This instant pot butternut squash soup is a game-changer when made in an electric pressure cooker. The creamy texture of this soup, thanks to the blend of butternut and full-fat coconut milk, is a delight for taste buds. The hint of curry elevates the dish, making it one of my favorite soup recipes for soup season. For those of you trying this for the first time, pairing this creamy soup with a side of crusty bread is a great way to enjoy a heartier meal.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Creamy and Comforting: This creamy soup is a delicious winter soup, full of depth and warmth, perfect for cold evenings.
- Easy and Quick: Thanks to the magic of pressure cooking and the sauté function on the Instant Pot, you’ll spend much less time in the kitchen.
- Simple Soup Ingredients: A little olive oil can be used in the sauté setting before pressure cooking for an added layer of flavor. If you’re short on prep time, many local grocery stores sell pre-cut butternut squash, saving you the hardest part of the job.
Nutrition Info
Before diving into the delicious details of this soup, let’s take a moment to uncover its nutritional benefits.
Butternut Squash Nutrition Info
Butternut squash is a nutrient-dense ninja! Did you know that one cup of butternut squash provides almost 457% of your daily recommended intake for vitamin A and 50% for vitamin C? It is also filled with antioxidants and carotenoids.
Butternut Squash Soup Nutrition
One serving of this curry butternut squash soup recipe contains 9.2 grams of fat, 15.9 grams of carbohydrates, and 2.3 grams of protein. When it comes to micronutrients, one cup (or 237ml) of this coconut milk butternut squash soup has approximately 73% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, 24% of vitamin C, 13% magnesium, 13% of vitamin B6, 12% iron, and 11% potassium.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This fall-inspired curry butternut squash soup is delicious with the ingredients listed, or you can make some minor adjustments to edit the soup to your taste.
- Butternut squash has a wonderful nutty, sweet taste and is the base for this vegan soup recipe.
- Onion can add a caramelized tone to the soup that is divine.
- Carrots are my go-to plant food to add to savory vegan dishes when they need a little bit of extra sweetness.
- Coconut milk adds to the creaminess of this curry butternut squash soup, giving it a rich undertone.
- Garlic
- Spices amplify and expand the flavor profile of this vegan soup recipe. This coconut milk butternut squash soup calls for Himalayan pink salt, ground black pepper, curry powder, and ground coriander.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Dairy-free butternut squash soup is easy to make. Using a stovetop pressure cooker or an instant pot makes this recipe incredibly quick to make, too. For this recipe, I used two smaller fresh butternut squashes.
First, you’ll wash the butternut squash and then slice them in half length-wise. Second, scoop out the seeds and set them aside. Then, cut the squash in half again, but this time width-wise (so that it can fit in the instant pot). This step is just so that the pieces of squash can fit in the pressure cooker.
I’ve always been a fan of pressure cooking, particularly because it reduces cook time drastically. In just a little time, I steamed the butternut squash, carrots, and onion.
1. Prepare: Place a trivet and steamer basket into the pressure cooker. Add 1 1/2 cups water, squash, carrots, and onion. Close, seal, and place on high.
2. Cook: Once pressure is reached, turn down the heat (just enough to maintain pressure) and let cook for 10 minutes.
3. Sustain: After 10 minutes, turn the cooktop off and leave pressure on high until no more steam is being released.
4. Release: Then, turn the valve to automatic release (steam position).
5. Let cool: Once all the pressure is released, remove the lid and let sit for 5+ minutes (remember it’s hot).
6. Remove: Carefully remove the trivet with squash, carrots, and onion on it and separate the squash.
7. Scoop: With a spoon, carefully scoop out squash the removing it from its peel (the skin is soft and may break apart), and discard skin.
8. Place squash, carrots, and onion back into the pressure cooker with the leftover water from the steaming process.
9. Add all remaining ingredients to the pressure cooker.
10. Heat: Turn to low heat (with the lid off).
11. Blend & Enjoy: With an immersion blender, blend together all of the ingredients until well combined and smooth.
Full Recipe Video
Recipe Variations
Whether you’re feeling adventurous or catering to different taste buds, here are some delightful twists to personalize this classic soup.
