Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

This Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup recipe has a glorious creamy texture! It’s cooked in the pressure cooker so it’s ready in less than 30 minutes. Loaded with roasted butternut squash, Granny Smith apples, and a mélange of healthy vegetables and spices, this creamy squash soup is made without coconut milk and may just be the best homemade squash soup recipe ever brought to your table.

Just like when I make my Vegan White Bean Chili in the Instant Pot, this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup is ready in 8 minutes when using your Instant Pot on the “pressure cook” setting. This is a savory soup that’s made without coconut milk or heavy cream. It’s quick and easy, vegan, vegetarian, non-dairy, and gluten-free. Top with a dollop of Vegan Mascarpone Cheese for an extra special treat.

In addition, if you substitute veggie broth for olive oil, the recipe is oil-free and whole food plant based (WFPB). For more savory soup recipes, check out my creamy Vegan Tomato Soup and these 28 Vegan Soup Recipes.

🍏 Ingredients For Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup (With Substitutions)

• Roasted butternut squash – whenever possible, buy organic butternut squash. Your squash should have a full stem and a dark beige hue, devoid of green streaks or spots. It should have a matte surface and a color that’s even across the entire squash. Avoid squash with brown or soft spots.
• Vegetables – including yellow onion, carrots, and celery. Vegetables may be coarsely chopped or simply chopped in half as you will be pureeing them in the end. You may also add other vegetables as you prefer. HINT: try my oil-free Vegan Vegetable Soup if you love vegetables!
• Green apple – I love juicy Granny Smith apples in this recipe as they add a tart and acidic flavor to this soup that complements the sweetness of the butternut squash. However, you may use any apples you have on hand.
• Olive oil – this neutral oil can be omitted to make the recipe whole food plant based and oil-free. Alternatively, you may substitute with any other vegetable oil.
• Maple syrup – adds a hint of sweetness to the roasted butternut squash that is extremely flavorful. You may omit or substitute with coconut or maple sugar.
• Veggie broth – I recommend using low sodium vegetable broth in this soup, and if possible, choosing organic. I also use veggie broth in this super creamy Wild Rice Mushroom Soup and this Instant Pot Chickpea Soup.
• Fresh ginger – you may substitute fresh ginger for 1 teaspoon of ground.
• Fresh thyme – you may substitute with 1 teaspoon of ground or flakes.
• Garlic – I use a lot of garlic in my soup recipes, however, if you don’t have fresh you may substitute with 1 teaspoon ground per your taste.
• Spices and seasonings – including sea salt (omit for no added salt), white pepper (substitute with ground black pepper), bay leaves, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, coriander, cumin, nutmeg and cinnamon.

🔪 How to Make Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup

1. Prepare butternut squash – wash butternut squash with a fruit and veggie wash. Pat dry. Pierce through squash with a sharp knife in 4 places. Microwave for 4 minutes. Once done, allow squash to remain in microwave until cool enough to handle. Remove, slice about 1/2 inch from top and bottom, then slice in half, length-wise. Scrape seeds from middle cavity with a large spoon. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/204 Celsius.

2. Roast butternut squash – place squash halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, white pepper and smoked paprika. Roast squash until fork tender, approximately 15 minutes. In the last few minutes of roasting, brush squash with maple syrup. Place back in oven for the remaining time.

3. Sauté onion, garlic, bay leaves and ginger – remove butternut squash from oven and allow to cool. Add olive oil, onion, garlic, bay leaves, and ginger to your Instant Pot and place on the “sauté” setting. Stir and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

4. Add seasonings, spices and thyme – add about 1/2 cup veggie broth and the rest of your seasonings/spices and fresh thyme to your pot. Stir until ingredients are well incorporated. Sauté for another 2 minutes.

5. Toss in apples, remaining vegetables and broth – using a large spoon, scoop flesh from butternut squash and add to Instant Pot. Throw in apples, celery, carrots, onion, and the rest of your vegetable broth. Add one cup of filtered water. Stir. Secure lid and place on “pressure cook” for 8 minutes.

6. Release pressure, puree, garnish, and serve – once the pressure cook cycle is complete, release pressure from quick release pressure valve until fully expelled. Remove lid, stir, and, using your immersion blender, blend until creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you may use a regular blender or food processor.

TO SERVE: Ladle into bowls. Garnish with red pepper flakes, pepitas, and fresh thyme. Serve immediately with your favorite crusty bread, my easy Vegan Pumpkin Bread, Rich Tea Biscuits or my garlic Vegan Naan.

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Pair this tasty soup with one of these 12 show-stopping Vegan Main Dishes, my easy vegan biscuit recipe, swirled vegan garlic bread or my focaccia bread recipe.
• For best results, be sure to pierce squash with sharp knife in 4 places and microwave for 4 minutes prior to roasting.
• If you prefer, you may choose NOT to roast the squash. Simply peel and dice squash after microwaving and place into Instant Pot with your other vegetables.
• If you don’t have an Instant Pot, you may use a regular pot and simply cook the soup longer like you would any other soup recipe. This completely omits the pressure cook step and may take a little longer, but will be just as good.
• Be sure to leave a 5-star recipe rating below if you love this soup like I think you will!
• If you love butternut squash, you’ll love my Stuffed Butternut Squash and Butternut Squash Spaghetti.

💭 FAQ

🍠 Variations

• Add 1 large sweet potato (chopped) and/or 1 cup pumpkin puree to make this squash more festive and flavorful.
• Add a nice crunch by topping with croutons and pumpkin seeds.
• Use different herbs such as rosemary, basil, or sage.
• Cook in a regular pot on the stove instead of an Instant Pot.
• Toss in different vegetables such as zucchini, cauliflower, and/or broccoli.
• Throw in some chickpeas to make this squash soup high protein.
• Top with chunky pieces of my banana peel bacon and chives and a dollop of tofu sour cream for an extra special treat.

🌡️ Storage

🥣 More Soup Recipes

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