Thanks to the invention of the instant pot, you can now enjoy a big bowl of this delicious thick butternut squash soup in half the time.
These instant pots … boy, I’ll tell you. They sure a fun gadget to play around with, aren’t they? Every time I make something in it I walk away more impressed.
Take this soup for instance. I have another butternut squash soup recipe on here, but it involves more steps. One of which is roasting the squash, sweet potatoes and carrots. It gives the soup a wonderful flavor because the squash begins to caramelize, but again, it takes much more time.
The only pre requirement to this recipe is sautéing the onions in the instant pot for a few minutes to soften them. After that everything else just gets dumped in. The squash even goes in as hard as a rock and somehow comes out soft, tender and cooked in just 12 minutes! It amazes me.
Let me show you how simple this really is:
- Sauté the onions in a little oil and butter
- Add the squash, carrots and herbs
- Add the stock and cook for 12 minutes
- Then puree the soup with an immersion blender (or regular blender)
- Add the cream
- Stir
We all know what the most time consuming part of making butternut squash soup is … it’s the actual squash! It has to be either roasted, baked or cooked down to soften, which takes time. These instant pots take that excuse off the table.
Even WITH the prep work, this soup was ready in under 30 minutes – start to finish. The squash and carrots came out perfectly cooked and so easy to blend. It was thick and creamy and all around delicious.
I implore you to get one of these things if you don’t have one already. They really are a time saver and true game changer when it comes to making foods in the half the time.
Please let us know if you made this soup and what you thought of it. We love reading your comments and thank you for eating healthy along with us.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Total Time: 27 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Butter
- 1 Small Onion, chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
- 10 sprigs Fresh Thyme (or ½ teaspoon minced leaves)
- 1 Butternut Squash, peeled and seeds removed & chopped in 1” cubes
- 1 Carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 ½ Cups Vegetable stock
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¾ Cup Dairy (this can be all Heavy Cream, all half and half, milk, etc.)
- 5 Sage leaves, minced (about 1 tablespoon – optional)
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to the Saute-Normal function. Heat the olive oil and butter for 1-2 minutes, or until the butter has melted.
- Add the onion and cook until it is soft and starting to turn golden brown around the edges— about 3 minutes.
- Next, add the garlic (and sage if using). Cook for an additional minute.
- Add the thyme, butternut squash, vegetable stock, and salt. Attach the lid and ensure the valve is in the “sealing” position.
- Cook the soup on the Manual Pressure- High Pressure- Normal setting for 12 minutes.*
- Once it has finished cooking, release the steam manually by switching the valve from the “sealing” position to the “venting” position.
- Remove the thyme stems. Use an immersion blender to bend the soup until smooth. You may also use a blender.
- Add the heavy cream and stir to combine.
Notes
Nutrition Information (per 1 serving, 6 servings per batch), Calories: 242, Total Fat: 18.5 g, Saturated Fat: 10.8 g, Cholesterol: 52 mg, Sodium: 579 mg, Total Carbohydrate: 13.7 g, Dietary Fiber: 2.1 g, Total Sugars: 3 g, Protein: 7.3 g
I like to tie all of the thyme stems together using butcher’s twine. It makes them easier to get out once the soup has finished cooking.
*The Instant Pot will display “on” while it it is pressurizing. Once at pressure, it will begin counting down from 12.
The IP can steam and splatter when releasing. I like to move the valve with a long kitchen spoon or tongs— not my bare hand!
I highly recommend fresh sage for this recipe, although you can substitute the fresh thyme for ½ teaspoon of dried thyme.
This soup can be made in advance and kept warm using the “keep warm” function on the Instant Pot for up to one hour.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 17 min
I love instant pot recipes! Ever since I got one I’ve been on the hunt for recipes. I’ll never make soup on the stove again, it takes too long but the main reason is the taste is so much more flavorful due to the pressure. Soooo good!
★★★★★