Instant Pot Vegan Butternut Squash Soup
A dairy-free butternut squash soup with carrots, apple, garlic, and thyme, pressure cooked for 10 minutes and blended smooth with lite coconut milk. Inspired by Panera's autumn squash soup.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 168kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium butternut squash cut into 1-inch pieces, about 6 cups
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 14 oz lite coconut milk about 1½ cups
- 2 medium carrots chopped into 1-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup chopped onions
- 1 small granny smith apple seeded and chopped, about ½ cup
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 dried bay leaf
- few sprigs of thyme
- salt & pepper to taste
- ¼ cup roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
Optional spices for Spicy Butternut Squash Soup (add all or some):
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
Instructions
- Prep the squash: cut it where the neck meets the bulb, peel off the skin along with the pale layer and green veins underneath, scoop out the seeds, and cut it into 1-inch pieces.
- Set the coconut milk and pumpkin seeds aside. Add the butternut squash, vegetable broth, carrots, onion, apple, garlic, bay leaf, and thyme to the Instant Pot. For spicy soup, add the optional spices now.
- Set the Instant Pot to "Manual Pressure Cook" for 10 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally for 5 to 10 minutes, then use the "Quick Release" valve to release the steam. Open the lid once the float valve drops.
- Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Add the coconut milk.
- Blend with an immersion blender until smooth, or ladle into a countertop blender and blend until smooth.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with roasted pumpkin seeds.
Notes
- Spicy version: Add the curry powder, ginger powder, and cayenne before pressure cooking.
- Swaps: Dried oregano can stand in for fresh thyme. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, or parsnips can replace some of the squash.
- Toppings: Try toasted quinoa, fried onions, garlic croutons, toasted chopped nuts, or a drizzle of olive oil or coconut cream.
- Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Calories: 168kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 519mg | Potassium: 862mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 25290IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 2mg