This Instant Pot butternut squash soup is a game-changer. The creamy texture of this soup, thanks to the blend of butternut and full-fat coconut milk, is just incredible. The hint of curry elevates the dish, making it one of my favorite soup recipes for soup season.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Cozy: This creamy soup is a delicious winter soup, full of depth and warmth.
- Quick + Easy: Using a pressure cooker like an Instant Pot makes this soup pretty quick to make.
- Best ingredients: Wholesome, plant-based ingredients FTW!
Nutrition For Mental Health
Butternut squash is a nutrient-dense ninja! It contains 22 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein. Butternut squash is rich in beta-carotene as well as vitamins A and C. It is also a good source of vitamins E, B1, B3, B6, folate, magnesium, potassium, and manganese.
If you love food and how it can improve your mood, like we do here at Raepublic, you’ll love this! A Systematic review and meta-analysis found that total dietary intake of carotenoids helped reduce the risk of symptoms of depression (including alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, and zeaxanthin).
Ingredients + Notes
This fall-inspired vegan butternut squash soup is made with delicious pantry staples.
- Butternut squash: This squash has a wonderful, nutty, sweet taste, making it the perfect base for this vegan soup recipe.
- Carrots: This root vegetable is a great natural sweetener in soup.
- Coconut milk: Coconut milk amplifies the creamy texture. Coconut cream can also work.
A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions + Variations
Whether you have a food allergy or can’t find an ingredient, here are some substitutions that work in this soup.
- Sweet Potato: Instead of using carrots, you could use sweet potatoes as a natural sweetener.
- Milk: For an even thicker soup, opt for coconut cream instead of coconut milk.
- Beans: For more protein, add one and a half cups of cooked white beans (such as great northern beans). If you use canned beans, this would mean using an entire can. Just make sure to rinse them really well!
- Spices: The two main spices in this butternut soup are coriander and curry powder. However, you could use red curry paste instead of curry powder. Fresh ginger would also be a tasty addition.
How To Make Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
By using a stovetop pressure cooker or an Instant Pot, you’re saving time in the kitchen.
- Place a trivet and steamer basket into the pressure cooker and add 1 1/2 cups water, squash, carrots, and onion. Close, seal, and set Instant Pot to manual HIGH pressure and cook for 10 minutes.
- Natural release for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and let sit for a few minutes before handling. (Remember, things are very hot!) Then, carefully remove trivet with squash, carrots, and onion on it. (Leave the water.)
Would you like to save this?
- Scoop squash flesh away from the skin with a spoon. (Compost the skin.)
- Add squash, carrots, and onion back into Instant Pot along with all remaining ingredients including the leftover water from the steaming process.
- Cook on low heat (with the lid off) for about 5 minutes.
- Blend all of the ingredients with an immersion blender until well combined and smooth.
- Serve with coconut milk drizzle and squash seeds on top.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this butternut squash soup with some crusty rosemary garlic bread and individual vegan pot pies. Finish the night with this tasty apple crisp with beets for dessert.
For more ideas on what to pair with this incredible pressure cooker butternut squash soup, check out this comprehensive list of what to serve with butternut squash soup.
Storage Tips
Storing and reheating butternut squash soup is simple. Here are a few tips, though!
- Fridge: You can keep this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Using glass is usually the best option (think mason jar or glass tupperware.))
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this soup.
- Reheating: To reheat your leftovers, add your soup to a saucepan, bring it to a simmer on medium heat, and stir occasionally. If you prefer, you can also reheat the soup in the microwave.
FAQ
Typically, the skin of butternut squash is removed before making soup because it can be tough and may not blend into a smooth consistency. However, if you roast or steam first, the skin can be easily scooped away from the softened flesh.
Yes, butternut squash can be overcooked. When overcooked, it becomes extremely soft and mushy, losing its texture, and can make dishes, especially soups, overly watery.
Butternut squash soup is generally healthy as butternut is a nutrient-dense vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The overall healthiness of the soup, however, also depends on the other ingredients used.
If you tried this Pressure Cooker Butternut Squash Soup Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Recipe
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 cups butternut squash, cut in half lengthwise and widthwise (remove seeds)
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled then halved
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped in half or thirds
- 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk , full fat
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Instructions
- Place a trivet and steamer basket into the pressure cooker and add 1 1/2 cups water, squash, carrots, and onion. Close, seal, and set Instant Pot to manual HIGH pressure and cook for 10 minutes.
- Natural release for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid and let sit for a few minutes before handling. (Remember, things are very hot!) Then, carefully remove trivet with squash, carrots, and onion on it. (Leave the water.)
- Scoop squash flesh away from the skin with a spoon. (Compost the skin.)
- Add squash, carrots, and onion back into Instant Pot along with all remaining ingredients including the leftover water from the steaming process.
- Cook on low heat (with the lid off) for about 5 minutes.
- Blend all of the ingredients with an immersion blender until well combined and smooth.
- Serve with coconut milk drizzle and squash seeds on top.
Video
Notes
- Fridge: You can keep this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Using glass is usually the best option (think mason jar or glass tupperware.))
- Freezer: I don’t recommend freezing this soup.
- Reheating: To reheat your leftovers, add your soup to a saucepan, bring it to a simmer on medium heat, and stir occasionally. If you prefer, you can also reheat the soup in the microwave.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
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Reference
Yu, Q., Xue, F., Li, Z., Li, X., Ai, L., Jin, M., Xie, M., & Yu, Y. (2022). Dietary Intake of Carotenoids and Risk of Depressive Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 11(11), 2205. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox11112205
This was delicious! Grateful for the nutrition facts as well!
So happy you liked it. I was excited when I discovered I could add the nutrition information too!