Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
This Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup is luxuriously creamy with rich butternut squash flavor. This delicious fall soup is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients.
I love Instant Pot soup recipes! My favorites also include Instant Pot Lentil Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup and Instant Pot Vegetable Soup.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup is a cozy fall soup
Butternut squash soup is one of my favorite soups, and this Instant Pot butternut squash soup is truly outstanding. It has a delightfully smooth and creamy texture, yet it’s made without cream. Instead, I add a few tablespoons of butter to bring richness, flavor and creaminess to the soup. A dash of cinnamon and nutmeg enhance the cozy fall flavors, while a carrot adds an extra touch of sweetness.
I love this easy soup recipe because it has rich butternut squash flavor and you can have it ready to enjoy in less than an hour from start to finish. You can thank your pressure cooker for this – it’s almost magical the way it blends flavors together and brings out the natural richness of ingredients with hardly any effort on your part.
When I make this butternut squash soup in my Instant Pot, I like to make a big batch because it’s perfect for meal prep. It reheats beautifully for lunches during the week or you can freeze it for longer storage. Serve it with these fluffy Honey Yeast Rolls and a Spinach Salad.
I was craving homemade butternut squash soup and came across this recipe. My craving has been satisfied and then some, DELICIOUS!! I like extra nutmeg and cinnamon and I did throw in a splash of heavy cream while using the submersion blender. This is such a nice comforting fall soup😍
Julie
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive Oil, Onion and Garlic. You’ll sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. This provides a flavor base for the soup. I like to use a sweet yellow onion in this recipe.
- Vegetable Broth. I recommend using low sodium broth so that you have more control over the amount of salt in your soup. If you don’t need a vegetarian recipe, you can substitute chicken broth.
- Carrot. Adding one large carrot to this soup brings another layer of flavor and a hint of sweetness.
- Butternut Squash. For this soup, you’ll need a butternut squash that is about 3 pounds, which will yield about 8 cups of cubed squash.
- Butter. Butter is my secret ingredient that gives this soup a silky texture, without adding any cream. If you need a dairy-free soup, you can omit the butter.
- Salt and Pepper. This recipe calls for minimal salt and pepper before cooking, so that you can taste and adjust the amounts to your liking after the soup is cooked. It’s easy to add more, but once you’ve added it you can’t take it away.
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg. These warm spices complement the flavor of the squash.
Choosing Butternut Squash at the Grocery Store
When choosing a fresh butternut squash at the store, look for one that is heavy for its size. The squash should feel firm and the skin free of blemishes and green lines, which mean that the squash isn’t fully ripe. The stem of the squash should be intact.
How to Make Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Sauté onion and garlic. Using the Instant Pot sauté function, first sauté the onion until it starts to soften. Then add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
Deglaze the pot. Pour in one cup of the broth and scrape up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot.
Add remaining ingredients. Stir everything together.
Pressure cook. Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the pressure cook time for 10 minutes at high pressure. When the cook time ends, leave the pot alone for 10 more minutes for the pressure to naturally release. Then quick release the remaining pressure.
Puree the soup. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup right in the pot. Or, you can transfer the soup in batches to a countertop blender to puree.
Serve garnished with pepitas, roasted pumpkin seeds or a drizzle of cream or coconut milk, if desired.
To Store, Freeze and Reheat
- To Store: Store butternut squash soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
- To Freeze: Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you wish to add cream or half and half to this soup, wait and add it after freezing and thawing, since soup will not freeze well if cream is added.
- To Reheat: Reheat this soup in a pot, covered, on the stove over medium-low heat.
Recipe Variations
- Dairy-Free: Omit the butter.
- Add Apple or Pear: If you want a little more sweetness to your soup, add one chopped apple or pear before pressure cooking. You don’t need to peel the fruit.
- Add Sweet Potato: Add one peeled, cubed sweet potato.
- Dump and Go Recipe: If you’re short on time, you can skip the sauté step. Your soup will still be so delicious!
- Double Recipe: I like to make a double batch of this soup. It is hardly any more effort than making a single batch, and the leftovers freeze well for quick lunches or dinners. For a double recipe, double all of the ingredients but keep the cook time the same.
Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chopped sweet yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 large carrot, sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 large (about 3 pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into 1-inch pieces (8 cups chopped)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Turn on sauté mode on Instant Pot and add the olive oil. When the pot is hot, add the onion and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Press Cancel to turn off the Instant Pot.
- Pour in 1 cup of the vegetable broth and scrape up any bits that may be stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add all of the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 2 cups broth, to the pot. Stir.
- Close the Instant Pot lid and move the steam release valve to the sealing position. Set the cook time to 10 minutes at high pressure using the pressure cook or manual function.