- Squash: Swap the butternut squash for pumpkin or even sweet potato (remove the potato skins for a more silky soup or leave them on for a high-fiber soup).
- Sweet Potato: Instead of using carrots as a natural sweetener, you could use sweet potatoes!
- Milk: This recipe calls for coconut milk. If you want an even thicker soup, you could opt for coconut cream instead.
- Vegetable broth: For a slightly runnier consistency, use half the amount of coconut milk and veggie broth in its place.
- Beans: To add more protein to this delicious soup, add in half to one cup of white beans, such as great northern beans.
- Crispy Quinoa: Add a delightful crunch to this butternut soup recipe by topping it with Crispy Quinoa. It also adds a great source of plant-based protein!
- Spices: The two main spices in this easy butternut squash soup recipe are coriander and curry powder. However, you could use red curry paste instead of curry powder. Fresh ginger would also be an excellent addition to this perfect fall soup recipe.
How to Use Leftover Butternut Squash Seeds
Maybe you are familiar with roasted pumpkin seeds, but why not utilize the leftover butternut seeds and roast them for a crunchy soup topper or a tasty fall snack.
How to make roasted squash seeds:
- Preheat your oven to low heat (280°F/140°C).
- Wash the seeds and remove any stringy bits of butternut. Then, pat dry and massage with a drizzle of avocado oil (1-2 tablespoons) and a dash of salt.
- Spread your seeds on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper (or a reusable silicone baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Then, bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until crispy.
Store and reheat Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
Storing and reheating butternut squash soup originally made in an instant pot is simple. There are a few tips and tricks, though!
Fridge
You can keep this soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freezer
Unfortunately, I have never had luck freezing and then reheating anything with coconut milk in it, so I wouldn’t recommend freezing this vegan soup. However, if your plan is to freeze it, you can make this recipe and omit the coconut milk. Then, when you thaw it and re-heat it, simply add the coconut milk.
Reheating
To reheat your leftovers, add your soup to a saucepan and bring it to a simmer on medium heat. Remember that stirring with a wooden spoon will help ensure even reheating. 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’re roasting or steaming the squash prior to blending, 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 rich texture, and can make dishes, especially soups, overly watery.
Butternut squash soup is generally healthy as butternut squash 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.
Bitterness in butternut squash soup can arise from the squash itself, as certain varieties can have a slight bitterness or from overcooked or burned ingredients. Additionally, using too much of certain spices or herbs can also impart a bitter flavor.
More Vegan Soup Recipes
Recipe
Vegan Butternut Squash Soup (Instant Pot)
Ingredients
- 5 cups butternut squash, I used 2 smaller ones, cut in half lengthwise and widthwise
- 1 large yellow onion, halved and then halved again (big chunks that will fit in the pressure cooker)
- 3 carrots, peeled and chopped in half or thirds (whatever will fit easiest in the pressure cooker)
- 1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk , full fat
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
Instructions
- Prepare: Place a trivet and steamer basket into the pressure cooker. Add 1 1/2 cups water, squash, carrots, and onion. Close, seal, and place on high.
- Cook: Once pressure is reached, turn down the heat (just enough to maintain pressure) and let cook for 10 minutes.
- Sustain: After 10 minutes turn the cooktop off and leave pressure on high until no more steam is being released.
- Release: Then, turn the valve to automatic release (steam position).
- Let cool: Once all pressure is released remove the lid and let sit for 5+ minutes (remember it’s hot).
- Remove: Carefully remove trivet with squash, carrots, and onion on it and separate squash.
- Scoop: With a spoon, carefully scoop out squash removing it from its peel (the skin is soft and may break apart), and discard skin.
- Place squash, carrots, and onion back into the pressure cooker with the leftover water from the steaming process.
- Add all remaining ingredients to the pressure cooker.
- Heat: Turn to low heat (with the lid off).
- Blend: With an immersion blender, blend together all of the ingredients until well combined and smooth.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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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!