Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup | PALEO, Whole30

It's soup season, friends!  Even if the temperature hit 83 today in sunny California, you can bet I'm still making & freezing all the soups to enjoy now that fall is here and baby is on his way!

I love how easy soups are, and how versatile!  I almost always eat them differently when I serve them up as leftovers- especially with this Butternut Squash version!

Whether it's crumbled bacon, chopped chicken apple sausage, or a handful of toasted almonds & green onions, garnishing soups is my favorite way to switch things up and reinvent my leftover meals.

This soup is perfect for fall, and would make a delicious course at Thanksgiving if your family does soup!  It has a thick, creamy texture and all the right sweet, nutty flavors to pair perfectly with your turkey and sides.

Personally, I've been making this and freezing it for later!  I love how it's frozen for me so far- so next batch will be put on hold for when baby arrives and I'm looking for some drinkable food that's easy to ingest with one hand!  

I love to load this up with bone broth for the added protein & nutrients, and you could even add a few scoops of collagen to it- it will dissolve easily and you'll never know it's there!

This recipe was designed for the Instant Pot, but of course I've got you covered with stovetop & slow cooker directions too.  :)  Read on to the bottom of the post for all the details, and enjoy this festive bowl!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled & diced*
• 1 medium apple, cored & diced*
• 1 small white onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• pinch of cayenne, or to taste
• 1/2 cup coconut milk*
• optional garnishes:  extra coconut milk, sliced & toasted almonds, sliced green onion, crumbled bacon

Tools Used:

• Instant Pot
• Immersion Blender

INSTANT POT Directions:

1. Add the broth, squash, apple, onion, celery, and garlic to the Instant Pot.  Season with salt, pepper, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne, and give it a good stir.
2. Close the lid and set the vent to "sealing".  Set the Instant Pot to Pressure cooking mode on High (manual) for 8 minutes.  
3. When the timer goes off, hit cancel and carefully turn the vent to "venting" for a quick release.  Wait until the steam has released and the valve has dropped, then remove the lid.
4. Stir in the coconut milk, then use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.*
5. Add more salt & pepper if needed, and serve hot with your choice of garnish.  Enjoy!

SLOW COOKER Directions:

1. Add the broth, squash, apple, onion, celery, and garlic to a slow cooker.  Season with salt, pepper, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne, and give it a good stir.
2. Set the slow cooker to cook on "low" for 6 hours.
3. Once finished, stir in the coconut milk, then use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.*
4. Add more salt & pepper if needed, and serve hot with your choice of garnish.  Enjoy!

STOVETOP Directions:

1. Melt a tablespoon of cooking fat in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the squash, apple, onion, celery, and garlic.  Sauté until the onions are almost translucent.  
2. Season with salt, pepper, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne, and stir in the broth.
3. Bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover.  Continue to simmer covered on "low" for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are fully cooked and soft.
4. Stir in the coconut milk, then use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.*
5. Add more salt & pepper if needed, and serve hot with your choice of garnish.  Enjoy!

*Notes:

• You can also use a 2 lb package of pre-cubed butternut squash to make this easier!  We find ours at Trader Joe's or Costco typically.
• For the apple, I like to use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp for the best flavor.  
• The coconut milk adds creaminess to the soup, not a coconut flavor.  You can use canned or carton- whatever you have on hand.  I like this one that has just coconut & water and is found on Amazon.
• If you don't have an immersion blender, you can use any type of blender-  just blend the soup in batches until smooth.
• FREEZER TIPS:  this soup works great in the freezer!  I like to cool it completely, then pour into mason jars to freeze (just leave a little room for expansion at the top of the jar).  You can also do this in a muffin tin to have small portions to reheat!