- The Instant Pot will take about 15 minutes to reach pressure and then the cook time will begin counting down. When the cook time ends, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes by leaving the Instant Pot alone. Then do a quick release of the remaining pressure by carefully moving the steam release valve to the venting position. (I do this using the handle of a long spoon.)
- Once all of the steam has escaped and the pin drops down, open the Instant Pot lid. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth, or transfer it in batches to a countertop blender to puree. Serve.
Notes
- Serving: You can serve the soup with a drizzle of half and half, cream, or coconut milk, if desired. Pepitas are a delicious garnish for this soup.
- To Store/Freeze: The soup can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you plan to add cream or half and half to your soup, add it after freezing and thawing.
- Dairy-Free: Omit the butter.
- Add Apple or Pear: If you want a little more sweetness to your soup, add one chopped apple or pear before pressure cooking. You don’t need to peel the fruit.
I originally shared this recipe in October 2019. Updated September 2024 with new photos and tips. Here’s a sample of the original photos:
I would love to try this squash soup recipe but I am a newbie. How do you go about peeling and chopping the squash? They always seem so hard to cut. Thanks!
It can be tricky! This post has a video that shows you how. I hope that helps!
This is the second time I have made this soup this season. It is delicious, especially with the apple. I have always wanted to make this soup and thought it was going to be hard to peel the squash. The video was helpful. It is very easy to do. Thank you!
I cheated and bought frozen, cubed butternut squash… it cut the prep time down to maybe 5 minutes, tops! 🙂
This recipe was delicious and so simple – the seasoning is perfect. My family loved it !
Turned out delicious! Thanks so much! Definitely will make again.
Great recipe but…. 15 + 10 + 10 = 50?
Hi Eric,
The additional time in the total time is for the Instant Pot to come to pressure.
This soup was delicious-creamy comfort food that was healthy! I’ll definitely make it again and again! It’s still 90 degrees on Sept. 23, 2020, and we were trying to coax a little fall into our area! 🙂
absolutely loved it! Thank you:)
This was so easy and yummy! I used chicken broth, put in two carrots instead of one, and added about a tsp of curry powder at the end (my mom used to put curry in her butternut squash soup and this recipe + curry just hit the spot)! Will be making this allllll fall and winter this year!
I made this last night! Absolutely delicious, and you’re right, it was super-creamy without any cream added. It was a very easy recipe to follow. I have a sweet tooth, so I added two small apples and just slightly reduced the broth to compensate. Also, because I didn’t have pumpkin seeds, I just toasted the squash seeds!
And I appreciate your suggestion of paprika. It was an excellent addition when serving as well as looking attractive.
This soup is amazing! Love that it does not have cream in it. I could eat this all day. Doubled the recipe because my squash was 6 lbs. The girls in the office are going to love this for lunch tomorrow!
Thanks so much!
I love this recipe! I am making it for my family for thanksgiving. My dad likes the soup with maple syrup. Would you think it is ok to add to this recipe? If so, any recommendations of how much at at what stage of the recipe? Thank you!
Yes, you can add maple syrup. I would add it after cooking. The amount will depend on your tastes. I would start with 1 tablespoon and then add more if needed, to taste. Butternut squash has a lot of natural sweetness, so you shouldn’t need too much.
So easy and delicious!
This recipe far exceeded my expectations. Except for using regular broth instead of low-sodium, I followed it exactly. The result was high-end restaurant level. I was dubious that 10 minutes under pressure would sufficiently cook the squash since it is such a hard and dense vegetable, but I was wrong. It pureed to a silky-smooth consistently with no starchiness.
My pressure cooker is a Bravetti I picked up over ten years ago, before the Instant Pot craze and although it has several similar preprogrammed modes, it doesn’t have a sautee setting nor a manual one. I sauteed the onion and garlic in a frying pan first then combined them all in the pressure pot. I used the basic “Cook” program and started a timer as soon as the safety button popped up, then hit the cancel button 10 minutes later when the timer went off and let the pressure slow-release.
My old hand blender died ages ago so I filled my countertop blender up twice and then recombined everything later. I love a touch of maple with squash soup so I will try adding some next time I make it, maybe 1/4 cup or so.
Hi! Can I add heavy cream directly to the pot of just to each individual bowl?
Thank you!
You can stir some heavy cream into the pot of soup once it’s finished cooking, after pureeing. Enjoy!
Thank you! It was delicious!
Very creamy and soft when made as written with the suggested addition of apple and sub of chicken broth. I actually added 2 Fuji apples as well as a stalk of celery (both finely chopped) before I cooked it because I wanted to make sure it had a lot of veggies and a good sweetness. Next time I may cut back just slightly on the garlic and onion so the sweetness shines on its own, but that’s a matter of personal preference. Very easy and healthy! Thanks for a great jumping-off point for my imagination!
