Fall soups [1] can be so satisfying for weeknight dinners and so impressive at holiday gatherings. This recipe for butternut squash soup made in an Instant Pot [2] will impress everyone seated around your table. The best part? It's just a handful of ingredients and will be ready in 30 minutes or less depending on your chopping speed. You'll want to select a smaller squash at the market for this recipe, and I highly recommend some toasted baguette or country bread for dipping.
As an added bonus, this delicious soup [3] itself just happens to be gluten-free (depending on the broth you use, of course) and dairy-free, and it can be made vegan (again, depending on the broth), so it's a good dish to have on hand if you're having guests over who might have restrictions. Here are all the steps to make it.
Get your ingredients ready.
- Half a butternut squash
- Half a large yellow onion
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1-quart box of chicken stock (or vegetable stock if you prefer)
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil (olive oil can be used too)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Peel the butternut squash.
Using a sharp, serrated knife, cut a round off the top and the bottom of the squash, that way you can stand the squash to peel it with the knife (go slowly and watch your fingers!).
Slice it into cubes.
Once peeled, cut the squash in half. Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds from the inside. Wrap one half tightly with cling film and put it in the fridge (to roast for dinner another night!). Then slice the other half into thin rounds to make it more manageable to dice. You want roughly 4 cups of squash.
Bring out that Instant Pot.
Set it to "Sauté" to heat it up (keep the lid off). Peel and chop half an onion. You want about 1 cup.
Add 2 tablespoons of oil into the pot. Once it's heated up, add the onions. Stir frequently for 3 minutes. While the onion sautés, peel and mince the garlic cloves. Add the squash and garlic to the onions, and stir for 1 minute.
Move from "Sauté" to "Pressure Cook."
Press "Cancel" to turn off the pot and pour in the broth. Cover the pot, and lock the lid. Make sure the steam release valve is set to "Sealing." Then select "Pressure Cook" (or "Manual" if you don't have that option) and set the time to 10 minutes. (Remember, at this point, the Instant Pot display will simply read "On." It will take around 10 minutes for it to reach the right pressure and heat, and then your 10-minute countdown will begin on the screen.)
While you wait for the pot to do its work, clean up and do all the dishes from the prep. And get out that handheld immersion blender!
Blend and stir.
Once the time is up, press "Cancel" and wait a couple of minutes. Then, very carefully and using a potholder, turn the pressure release valve to "Venting." Wait till all the steam is released completely, around 4-5 minutes, and open the lid.
Stir the soup with a wooden spoon and let it cool slightly, just a few minutes. Then, use your immersion blender on a low setting to puree the soup for around 30 seconds or less. Add the salt and pepper, and stir thoroughly again.
Enjoy!
This soup goes particularly well with some good toasted bread.