This Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup recipe is super quick and easy to make in the pressure cooker, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, and it’s full of the best fall flavors that everyone will love! (This post contains affiliate links.)
This one goes out to all of my Instant Pot fans out there!
We’ve had loads of requests ever since this magical pressure cooker hit the market for tips on how to adapt my favorite Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup recipe for the Instant Pot. And with good reason — why wait 4-8 hours for this cozy soup to cook when it could be ready from start to finish in about 30 minutes instead?!
Like I said…magic. ✨✨✨
Seriously, this continues to be one of my all-time favorite soup recipes, and thousands of readers have made it over the years and agreed as well. So grab your pressure cookers and let’s make a batch…in an “instant”!
This butternut squash soup recipe actually hails from my mom, who first made it for our family when everyone was back home in Wichita a few Thanksgivings ago. It’s loaded up with lots of fall favorites — hearty butternut squash, tart Granny smith apples, a (surprise!) carrot, and some extra garlic and sage for seasonings. It’s also made extra creamy with coconut milk, although you’re welcome to sub in heavy cream or any other kind of milk that you prefer.
To make the soup in the Instant Pot (<– this is the model I own), just pop the beginning ingredients in there together and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Then, there’s no need to wait for the natural release. Just (very carefully) turn the valve to “venting” for a quick release. Then remove the sage, add in the coconut milk, puree with a blender (or immersion blender) until smooth and creamy, taste, season…
…and if you feel like adding an extra touch, drizzle some extra coconut milk on top and sprinkle with some fresh herbs or pumpkin seeds or a sprinkle of seasoning (smoked paprika, cinnamon, cayenne, you pick).
And within about 30 minutes, this gorgeous meal will be yours to enjoy. It’s so warm and hearty and comforting, it’s full of ingredients you can feel great about, and it is just SO amazingly good. Every time.
Enjoy, everyone!
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
- Prep Time: 12 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 28 minutes
- Yield: 6 -8 servings 1x
Description
This delicious Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup recipe is quick and easy to make in the pressure cooker, it’s naturally gluten-free and vegan, and it’s SO comforting and delicious! Feel free to add in more cayenne if you would like an extra kick.
Ingredients
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
- 1 medium (uncooked) butternut squash*, peeled, seeded and diced
- 1 sprig fresh sage
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper, or more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste
- pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg
- 1/2 cup canned (unsweetened) coconut milk
- optional garnishes: extra coconut milk and a sprinkle of smoked paprika (or cayenne pepper)
Instructions
- Add vegetable stock, garlic, carrot, apple, butternut squash, sage, onion, salt, pepper, cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg to an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Toss to combine. Close lid securely and set vent to “Sealing”.
- Press “Manual”, then press “Pressure” until the light on “High Pressure” lights up, then adjust the +/- buttons until time reads 8 minutes. Cook. Then very carefully, turn the vent to “Venting” for quick release, and wait until all of the steam has released and the valve has dropped. Remove the lid.
- Remove and discard the sage. Stir in the coconut milk.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. (Or you can transfer the soup in two batches into a traditional blender, and puree until smooth, being very careful when working with the hot liquid.) Taste, and season with additional salt, pepper and cayenne if needed.
- Serve warm, with optional garnishes if desired.
Notes
*A medium-sized butternut squash should weigh around 3-4 pounds.
It …. was….. AMAZING!!!!! Thank you so much for making this available, my family loved it!
I added the entire can of coconut milk just because. OMG is right. I filled 3 quart jars and a good size bowl for lunch tomorrow. I shouldn’t have canned though- these won’t last the week. I am going to share with my family asap. Didn’t have the cayenne on hand but put in a pinch pf red pepper flakes. Yum + a kick! Love it! Thanks SO much for the recipe!
This Butternut squash soup is DELICIOUS!!! I made it in my InstantPot, it was quick, easy and really tasty! I will definitely be making this again and again.
I need to make this for weekend getaway in advance, wondering if I could freeze it in bricks right after
I puree the vegetables and not add the cream/coconut milk until I heat it up later on ? never frozen squash ?
Another recipe recommended freezing it flat in your freezer to take up less room and when needed, defrost in frig overnight
I made the recipe exactly except I added a red bell pepper for more depth of color. It is amazing!
This is the first recipe I made in my new Instant Pot and it was fantastic!
How many servings?
The top of the recipe states 6-8 servings.
I plan to make this today because it sounds so good and simple! Looking forward to tasting it.
The soup is still cooling, I’ve not even blended it yet, but had to tell you how impressed I am by this recipe! Wow, wow, wow! It’s the best I’ve made by far, thank you so much for sharing it!!! Once cooled and blended I plan to try it a few different ways: plain, with some sweet smoked paprika, and with some roasted pumpkin seeds.
Wow!
Great recipe! Thank you so much. My wife recently bought an Instant Pot and this was my first time making butternut squash. I found your recipe online and gave it a try. It was a big success and easy to follow. I’m making it again for a big belated family Thanksgiving party. Can’t wait to hear the reactions.
Wow. Yum! and so easy! I didn’t have an apple so I used some apple juice. Used coconut milk powder instead of the milk (that’s what I had on hand) Omitted cayenne. Added curry powder to individual bowl to taste (my daughter won’t touch curry). Omg.
I threw everything in the pot at my lunchtime break, set it to go on at 4:45. Easy, quick dinner!
I thought that this soup was fantastic. The Cayenne was strong, but I loved it. I would not change a thing.
Anyone know carb count per cup