Just a question when you say chicken or veg broth do you mean a stock cube?
Clare Gayford
Hi Clare,
I use liquid vegetable broth in a can or carton, 3 cups for this recipe.
Made this today. Soup was awesome. I also added 1 sweet potato. Never thought I would like Butternut Squash soup?
I just made this soup and followed exactly except as well, I added a cubed sweet potato and maybe a 1/4 cup of half & half at the end. So good!! ??
Thanks for the recipe. I roasted the squash in the oven first (may not be necessary with the IP) but because I wanted some chunks to put in after the puree was done. The apple definitely brightened the flavor. Thanks for an easy dinner to share with friends.
I added a Granny Smith Apple, and at the end a 1/4 cup heavy cream. Delicious!!
If you were to double the recipe, how would that affect the instant pot settings?
You don’t need to change the Instant Pot settings for a double recipe. Just double the ingredients and keep the cook time the same. A double recipe will take longer to come to pressure because there is more liquid in the pot.
One fabulous soup. Never made butternut squash before. Simple and easy. I did however add an extra carrot and used chicken broth. Came out delicious. Will make this again. Thank you for the recipe..
The soup was very liquidy. Would recommend only use 2.5 cups of stock
I’m sorry to hear that. If your squash is on the smaller side you might need less broth. You can always start with less and then add more broth if needed when pureeing. As written, the recipe always turns out as photographed for me.
This recipe is a winner! Perfect consistency with 8 cups of squash. The splash of coconut milk and pumpkin seeds were a nice touch.
Delicious soup. Do you know what the time frame would be if it was cooked in a crock pot?
I’m glad you enjoyed it! You could cook it in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. For the best flavor, I’d recommend sautéing the onion and garlic on the stove before adding them to the crock pot.
I made this today on my lunch break. I used 2- 20 ounce bags of frozen butternut squash as that is what I had on hand and I also increased the cinnamon and nutmeg to 1/4 tsp each. It was delicious!!
This was so good! It is a great texture, super healthy, and really satisfying. The Instapot makes this a great option when you forgot to thaw something for dinner. Thank you for the recipe!
Definitely a keeper for this family. Squash are a little bit pricey this year so bought 2 500g bags of frozen squash (less mess 😉). Yummy, thank you! Definitely a 10/10.
Seriously such a delicious soup! I used frozen squash and would recommend buying two bags if you go that route since one bag ended up only being one and a half pounds (thanks to my kitchen scale for this measurement lol). Can’t wait to make it again 😊
Delicious and so easy!
Fantastic recipe and so easy! Will be making again!
So simple and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I made this tonight and it was so good and flavorful!
(I used chicken stock because I didn’t have vegetable stock on hand)
It was very fast to make and easy.
Perfect soup for fall and I definitely will be making it again!
Easy and delicious
I don’t like squash, but my friend gave us a bag full of butternuts! My daughter and I gave it a try, figuring Thai restaurant would be a good plan B. Here are the tweaks I made out of necessity—knifepoint of sage, no nutmeg. No apple, but subbed 1/2 cup fresh apple cider for 1/2 cup of broth. And the broth was Italian herbs Better Than Bouillon! Red onion instead of white. Three cloves of garlic. Like creamy so I put in an extra tablespoon of butter for richness. And a pinch of extra salt for good luck. At the end, I probably only used a cup of liquid, poured off the rest before puréing. This is will save for the base of a stew later this week.
While the veggies cooked, we shelled some roasted pumpkin seeds. Got maybe two tablespoons. I was able to serve with a drizzle of half-and-half, and we absolutely loved it. The Pepitas really made it primo.
Thank you for the recipe!!! I can’t say I don’t like squash anymore.
I was craving homemade butternut squash soup and came across this recipe. My craving has been satisfied and then some, DELICIOUS!! I like extra nutmeg and cinnamon and I did throw in a splash of heavy cream while using the submersion blender. This is such a nice comforting fall soup😍
Thank you Brilliant selection of Recipes 🏴 🙏 👍
This is an amazing recipe! I used coconut milk as a finisher and it was a crowd pleaser! Super nutritious for everyone’s needs!
Wow! This soup is AMAZING! I added two small apples which added to the sweetness. Added a drizzzle of half and half in the bowl when served. Will definitely make again!!
All the comments mention apples and I do not see apples in the recipe, am I going crazy? I would love to add apples but how many? Thanks!
Hi Natalia,
I’ve since updated the recipe – the old version included an apple. You can add one chopped apple along with the squash. It will add a little extra sweetness to the soup.