Rich, velvety and surprisingly savory: this Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup will blow your mind.
Butternut Squash Soup
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It's funny how sometimes the best recipes come about from trying to use up items that you have on hand. I once had an incredible meal catered by FLX Table, one of the top restaurants in the country right now, which just happens to be local to us. Suffice it to say, if you find yourself in the Finger Lakes area, this place is NOT to be missed- the whole meal was truly exceptional!
Our first course at this meal with a Butternut Squash Soup. Now, I won't lie, I'm really not a huge fan of squash in general. But I try to keep an open mind, especially when dining out. That incredible soup they served at our dinner completely destroyed any stereotypes I had about what Butternut Squash Soup could be. Not only was it perfectly rich and velvety, it didn't have the typical sweetness that you often find in this type of dish.
To add an extra special twist, they topped it with a drizzle of spicy chili oil for some heat. They also put a perfectly creamy hunk of Burrata cheese (at this point, I pretty much don't have to say anything else because OMG Burrata <3) and some roughly chopped cilantro. It was love at first taste and I was immediately inspired to try and make my own version.
I went home, gave it a shot and this easy butternut squash soup was amazing! Cumin and chili powder added the perfect savory smokiness with a tiny bit of heat. A bit of heavy cream and the pureed butternut squash makes for that beautiful, velvety texture I adored at our dinner that night.
Naturally, I had to add the burrata and cilantro. They really are the perfect compliment to this soup. And since I didn't have chili oil available to me at the moment, I opted for a sprinkle of chili powder. I was not even a little bit sad to let that be my lunch that week and even more excited to test the recipe out again, just to make sure it really was as amazing as I thought (spoiler alert- it was!).
Tips for making this butternut squash soup recipe
- This recipe uses 6 cups of cubed butternut squash. This equals out to around 1 large squash. You’ll peel it, remove the seeds and cut to pieces around 1-2 inches.
- Don’t worry about making perfect cuts, you’ll be pureeing this once cooked.
- I use an immersion blender (or stick blender as some call it) to puree the soup once the cooking is done but you can also use a food processor or a high powered blender like a Vitamix.
Frequently asked questions about making a layered taco salad
- How long does butternut squash soup last in the refrigerator? Around 5 days covered in the refrigerator.
- Can I make this vegetarian? Yes! Substitute vegetable broth and coconut cream in place of chicken broth and heavy cream respectively and leave out the burrata.
- How do you serve butternut squash soup? I like to serve it with a big hunk of burrata cheese, a sprinkle of chili powder and plenty of chopped cilantro.
- Can you freeze butternut squash soup? Yes- it will keep for a few months.
- Can I make crockpot butternut squash soup? Yes! Add squash, onion, garlic, spices, and broth to the slow cooker pot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours. Puree with a stick blender and stir on heavy cream. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a sprinkle of chili powder, a hunk of Burrata and roughly chopped cilantro. Enjoy!
Make it a meal!
A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal would be:
- Three Cheese Garlic Bread
- Roasted Beet Salad
- Summer Bounty Strawberry Salad
- Four Ingredient Chocolate Mousse
- Cherry Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Helpful tools:
Hosting Thanksgiving?
Butternut Squash Soup
Ingredients
- 6 cups raw butternut squash, cut into 1 inch squares- this was basically one large squash
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon chili powder + a little extra for garnish
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt if using low sodium broth, double this
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Burrata cheese
- Cilantro to taste roughly chopped
Instructions
Instant Pot Instructions
- Add squash, onion, garlic, spices, and broth to the instant pot and secure the cover on top.
- Choose the "Soup" setting on the Instant Pot and leave it at normal. This will show up as 30 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot indicates that it's done, do a quick release to depressurize the Instant Pot.
- Use a stick blender to puree the soup until smooth.
- Stir in the heavy cream.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a sprinkle of chili powder, a hunk of Burrata and roughly chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
Crockpot Instructions
- Add squash, onion, garlic, spices, and broth to the crockpot.
- Cover and cook for 6 hours on low or 3 hours on high.
- Uncover and use a stick blender to puree the soup until smooth.
- Stir in the heavy cream.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a sprinkle of chili powder, a hunk of Burrata and roughly chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make this please tag me on Instagram with @thelifejolie so I can share it <3
Try some other great salmon recipes:
- Bean and Sausage Soup
- Easiest Ever Taco Soup
- Leftover Ham and Potato Soup
- Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
You can find a full index of my recipes here.
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