One of the things that I’ve come to love most about my Instant Pot is the ability to make quick soups and stews that taste like they have been simmering away all day. It’s especially great on those busy weeknights when you really need dinner on the table but you don’t have a lot of time. Recently, I’ve started to take on my favorite classic recipes and this week’s recipe is just that – a Classic Butternut Squash Soup in An Instant (Pot)!
This recipe, like all those involving butternut squash, requires a bit of prep work – or a grocery shortcut. I typically like to buy whole butternut squash instead of precut when I have the time. Whole squash keep well and are much less inexpensive than pre-chopped, if you’re willing to put in a few minutes with a vegetable peeler and a good knife. Yeah, that’s right. I said vegetable peeler. My kitchen hack for dealing with squash is that I simply use the vegetable peeler (love this one!) to remove the thick outer skin. From there, I just cut off each end of the gourd, before slicing it in half and removing the pulp/seeds with a spoon. After that, it’s quick work to cube the squash. Here’s a helpful video if you need a visual! If you don’t find veggie chopping relaxing, then you can definitely buy pre-chopped squash at the store. I often find it at Costco! Frozen squash should also work, though I’ve admittedly not tried it for this recipe.
This recipe is definitely simple, classic butternut squash soup. The flavors of fall don’t require a lot of fancy ingredients. Squash is sweet on it’s own, so adding a good amount of salt and some apple cider vinegar for balance is key. Keeping things traditional, fresh sage gives a hint of earthiness to the soup. And let’s not forget that amazing salty, heartiness from the bits of pancetta added at the end.
A note on the pancetta: this soup can easily be made vegetarian/vegan by eliminating the pancetta. Just sauté the onion in the olive oil as directed and forget all about the bacon! You may want to check the seasoning and adjust (you might need a bit more salt) or consider throwing in a scrap rind of good parmesan, if you’re not vegan. It will give a rich, earthy taste without the meat.
This soup will freeze well for up to 3 months and keeps in the fridge for 3-4 days. I love to serve it with crispy, homemade parmesan croutons and bits of pancetta. A dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt never hurt, either! Lane and I recently served this at a wedding shower we hosted and we served it with fresh croutons, toasted pepitas, and a cumin sour cream. I’ll post the cumin sour cream recipe below as well. Oh, and if you’re looking for another great butternut squash recipe – check out our Thai Butternut Squash Soup, too!
Are there any other classic soups you want us to convert to IP? What are your go-to fall and winter soups? Let us know on Facebook, Instagram, or in the comments below! Thanks for reading.
Classic Butternut Squash Soup In An Instant (Pot)
A fresh take on a classic soup, this time in an Instant Pot. Great flavor, less time. As a bonus, we included a recipe for cumin sour cream that is the perfect topping for this soup!
Ingredients
Butternut Squash Soup
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- 1 sweet yellow onion roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 12 cups chopped fresh butternut squash
- 32 ounces chicken stock (4 cups)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Cumin Sour Cream
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Butternut Squash Soup
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Set the Instant Pot to sauté and heat one tablespoon of olive oil.
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Add the pancetta and cook, stirring frequently, until the fat renders and the pancetta is lightly crispy. Remove the cooked pancetta from the Instant Pot with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel lined plate. Set aside.
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Add the second tablespoon of oil to the instant pot.
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Sauté the onion and garlic until just softened.
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Add the sage and cook briefly, until fragrant.
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Placed the chopped butternut squash into the Instant Pot and cover with the chicken stock.
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Replace the lid of the IP and set the vent to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes with a quick release.
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Using an immersion blender, purée the soup to your desired consistency.
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Add the apple cider vinegar and 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
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Serve immediately, topping each bowl with bits of pancetta, homemade croutons, and a dollop of greek yogurt or sour cream.
Cumin Sour Cream
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Combine sour cream, cumin, and salt in a small bowl until fully combined. Use as a topping for the soup!
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Yummy fall soup! I will have to try this.
Enjoy! It’s easy and delicious!
This time of year, I eat soup 3-4 times a week. I have to mix it up so I don’t get bored, so this recipe is much appreciated!
Yay! Us too! Check out withtwospoons.com for more soup recipes!
You had me at Instant Pot! I use that thing so much these days and with the weather getting more chilly, I am always looking for something warm like this soup to fill me up. Yum!
We love our Instant Pots too!
I had to laugh when you said “forget about the bacon.” That would never fly at my house, hahaha. My hubby will want the original recipe with a side of extra bacon!
We happen to love bacon! It’s a curse.
I love a flavorful fall soup. This looks absolutely delicious! I’ve never had cumin sour cream. I can’t wait to try it!
The cumin sour cream takes it over the top!
This looks wonderful and so perfect on a cool fall day! I love using my Instant Pot for soup recipes like this too! So versatile and quick!
The Instant Pot is one of my favorite kitchen tools!
I’m obsessed with anything butternut squash. I always recommend buying it pre-cut in case people don’t want to deal with prepping it.
Absolutely! Precut or cut it yourself, it’s a fabulous ingredient!
I’m such a fan of butternut squash. I haven’t tried to make it yet, but this seems doable.
It’s actually really easy! You could definitely do it!
Oh the ingredients are all yum! I love anything squash in the fall. I’ve got to get an Instant Pot!
Mmmm, I love creamy soups like this for fall! I have a few squash just waiting to be used too!
Yummmmm! Tis the season for hot, hearty soups!
How much chicken broth did you use to make your soup. I have low vision—I couldn’t see any reference to the amount of broth required. I downloaded the recipe in my Paprika App, but it didn’t pull up anything … 🙁
Oh no! I’m so sorry, we DID accidentally omit the chicken stock! We use 32 ounces (4 cups) of chicken stock! Heading to the recipe to fix it right now!
/Thanks 🙂