This Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup Recipe is super easy to make right in your pressure cooker. Made with simple, healthy ingredients like onions, carrots, butternut squash, fresh ginger, and garlic, the whole family will love this smooth and comforting fall soup recipe. Vegan and gluten-free.
Pressure Cooker Butternut Squash Soup
I don’t use my Instant Pot nearly enough when it comes time to make soup. I don’t know why this is, after all, the pressure cooker really does help speed things along. And yet, while browsing my site for Instant Pot soup recipes all I came up with was how to make Instant Pot bone broth (that counts as soup, right?) and Instant Pot chicken enchilada soup.
As I fall in love with my Instant Pot more and more each day, I saw this as a challenge to create and add more Instant Pot soup recipes to my website. After all, summer is coming to an end and winter will be here before we know it.
So, challenge accepted!
No matter how you feel about the Instant Pot or pressure cookers in general, hopefully, there is one thing we can all agree on – butternut squash is the best. Naturally delicious and incredibly nutritious, this flavorful winter squash pairs well with both sweet and savory spices, herbs, and flavors. Much like pumpkin in both taste and texture, they’re practically interchangeable. So, if you know you love pumpkin, then you know you’ll love butternut squash!
Prefer to make your butternut squash soup on the stovetop or slow cooker? Check out this recipe for the absolute BEST butternut squash soup.
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Celery
- Carrots
- Sweet potatoes
- Fresh garlic
- Fresh ginger
- Vegetable broth
- Butternut squash
- Salt and Pepper
The ingredients are simple but the flavor is smooth, rich, and so comforting. Feel free to ditch the sweet potatoes for something a little more low-carb, like cauliflower! Sweeten up your soup with an apple or a drizzle of maple syrup, or give it a little autumn flair with ground cinnamon and nutmeg. The sky is the limit.
Optional toppings:
- Homemade Croutons
- Mozzarella or Parmesan cheese
- Fresh herbs
- Nuts and Seeds (pepitas, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc)
- Everything-but-the-bagel seasoning
- Bacon bits
- Pomegranate arils
How to Make Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Chop the vegetables into large chunks. Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger. The exact size of the vegetables isn’t super important, but for some of the harder, denser vegetables (such as carrots and celery) be sure to chop a little smaller to ensure that they get cooked completely.
- Set your Instant Pot to Sauté mode medium heat. Add a glug of olive oil (about a tablespoon) followed by the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add the carrots and celery and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Finally, stir in the sweet potato, garlic cloves, and fresh ginger. Mix thoroughly and cook for 1-2 minutes more.
- Press “Cancel” to turn off the pressure cooker.
- Deglaze the bottom of your pot by adding 1 cup of vegetable broth while the pot is still hot. Scrape up any charred or browned bits that my by stuck to the bottom of your pot. This will help prevent any possibility of things burning when they’re being pressure cooked.
- Season with at least 1 teaspoon salt and a generous pinch of black pepper. Finally, add the remaining vegetable stock and cubes of butternut squash. Carefully mix to combine.
- Secure the lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set to Manual HIGH Pressure. Adjust the +/- buttons or knob until you reach 10 minutes. Press start. Remember, it takes approximately 10-15 minutes to reach pressure before the Instant Pot will begin counting down.
- Do a “quick” pressure release. Very carefully (I usually use a towel to shield my hand) turn the vent to the “venting” position. The steam will come rushing out. Wait for all the steam to release and the valve to drop before removing the lid.
- Stir in coconut milk or creamer (if using) and use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly inside your Instant Pot. Or, carefully ladle soup into a large blender until it is approximately half full. Blend until smooth.
- Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve garnished with all your favorite toppings!
Cooking Tips
- Save time and purchase pre-chopped butternut squash from the market. You will need approximately 6 cups.
- If you’re in a hurry, skip the sauté step and go straight to pressure cooking. This will save you approximately 10 minutes.
- For a little added sweetness, try adding a granny smith apple (no need to peel, just chop) or a half cup of apple juice, apple sauce, or apple cider.
- This soup will thicken after cooling. Add additional vegetable broth or water, as needed, to reach the desired consistency when reheating.
- Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop, or in the microwave until completely heated through.
Learn More About Butternut Squash,
How to Cook Instant Pot Butternut Squash (Whole and Cubed)
All About Butternut Squash: How to Pick, Peel, and Prepare Plus Recipes
If you try making this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
More Instant Pot Recipes,
Easy Instant Pot Risotto with Butternut Squash
How to Make Instant Pot Bone Broth
Easy Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs (Instant Pot)
Instant Pot Mac and Cheese Recipe
REMEMBER TO PIN AND SHARE HOW TO MAKE THIS EASY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP IN THE INSTANT POT.
RECIPE CARD
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion - peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 stalks celery - roughly chopped
- 3 large carrots - roughly chopped
- 1 small sweet potato - (or russet potato)
- 4 cloves garlic - peeled and smashed
- 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger - peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cup vegetable broth (or water) - plus more as needed
- 1 medium to large butternut squash - peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon salt - plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- optional garnishes - a drizzle of coconut milk or heavy cream (not dairy-free) or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, or smoked paprika
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables – Chop the vegetables into large chunks. Peel and roughly chop the garlic and ginger. The exact size of the vegetables isn't super important, but for some of the harder vegetables (carrots and celery) be sure to chop a little smaller to ensure that they get cooked completely.
- Sauté the onions, carrots, and celery - Set your Instant Pot to "Sauté function" mode medium. Add the olive oil. Once your pot is hot, add the onions. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring often. Add the carrots and celery and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently. Finally, stir in the sweet potato, garlic cloves, and fresh ginger. Mix thoroughly and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Press "Cancel" to turn off the pressure cooker.
- Add remaining ingredients - Deglaze the bottom of your pot by adding 1 cup of vegetable stock while the pot is still hot. Scrape up any charred or browned bits that my by stuck to the bottom of your pot. Season with salt and pepper. Finally, add the remaining 2 cups vegetable broth and cubes of butternut squash. Carefully mix to combine.
- Cook – Secure the lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set to “Manual” and “High Pressure”. Adjust the +/- buttons/knob until you reach 10 minutes. Start cooking (keeping in mind that it will take approximately 10-15 minutes to reach pressure before the Instant Pot will begin counting down).
- Quick-release – Very carefully (I usually use a towel to shield my hand) turn the vent to the “venting” position. The steam will come rushing out. Wait for all the steam to release and the valve to drop before removing the lid.
- Blend – Stir in coconut milk or creamer (if using) and use an immersion blender to puree the soup directly inside your Instant Pot. Or, transfer to a large blender and blend it there.
- Season to taste and serve – Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Serve garnished with all your favorite toppings!
Jessica's Notes
- Try to purchase a butternut squash that is approximately 4-5 pounds.
- Vegetable broth may be substituted with chicken broth or chicken stock.
- Feel free to get creative and add other veggies like cauliflower or fruit, like apples.
- Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container for up to 5-7 days. Reheat in a pot on the stovetop, or in the microwave until completely heated through.
Nutritional Information
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.)
So yummy !
I can’t wait to enjoy this soup with family this afternoon. I brought a cup of it to our granddaughter last night and she loved it too. So healthy! Also I made your croutons to go with the soup! Yum!