syrup or apple cider vinegar, if needed.
If using sage, heat a thin layer of butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add thoroughly dried sage leaves and fry briefly until crisp, then transfer to a paper towel. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with toasted pepitas, fried sage, and a light drizzle of maple syrup or brown butter, as desired.

Recipe Notes

Make it dairy-free: Replace the 2 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil and use coconut milk.

Make it vegan: Use vegetable broth. Fry sage in oil and omit brown butter.

Make it paleo: Use ghee or olive oil, coconut milk, and a compatible broth.

Make it Whole30: Don't use the maple syrup from the soup and garnish.

Timing and yield: Allow extra time if your Instant Pot needs a longer natural release.

Nutrition Info (Approximate)